Santa Cruz Carnival Tenerife

Tenerife is bursting with fiestas. They range from town processions to romerias, which are festive pilgrimages leading from town churches to the country side. Religious and saint days are the most common reason for fiestas. The exception to this however is the Carnaval that greeting the arrival of spring, which goes back to pagan rituals.

The Carvaval is celebrated throughout the whole of Tenerife, but by far the largest and chaotic is the one held in the island capital Santa Cruz. The carnival festivities go on for 3 weeks but the mains events happen over one week with spectacular processions.

The Tenerife carnaval is comes second only to the Rio de Janeiro carnaval, and Diana Ross was spotted there a couple of years ago.

A different theme is chosen every year, the first few days there are competitions, concerts, parades, events for children and gala a night the election of the carnaval queen. The grand parade takes place the following Friday and all night dancing continues for the following week.

Other festivals in Tenerife occur throughout the year.

May:

Los Realejos

This fiesta dates back to 1676 and honours the patron of farmers, San Isidro

June

La Oratava

Here the residents of La Oratava celebrate Corpus Christi.

June

La Oratava

The Sunday after the Corpus Christi celebrations where farmers use cow driven carts and dress as magicians.

July

La Laguna

A procession features seven women, one for each of the Canary Islands. This is followed by a procession of floats, maypole dancing and others dressed in traditional dress and lots of noise and decorated streets.

15 August

Candelaria

This fiesta coincides with the \feast of Consumption. The pilgrims meet on 14th august and a grand ceremony takes place to commemorate the visitation of the Virgin Mary to the guanches. Then follows a procession to the Pozo de la Virgen were fireworks are let off.

August

Garachio

This fiesta originates from the 17th century plague when it struck Garachio. The town’s people appealed to Saint Roach who had devoted himself to plague victims in Italy in the 14th century. Every year the people of garachio converge  at the chapel of San Roque, outside the town and take an image of saint Roach to Iglesia de Santa Anna in Garachio where Mass is held. A procession of the town’s folk then brings back the saint to his chapel.

30 November

Puerto de le Cruz and Icod de los Vinos

On the eve of St Andrews day the wine cellars of Tenerife are opened to welcome the year’s new wines. Some town’s celebrations are very noisy as everyone drinks the wine from the cellars.