Every year, in mid-August, Tenerife comes to a standstill. The streets fill with footsteps, promises, and songs. Thousands of people set out from every corner of the island to reach Candelaria, the town that houses the statue of the Virgen de la Candelaria, Patroness of the Canary Islands.
Guiding groups of travelers to this place during the August festivities is always an intense experience. It’s not just a religious celebration: it’s an event that unites popular devotion, historical memory, and cultural identity. It’s a moment when the entire island gathers around its deepest symbol.
The climax of the festival arrives between August 14 and 15, when the pilgrims—the caminantes—walk tens of kilometers from places like La Laguna, Güímar, Santa Cruz, or La Orotava. Many walk through the night, in silence, carrying lit candles—often as an act of thanksgiving or a fulfillment of a vow. Some go barefoot, some in groups, others alone with their thoughts. Every step carries meaning.
Upon arrival, the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias welcomes the faithful before the basilica that faces the ocean. Inside, the dark-skinned Virgin, dressed in embroidered robes and a golden crown, is the focus of countless gazes, tears, and prayers. Her story reaches back to the pre-Hispanic period: according to legend, she was found by two Guanche shepherds on the Chimisay beach in the Güímar area, even before the Castilian conquest.
On the evening of August 14 one of the most anticipated events takes place: the reenactment of the Virgin’s apparition, a historical pageant in period costume involving local actors and bringing to life the meeting between the Guanches and the sacred figure. It’s a sober, powerful spectacle that moves even those attending for the first time.
But in those days Candelaria is also music, handicrafts, traditional sweets like rosquetes and truchas, folk songs, and concerts. It’s the people’s festival, lived with deep participation.
Each time I return here with a group, I’m struck by the silence that falls at the most solemn moments, the beauty of the upturned faces gazing at the Madonna, and the sense of community that permeates everywhere. Candelaria is not just a religious destination: it is a journey into the soul of Tenerife.