Tenerife in August

Candelaria

On 14 and 15 August, pilgrims from all over the islands walk to Candelaria for the feast of the Virgin of Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands. The basilica stays open all night on the 14th, and pilgrims sleep around it.

Legend says the statue was found on a beach in 1392 by two Guanche goatherds, almost a century before the Castilian conquest.

Dates for the diary

• Early AugustThe Pilgrimage of the Poleo in El Amparo, Icod, when the church door is decorated with a sponge cake called a bollo.
• 5 AugustTaganana's fiesta for the Virgen de las Nieves. Tradition says the image was found on the shore after a ship left it behind in a storm.
• 7 to 25 AugustBajamar's fiestas of the Gran Poder de Dios, held since 1899. In 1973 they cooked a paella for more than 10,000 people in a pan 8 metres across.
• Mid-AugustThe Perseid meteor shower, known for its long glowing trails.
• 14 to 15 AugustThe pilgrimage to Candelaria. 15 August, the Assumption, is a public holiday. In 2027 it falls on a Sunday, so the day off is Monday 16 August.
• 16 AugustGarachico's Romería de San Roque, a tradition going back to the 17th century.
• Around 24 AugustTejina's Fiesta de los Corazones, with giant heart-shaped frames decorated by 3 rival streets.
• Last Sunday of AugustBajamar's Viejas Glorias del Paso brings veteran surfers together with younger ones.
• 30 and 31 AugustEl Tanque honours its patroness, the Virgen del Buen Viaje.

Times and details can change from year to year, so check with the town hall before you set off. A public holiday that falls on a Sunday can sometimes move to the Monday.