Fiestas de la Virgen del Carmen

On 16th July every year the fishermen of Puerto de la Cruz gather to worship their patron saint and thank her for protecting them during the previous year's dangerous work on the high seas. This colorful and moving authentic local tradition continues even though the town now earns its living more from tourism than from fishing. A procession of barefoot fishermen carries the statue of the Virgen del Carmen y de San Telmo through the main streets to the sound of singing and cheering until they arrive at the fishing port. There the Virgen is loaded on to a fishing boat and the whole of the rest of the fleet, all spruced up and decorated for the occasion, follow her out into the Atlantic for a tour of the bay. Later in the day she is returned to the church in the midst of a firework display. It is not unusual to see horny-handed sons of the sea openly crying with emotion during this festival.