Fiestas de la Virgen del Carmen

The fiestas de julio (July festivals) are the main celebrations in Puerto de la Cruz and include the processions of the Virgen del Carmen and El Gran Poder del Dios.  The festival is built around an old ritual: the carrying of the Madonna (accompanied by an effigy of San Telmo) from the town's church (Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Franci), through the streets and to the harbour. Here she is lifted on to a boat and borne out into the bay, in the hope that she will bless the local fishermen and bring good fortune. 

To carry the Madonna is an honour to which every townsman aspires. There is no order or allocation. At the given moment, hundreds of them simply rush to the effigy in the church and those who get there first, to the sound of a great cheer, will carry this heavy burden for the rest of the night. That's no mean feat. In order to progress through the crammed streets with some kind of dignity, the dozen or so bearers take on a rhythmic, swaying gait, the heavy wooden platform bearing down on their shoulders.  It is a time of high emotion, with tears and shouts of 'viva la Virgen del Carmen' from the devout.  As the Madonna is lifted onto the boat everyone beats the water to create a spray and there is a hush until the shout goes up " no pasa nada, la Virgen está embarcada...” (no problem,  the virgin is on board).  The virgin leaves on her trip up and down the coast, the fireworks light up the sky and the town gives itself over to an all night party!

The photographs below are from the procession in July 2004.