Culture Corner: El Rocío pilgrimage
Spain Savvy Culture Corner: El Rocío pilgrimage
The famous pilgrimage festivities of the Virgen del Rocío (literally, the "Virgin of the Dew") are winding down this week and we wanted to dedicated a blog post to explain this cultural phenomenon to all those who have visited southern Spain or those who are considering a visit. El Rocío is a big part of the culture in this area of Spain and we think it's important for all travelers who visit this area to understand why. If you are interested in seeing the pilgrimage for yourself up close and personal, Spain Savvy can make that happen in 2018 - and it's never too early to start planning!
The history of El Rocío pilgrimage
El Rocío is a cult-like religious pilgrimage (Catholic in origin) dating back to the 13th century. The legend says that a hunter happened upon an image of the Virgin Mary in the marshlands and the people became devoted to Her and ended up building a Basilica in the discovery spot. The pilgrimage happens each year on Pentecost, including the week before and the week after, when brotherhoods from all over world (but the great majority from Andalusian provinces) devoted to the Virgen del Rocío take their own images of the Virgin out on the pilgrimage, sometimes walking for up to 100 miles and several days round trip. El Rocío is a Wild West-type village located in the Huelva province about an hour south of Seville, on the cusp of Doñana National Park and very close to the Atlantic coast.
Experiencing the Rocio pilgrimage
As with most festivals in Andalucía, El Rocío is filled with color, music and emotion. Devotees are hardcore and look very much forward to their pilgrimage each year. Most walk alongside gypsy-style covered wagons with big oxen and horses carrying their loads but you'll also see large tractors and 4x4 vehicles made for the rugged terrain. The music accompanying the pilgrims is flamenco in undertones to match their outfits but infused with the typical flute music associated with the camino. Once the pilgrims arrive at El Rocío, they set up camp at their brotherhood's permanent houses and the days spent there are filled with celebration and prayer.
The most passionate part of the pilgrimage is the famous Salto de la Reja which may seem violent but is actually just a fanatic display of devotion. It's quite the sight to see as the different brotherhoods emphatically push their way over to the statue to be the ones who take her out for the official procession out the main door of the Basilica.
WATCH THE 2017 SALTO DE LA REJA HERE
Your visit to the Rocío pilgrimage
You can also visit El Rocío any time of year. Just an hour's drive south from Seville, it makes for a lovely day trip with big doses of culture and natural beauty. Contact us to begin planning your custom itinerary.
Fave Properties: Las Casas del Rey de Baeza in Seville
Spain Savvy Fave Properties: Las Casas del Rey de Baeza boutique hotel
In our first entry of Spain Savvy's Fave Properties series, we're showcasing el mejor de los mejores. Las Casas del Rey de Baeza is a boutique 4* hotel located in Seville's historic center, not right in the middle of everything but just far enough out where you'll feel like a local but still be close enough to visit all the major monuments with ease. It's owned by the well-managed Spanish Hospes chain and forms part of their Infinite Places series, but you definitely won't feel like you're staying at a conglomerate hotel - their properties are designed to make guests feel like they're staying at a private home with an entire staff at their service - and Las Casas del Rey de Baeza (quite literally The Homes of the King of Baeza) is no exception.
Our favorite part of this hotel? The size of the rooms and the rustic and minimalist design style. European hotels are notorious for having smaller rooms than their American counterparts and this is sometimes an adjustment. For clients who wish to have lots of space to spread out and not feel claustrophobic in their room, we would highly recommend choosing this hotel for your next trip to Seville.
Initially a neighborhood patio (known as a corral de vecino) in the 18th century, the hotel respects the original architecture of the building and has beautiful turquoise awnings, thatched window treatments, wrought-iron, ceramic, wood and leather details throughout. There is also a mini-spa and chill-out roof terrace with a small dipping pool and hammocks that require the ultimate space for relaxation.
Straw carpets, Indonesian wood at the feet of the beds; neutral colors mixed with some bright blue or other colored tones; beech wood and translucent glass in the bathrooms; a light blue and white patio with tiled floor and covered in flowers and plants; the whiteness of the walls mixed with the color of clay typical of the bull rings of the south of Spain…all the design elements are so inherently Andalusia, so Seville.
With just 41 rooms including a few deluxe rooms (even larger than the "dreamy" standard rooms) and Junior Suites that feel like small penthouse apartments, this hotel will certainly meet all your needs. The breakfast buffet is divine, serving freshly squeezed orange juice and an array of gourmet olive oils and spreads. The entryway and common areas contain many beautifully decorated spaces for you to curl up with a book or to plot out your next adventure.
