Lucena Del Puerto: Monastery, Crosses and Trails
Accommodation in Lucena Del Puerto
Monastic history, the tradition of the crosses and trails through varied landscapes give Lucena del Puerto several points of interest. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing the building history and festival traditions from the routes and their particular features.
Monastery and architecture
The former Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de la Luz is listed as a monument in the General Catalogue of Andalusian Cultural Heritage. The Hieronymite Order founded it at the end of the 15th century as a rural monastery-estate. The complex brought together religious and residential buildings with structures for farming and livestock.
The architecture also reflects different periods of design: the church and refectory are Late Gothic, while some cloisters are in the Mudéjar style. Later parts of the complex show Renaissance and Baroque influences. The stylistic references therefore vary from one part of the building to another, rather than assigning the entire complex to a single period.
Crosses, chapels and festivals
Lucena del Puerto’s Cruces de Mayo celebrations feature four crosses: Calle Castillo, Calle Arriba, Calle Malva and Calle Abajo. On the day of the procession, the Santa Cruz de Arriba is the only one of the four crosses to return to its chapel. The tradition has existed for more than 80 years.
The chapels also showcase different architectural styles. The Capilla de la Santa Cruz de la Calle Malva was built in 1992 by architect Francisco J. Ramón Girón in the regionalist style. It houses a cross created in 1956 by Manuel Seco Velasco’s workshops in Seville. The Capilla de la Santa Cruz de Arriba has a regionalist façade with blue-and-white Seville tiles. Their religious motifs depict scenes from the Passion, particularly the Stations of the Cross.
El Romerito takes place in June, is dedicated to the Virgen del RocĂo and involves the whole town. During the pilgrimage procession, participants travel on foot or in wagons alongside the Simpecado to the Pino de la Cruz natural area. The patron saint festivities for the Virgen de la Luz last several days and include a procession for the Virgen on 15 August. These dates help distinguish the festivals described here.
Trails and different destinations
The Ruta de los Pinos de la Cruz connects the town centre with the Pino de la Cruz recreation area over three kilometres. It is a relatively easy trail. The recreation area has picnic tables and benches, barbecue grills, a children’s play area and fountains. This route is distinguished by its destination from trails whose descriptions focus mainly on the route itself and the landscape.
The SL-A 358 Camino de los Cristos is a 2,645-metre linear recreation trail in Lucena del Puerto. It passes through a small, ecologically valuable hollow with pine trees, holm oaks, myrtles and dwarf fan palms. At 2,301 metres, the also-linear SL-A 359 Camino de las Cabezadas is 344 metres shorter. At its fork, one direction leads back to Lucena del Puerto, while the other continues to Bonares.
The SL-A 360 Camino de RĂo Tinto starts in Lucena del Puerto and descends along a surfaced dirt track towards the RĂo Tinto. The trail is 1,954 metres long and ends with views of the river. Compared with the other two SL-A routes, both its stated length and its direction towards the RĂo Tinto set it apart.
Landscape and orientation
The Vereda del Camino del Loro passes through pine and scrubland belonging to the Parque Natural de Doñana. As trail conditions can change, it is advisable to check them before setting out.
Lucena del Puerto lies on the left bank of the RĂo Tinto and receives westerly winds as well as breezes from the nearby sea. The river setting and winds add two further aspects of the local landscape to the trails and buildings described above.
Discover more destinations: CampofrĂo, Puerto de la Laja, San Juan Del Puerto, Minas De Riotinto, Galaroza, Zalamea La Real, Ayamonte, Aroche.
Return to the main travel overview: Huelva.
