Every August 4, the streets of Agaete come alive with a communal rite rooted in aboriginal memory: the Traída de La Rama, also known as the Bajada de la Rama, is one of Gran Canaria’s most spectacular and evocative popular festivals. At dawn, thousands of rameros—men, women, and children—gather to process from the old town down to the port of Las Nieves, carrying pine, heather, eucalyptus, and other tree branches. The ritual waving of these boughs summons an ancestral prayer for rain—vital in the island’s arid climate.
The morning of August 4 begins with the Diana, an opening dance at 5:00 AM around the town hall, punctuated by the “volador” explosion that signals the festival’s start. To the sound of marching bands, participants harvest branches from the slopes of the Pinar de Tamadaba or nearby woodlands, then join the procession—dancing and singing all the way to the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción. Here unfolds the second and grandest procession—the true “Rama”—which, to the beat of drums and measured steps, winds its way to the pier at Las Nieves.
Along the route, revelers encounter cabezudos or papahuevos—large papier-mâché masks depicting Agaete’s popular characters—creating a magical, folksy atmosphere. The ramosi, twirling their branches in time with the town’s two bands, finally reach the Hermitage of Las Nieves, where the offerings are laid at the feet of the Virgin’s statue. It was once believed that casting the branches into the sea and beating them on the waves would awaken the clouds; today, the tribute to the Madonna concludes the rite with profound gratitude and hope.
The festival’s three dances—Diana, Rama, and the evening Retreta at 10:00 PM (complete with fireworks and music)—make for an all-day celebration that fuses sacred and profane, devotion and spectacle. Families and friends meet along the route; Agaete’s narrow lanes fill with impromptu stalls offering papas arrugadas, fresh fish, and traditional drinks; and private courtyards open their gates to visitors.
Declared a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest in 1972, the Traída de La Rama now draws thousands of spectators and photographers, yet remains deeply rooted in the local community. Elders pass the rituals and songs on to younger generations, and residents host relatives and friends from the mainland. As one study of the rite’s origins explains, the festival evolved from ancient Guanche rain-invocation ceremonies, when the Canarii descended from the mountains with branches to beseech the sky, beating them on the ocean’s surface.
Today, the Traída de La Rama no longer pleads for rain to survive, but reconnects Agaete with its roots: a moment when nature, history, and spirituality intertwine in a vibrant choreography of color, rhythm, and emotion. In the simple gesture of a branch waved in the wind echoes the memory of those who, centuries ago, entrusted the forest and the sea with life’s secret. This August 4, Agaete renews that ancient rite, transforming it into a community celebration that speaks to the present in the voice of the past.