Most importantly, and something Spain Savvy looks for when recommending accommodations, the staff at Las Casas del Rey de Baeza are simply top notch. We have personally noted how they give a smile to every traveler who graces their doorstep, fulfilling requests with grace and professionalism. It is clear that everyone is truly invested in their guests' happiness and that is the plain and true recipe for success of any touristic accommodation.
Contact us today to book this hotel as part of your next adventure in Spain - you won't regret it!
Spain Savvy Partners: Devour Tours
Spain Savvy Partners: Devour Tours
Spain Savvy is thrilled to present one of our most valued partners, who offer quality food tours in Spain in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, San Sebastian, as well as in Lisbon, Rome, Paris and London. Their strong values and passion for showing visitors the authentic gastronomic wealth of this country including the cultural and historical background behind the dishes, align perfectly with Spain Savvy's. Interestingly enough, the founders of of our companies, Lauren from Devour and Sarah from Spain Savvy are both Boston-born, Italian-American, Spanish transplants.
Our working relationship with Devour Tours
We often recommend Devour's services to our clients and can even include them in your total package, taking care of all the payment and logistics for you. We love that they offer specialized family-friendly tours as well!
Check out the video below and read this article to learn more about our partner:
Devour Tours' philosophy
The tours are based on (each place)’s rich history and culinary culture, but the most important element is the people – the guides, the local proprietors and suppliers that make the tours unique, enriching experiences.
"Lauren (Aloise, Devour's co-founder) believes that the company’s firm commitment to responsible tourism has been a key ingredient in achieving trust and cooperation with the local partners they reach out to. 'We only work with small businesses, absolutely no chains!' she continues, 'We pay the suppliers the full price for whatever we order from them and our guides are well-compensated for their work.'
When looking for new suppliers, the team does extensive online research followed by scouting trips consisting of endless tasting, evaluating and talking to the shop owners. 'Whenever possible, we prefer places where the owners are present, as this adds a lot to the experience,' she says."
Contact us to set up your own custom itinerary with Spain Savvy including your own Devour tour!
Culture Corner: Seville's vibrant Spring Fair
Spain Savvy Culture Corner: Seville's vibrant Spring Fair
There are many words we could use to describe Seville's Spring Fair but to me, the most effective word by far is VIBRANT. La Feria is the culmination of everything descriptive of the Andalusian culture packed into one week-long event that will have you absolutely reeling.
This post will be riddled with Spanish words, but that's part of the fun! There is a whole, special vocabulary related to the Fair and Spain Savvy will teach them all to you.
The Feria is truly a photographer's dream, the delight of any party person, a fantastic place to sample Andalusian cuisine, and the ideal place for anyone interested in the arts (fashion, music, dance, even interior design!) It is a feast for all the senses and I guarantee you will never experience anything like it anywhere in the world.
The Fair takes place every year exactly two weeks after Holy Week, to allow for the city to recover from THAT event, which is a whole other post. It almost always happens in the month of April, which is why it's also known locally as the Feria de Abril. It begins officially with the alumbrao (lighting) of the main gate and the farolillos (paper lanterns), which has a different theme every year, and the traditional pescaito (fried fish) dinner on the first night for the members of the associations that comprise the tents or casetas. Thus begins 7 full days of non-stop partying complete with flamenco dancing (almost always the traditional Sevanillas), a little rebujito drinking (a mix of manzanilla sherry wine and 7-Up) and a whole lot of postureo (showing off). Who's got the best ruffled dress and mantoncillo? Who can dance the best? Who has the prettiest horse and buggy? Who has the best food in their tent? This is all up for discussion throughout the week when time seems to stop in Seville and everyone heads to La Real.
With the history of the fair (which was first held in 1847) rooted in agricultural trade, horsemanship is the highlight and there are bullfights at the bullring every day. The fair used to be held in Seville's city center at what is now a park, and today has huge fairgrounds in the Los Remedios neighborhood. There are over 1000 tents neatly organized in streets named after bullfighters and even includes an entire carnival area for the kiddies.
Here are two blog posts also covering this topic that we always recommend our guests read if they are planning on coming to Seville for the Spring Fair:
Cat Gaa's insider's look at the Fair for tourists from her popular blog Sunshine and Siestas
Fiona Flores Watson's most helpful guide to the Fair from Andalucia.com
Feria unfortunately has an unfairly poor reputation for being non-friendly to tourists but Spain Savvy aims to change that. Contact us to plan your trip around Feria and we will personally make sure you have a spectacular time.
What to Do in Barcelona
Beautiful Barcelona is high on the wish list of a lot of Spain Savvy clients and we are happy to deliver. It is easily Spain's most cosmopolitan city and has a lot to offer in terms of culture, arts, history, gastronomy, architecture, shopping, and so much more.
