Fiestas on Tenerife – The Virgen de Candelaria

Even as I type, pilgrims are making their way along Tenerife’s senderos and through the pine forests to pay homage to the ‘black madonna’ as part of the celebrations in honour of the patron saint of the Canary Islands, the Virgen de Candelaria.

There are events throughout the week, but probably the most interesting for visitors take place on Friday 14th August.
At 16.00 there’s a romería starting at Punta Larga and finishing at the Basilica. Then at 20.15 there’s one of the highlights of the celebrations, the annual re-enactment illustrating how the Virgen de Candelaria arrived on Tenerife and became venerated by the Guanche before any Christian missionaries ever set foot on the island. It’s a bit of a hoot – a sort of Laurel and Hardy in goat skins and doesn’t really portray the Guanche as being the brightest sparks on the planet (well they were still running around in animal furs and living in caves at the end of the 15th century). The re-enactment’s followed by a firework display and Chago Melián singing ‘Ave Maria’ – and he usually does it beautifully, so pack some extra hankies.

Click Here for the full agenda