Aires de Doñana
What to order: ortiguillas from La Rocina to start, the ragout or the rangers'-house-style mostrenca, and the Doñana dessert
geocalia
Day itinerary · 37.13° N · 6.48° W
Doñana: dunes by 4x4, lunch in El Rocío and flamingos at dusk.
The official 4x4 across beach, dunes and marsh at 8:30, lunch facing the marsh in El Rocío, the Charco de la Boca trail and flamingos as evening falls.
Leaving from
Part of Doñana and El RocíoHorse riding routes in Spain
Add to my trip
Total time10 h
By car1 h each way
4x4 through the park€35 · €20 for ages 4 to 8
Trail3.8 km flat
Cost€60–90 pp
Best timeOctober – May
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Seville 1 h by car
from Seville via the A-49 and the A-483; from Huelva, via Bollullos or along the coast
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1
El Acebuche Visitor Centre
Park and report 30 minutes early
A-483, km 38,7 (desvío de El Acebuche), 21730 Almonte · +34 959 439 629
- 1 min on foot
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2
4x4 Tour of the National Park from El Acebuche
€35, €20 for ages 4 to 8, with booking
+34 959 430 432
- 15 min by car13,9 km
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3
The Hermitage and Sand Streets of El Rocío
The sand hamlet and the hermitage
- 9 min on foot
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4
Aires de Doñana
Sunday 13:30 to 16:00, facing the marsh · €€€
Avenida de la Canaliega, 1, 21750 El Rocío (Almonte) · +34 959 44 22 89
Restaurant €€€Book - 15 min on foot
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5
Charco de la Boca Trail, at La Rocina
3.8 km on the flat from La Rocina, with observation hides
- 15 min on foot
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6
The Marsh Walk, Birds in Front of the Village
Flamingos and horses in the low light
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Back home
You reach Seville or Huelva before 20:00
Approximate cost
About €70–95 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
4x4 Tour of the National Park from El Acebuche
You can only enter the heart of Doñana with one of the two official concession holders, and the morning departure is the one that fits a Sunday best: at 8:30 from El Acebuche, back by midday. The rest of the day is free and costs nothing: the village of El Rocío, a flat trail at La Rocina and the marsh at dusk. Book the 4x4 at donanavisitas.es before you set off.
The day, hour by hour
7:15 · Set off. From Seville, about 65 km on the A-49 towards Huelva, exit for Bollullos and Almonte and then the A-483. From Huelva, just under an hour. El Acebuche is on the A-483, about 15 km past El Rocío towards Matalascañas.
8:00 · El Acebuche. Park and walk about 100 m to the visitor centre. You need to be there 30 minutes early.
8:30 · 4x4 through the National Park. About four hours with a guide from the Cooperativa Marismas del Rocío: the beach to the mouth of the Guadalquivir, the moving dunes, the scrub and the marsh, with a stop at the Poblado de la Plancha. €35, €20 for ages 4 to 8.
12:45 · El Rocío. Return to the village, park at the entrance and walk along the sandy streets to the hermitage.
13:45 · Lunch at Aires de Doñana. On Sundays it only opens at midday, from 13:30 to 16:00, with the dining room facing the marsh. Ask for the mostrenca beef.
16:15 · Charco de la Boca. 2 km away, in the La Rocina centre: 3.8 flat kilometres beside the stream, with two observatories, in a little under two hours. Open until nightfall.
18:00 · The marsh. Go back to the promenade in front of the hermitage: in the low light you can see flamingos, ducks and marsh horses.
18:45 · Head home.
Where and what to eat
Aires de Doñana is the lunch of the day: Doñana cooking with mostrenca beef and local produce, on Sundays at midday only. If there is no table, the Toruño del Rocío restaurant, on Plaza del Acebuchal, opens every day from 13:00 to 16:00, with a big window onto the marsh and a terrace.
With children and with a dog
Almost all children enjoy the 4x4, but it is four hours and the vehicles have no child seats; with under-4s, stay at La Rocina and the marsh. With a dog, this plan does not work: domestic animals are not allowed in the national park. On a lead, they can walk around the village and the edge of the marsh.
Time3 h 45
Change the route
If Aires de Doñana is full: Toruño opens every day at midday:
Toruño del Rocío Restaurant
Instead of La Rocina, a shorter walk in the shade:
Acebrón Palace and the Lagoon Trail
From Cádiz or Jerez: the Real Fernando boat, from Sanlúcar, at 10:00:
Boat Trip on the Guadalquivir from Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Toruño del Rocío Restaurant
What to order: the creamy mostrenca rice, the mostrenca cannelloni or the Punta Umbría squid, and poleá with Doñana honey for dessert
LaBoca Restaurant (Hotel La Malvasía)
What to order: something seasonal from the traditional cooking menu and a Condado de Huelva wine.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Doñana and El Rocío
From October to May, with the marsh full of water. The concession holder does not run on Sundays from June to September, so this plan is for autumn to spring. Avoid the romería and the pilgrimages.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the 4x4
Places are limited and sell out on long weekends.
- 2Bring repellent
There are mosquitoes in the marsh in spring and autumn.
- 3Binoculars
The flamingos are not always close to the promenade.
If it rains
The 4x4 runs in the rain, but the La Rocina trail gets muddy; swap it for the Palacio del Acebrón and its short walk.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Are there visits to Doñana on Sundays?
Yes, from October to May. From June to September the El Acebuche concession holder does not run on Sundays.
How much does the day cost?
Between €60 and €90 per person: €35 for the 4x4 and lunch.
Can I enter Doñana in my own car?
Not the national park. The La Rocina and El Acebrón trails and the El Rocío marsh are open to all.
How long does it take from Seville to El Rocío?
A little under an hour, about 65 km.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/donana-and-el-rocio/itineraries/donana-4x4-sunday-from-el-acebuche
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.