We usually recommend our clients spend at least 3-4 days in Barcelona. This is just enough time to take in all the Gaudí buildings, including the requisite visit to the amazing (and almost finished!) Sagrada Familia and magical Parque Güell. You'll also have enough time to explore the Gothic Quarter, walk along las Ramblas, have a bite at the Boquería Market and wander the MNAC or Miró museums. Shopping on Paseo de Gracia is always a hit, and the port area of this coastal city is a must-see during the warm weather when La Barceloneta beach is hopping with visitors and residents alike.
Aside from enjoying a few nights in the city, including its spectacular nightlife, we almost always arrange for our clients to take at least one day trip from the city, usually to beautiful destinations in the Costa Brava area, such as Girona, Figueres or Besalú, or to the Penedés or Priorat wine regions.
Girona is a medieval city on the Costa Brava with the biggest Jewish ghetto, or Call, in all of Europe, and a historical heritage that dates back to 79 B.C. You can also have an amazing meal at the triple Michelin starred restaurant El Celler de Can Roca at the hands of the Roca brothers.
One can't miss Figueres, where Dalí's charmed life ended, and where he chose to build his impressive Theatre-Museum. The nearby coastal Camino de Ronda also has many lovely stops such as Calella de Parafrugell and Llafranc.
Besalú is a little further out from Barcelona (about 2 hours) but was recently named one of Spain's Ten Most Beautiful Towns in Spain by Condé Nast Traveler. Spain Savvy can personally vouch that the bridge over the Fluvia River is just spectacular and its medieval village makes you truly feel like you are stepping back in time.
Spain Savvy is thrilled to present Barcelona as a premier destination for its clients. Contact us to plan your exciting trip!
Flying to Spain from the U.S.
Sometimes it might seem overwhelming to plan a trip overseas, especially trying to figure out the best way to fly to Spain. It seems like a lot of hours in a plane and too much work to find the right flight plan out of the many options available, especially if you want to visit multiple destinations. Sometimes if you go with the cheapest option, it means a super long layover or an airport switch that is more hassle than it's worth. Spain Savvy can take the guesswork out of it for you. Just tell us your home airport(s) and we'll put the pieces together for you.
Airlines that Fly to Spain
If you like to hunt for flights on your own, here are a few airlines we suggest that usually have the most direct and affordable U.S. <-> Spain flights:
Iberia Airlines, Spain's national airline and part of the One World Alliance (which includes American Airlines and British Airways) is the go-to airline for many travelers searching for flights to Spain. They also recently launched a low-cost partner LEVEL that operates between San Francisco (SFO) or Los Angeles (LAX) and Barcelona (BCN), which might be a good option for those of you on the West Coast looking to save some money on flights.
TAP Portugal is a great option for travelers on the East Coast looking to get right to Spain for less, or to take advantage and explore Lisbon on the nose or tail end of a trip. Depending on dates, one can find some particularly direct and cost-effective flights from Boston (BOS) or Newark (EWR) to Seville (SVQ) with just a short stopover in Lisbon (LIS). TAP is also part of the Starworld Alliance (with the likes of United, Swiss Airlines and Lufthansa) in case you're a miles collector. Spain Savvy has been regularly booking clients on TAP with great results.
Delta and the SkyTeam alliance also flies regularly to Madrid (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN) from Atlanta (ATL) and other U.S. cities.
Other low-cost airlines who recently began flying from the U.S. to Europe are WOWAir and Norwegian Airlines, definitely also worth checking out. There are also the popular low-cost airlines RyanAir and Vueling if you need to connect from another European city.
As with any low-cost airline, you should always check the fine print and see what is and what is not included, especially where meals, seating preferences, and baggage are concerned.
Tricks for Finding Cheap Flights from the U.S.
Here are some of my secret tricks of the trade to finding cheap(er) flights!
- Be flexible with your dates and if flying around the holidays, flying on the actual holiday date can save!
- Try to fly at least one leg or your trip on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday (normally the cheapest days to fly)
- DO jump on a hot fare when you see it. You'll kick yourself in the morning when it's gone.
- Don't be afraid of a layover. Often we can work these in to your itinerary to save money on your international flight!
- Travel during the shoulder season. In Spain, this is usually from September to late October and then from March to early June, and these are wonderful times weather-wise. My favorite month for visiting Spain, especially in the south, is April and May. Thanksgiving Week is also a wonderful time to visit Spain!
Work with Spain Savvy
If you don't want the hassle of looking for your own flights, let us do it for you. One of the biggest benefits of working with a travel agent is that we can reserve flights for you as long as the airlines allow us to, locking in rates when they're low, and even switching them out if we see that they go lower. Depending on the conditions of the fare, we may even have the possibility of holding off on issuing for several months while you save up for your trip.
The most important thing when you're ready to book flights to Spain? Make sure your passport is valid!
Contact us today to start looking for your flights.