Discover Pilas: Ermita, Haciendas and Nature

Pilas between Heritage and Nature

Pilas can be discovered through two different aspects: historic religious and agricultural architecture, as well as a natural setting that opens up trails through the Parque Natural de Doñana. If you would like to combine cultural impressions and active exploration with your family, the town offers various thematic starting points for doing so.

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Belén

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Belén is regarded as the historic center around which Pilas developed. Its main altar is a carved and gilded Baroque work. It is traditionally attributed to the sculptor Francisco Dionisio de Ribas and dated to the middle of the 17th century.

The ermita also includes the Marian chapel, a striking medieval square room made of brick with an octagonal vault. Its construction reflects the Andalusian tradition of Sevillian Mudéjar. The ermita itself is dated to the middle of the 14th century. The Torres de Molino also offer a glimpse of older structures: the olive mill towers were already mentioned in the 17th century.

Green Urban Area and Trails through Doñana

The Parque Municipal “Alcalde José Suárez Cuesta” is located within the municipal area of Pilas. The environmental area, opened in 1987, encompasses more than 100 plant species and 50 animal species. It thus complements the historic buildings with a tangible natural space within the town.

Routes through the Parque Natural de Doñana lead from the natural surroundings of Pilas. They can be undertaken on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. This creates a balance in your travel plans between quiet cultural observation and active time in the landscape, without reducing both interests to the same experience.

Haciendas and Regional Festival Culture

The Hacienda del Marqués de la Motilla is a rural building that represents Pilas’s historic haciendas integrated into the town center. Two olive mills are mentioned there for the 18th century. Las Carreritas offers another way of accessing the local culture: by resolution of 9 December 1998, the fiesta was declared a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Nacional de Andalucía.

Places in the Wider Regional Area

The wider regional area around Pilas includes the Palacio de Benacazón palace, the Casa Museo Blas Infante museum, the Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de Loreto monastery and the Hacienda de Torrijos palace. Also located in this wider area are La Isleta island, Isla Mayor island, Parque Blas Infante park and El Tomillar Park. These names broaden the view beyond the town without defining Pilas through just one focus for an excursion.

Getting There and Choosing Your Hotel

From Seville or Huelva, you can reach Pilas via the A-49 or the Quinto Centenario as far as Exit 28, and then via the A-8061 for 6 kilometers. When choosing your hotel, you can weigh up the focuses of culture, nature and regional exploration and consider Pilas as the starting point for your personal trip through Andalusia.

For further regional orientation, you can also visit Villanueva Del Ariscal, Olivares, El Saucejo, Castilleja Del Campo, Gines, El Pedroso, San Juan De Aznalfarache and Benacazón.

For the higher-level travel overview: Seville.