Tenerife Guide

The Day of the Cross (Dia de La Cruz) is a religious holiday which is celebrated in many Spanish and Hispanic areas. It is believed that on the third of May, Elena, the mother of Emperor Byzontine, found the Holy Cross on which Jesus had died.

In Tenerife the holiday has an additional meaning, as the date coincides with the founding of the city Santa Cruz in 1494. In this year, on May 3, the then Governor Fernandez de Lugo erected a wooden cross during a ceremony on the beach of Santa Cruz in order to officially establish the emerging metropolis.

The Holiday is celebrated every year with representations of the Cross adorned with flowers and other decorative objects. There are also colourful, vibrant processions celebrating this day with La Cruz de Plata (Co-Patron Saint of the town, along with La Virgen de Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia). Other cities in the north such as Puerto de La Cruz and Los Realejos, have amazing firework displays.

The 12th of July is one special day in Puerto de la Cruz. The fishermen of the city celebrate on this day the Holy Virgen del Carmen who is their patron saint. At 5.30 pm, the statue of Carmen is carried from the church ‘Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia’ by the people of Puerto de la Cruz in a big procession  to the small fishermen harbour. From there, the statue is lifted out to the sea by boat to bless the water and the fishing.

Moreover, this festivity is also called the festival of water pistols. The inhabitants of the city pour water over the public from the balconies and windows of their houses or fire water with their pistols at people in the street. After the procession the visitors and inhabitants celebrate dancing in the streets which finishes with a great firework.

Click on the link below to see a video of last years “embarcación”

Embarcación Virgen del Carmen 2010