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History of the Alcalá Fireworks

Fuegos de Alcalá 2015 - Image Ayuntamiento de Guía de Isora

The Alcalá Fireworks, which take place each year on August 15th, are well known as being one of the most spectacular displays and promoted by Guía de Isora Town Council and the Festival Commission as an Asset of Tourist Interest. The 25-minute fireworks display lights up the sky, the sea and the bay of Alcalá from 12 midnight. The Fuegos de Alcalá (Alcalá Fireworks) date from 1925.

The show has been attracting visitors to its festivities in honour of the Virgin of Candelaria from all over the island, from other Canary Islands and even from abroad, for almost a century. This spectacular exhibition of light, colour and sound is provided by Hermanos Toste, who have been setting the fires of Alcalá for some 80 years, interrupted only during the Civil War and World War II.

Celedonio Toste says that "the Alcalá fireworks are undoubtedly the most showy for the public, but the most difficult to place from the technical point of view" since most of the explosives have to be loaded into boats and taken to lava formations around the bay of the town, in addition to carrying more than 2000 sacks of sand, weighing between 20 and 30 kilos each, to place with the explosives safely on the rocks. This requires about two or three days work.

Researcher José María Mesa says that the first historical reference to this part of the festivities appears in 1925. At that time, "a fishing boat launched the fireworks, moving parallel to the coast, until it reached the end of the harbour wall", where the dances were held. The following year, 1926, fireworks would also be launched from a boat in the area of ​​the hermitage and one of the great successes of the show introduced: "beautiful fireworks will also be burned on the cliff called Baja de Afuera", according to the program of the festivities of that year.

The early festivities included the so-called walks with music, supposedly held on the harbour wall, which is the elevated area next to the jetty, today La Muralla street. The fireworks then were made by José and Manuel Rodríguez Alonso, belonging to a family of famous foremen of Guía de Isora. The Alcalá Fireworks were novel from the beginning, although their great impulse was achieved with the development of tourist areas in neighbouring municipalities. Today it is difficult to see the fireworks from Alcalá unless you arrive several hours before.

The cost of the fireworks is one of the best kept secrets by the fiestas commission apparently (which undoubtedly means they cost an awful lot). For the last couple of decades, they certainly accounted for around one third to one half of the entire fiesta budget. Collecting the money each year requires a great effort: collecting house to house, from local businesses, organizing events, etc.

The fireworks are set off from four points: the Baja de Afuera, Filo Méndez, Baja de Tierra and around the bay. They've grown in quantity, quality and spectacle, but maintained the same scheme for more than 40 years: its charm is the stage, composed of the volcanic lava flows, the jetty and harbour wall.

La historia de los Fuegos de Alcalá de Guía de Isora

Tenerife in August 2018

Romería in honour of the Virgen de La Esperanza – Image El Rosario Town Hall

Sunday 5 August 2018 is the date for the Romería in honour of the Virgen de La Esperanza in El Rosario. This Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Hope takes place on the first Sunday of August. After the mass, there is a procession under an arch of flowers, where folk groups, carts and faithful will make offerings to the Virgin.

The 15th August is a national public holiday for Asunción de la Virgen (Assumption) and the biggest event in the month is the Peregrinación a Candelaria (pilgrimage) and fiestas in Candelaria, which take place on the 14th and 15th of August. The most popular part of these annual celebrations is the Ceremony of the discovery of the Virgin of Candelaria, which takes place in the Plaza outside the Basilica on 14th August from about 7:30pm.

Also on 15th August each year are the famous Alcalá Fireworks.

There are the following Municipal Public Holidays this month:
  • 6 Aug 18 - Festival of Nuestra Señora de La Esperanza in El Rosario
  • 6 Aug 18 - Fiestas for the town’s patron in La Matanza de Acentejo
  • 16 Aug 18 - Festival of San Roque in Garachico
  • 20 Aug 18 - Fiestas for the town’s patron in Fasnia
  • 20 Aug 18 - Monday of the Fiestas in La Guancha
  • 24 Aug 18 - Festival of San Bartolomé in Buenavista del Norte
  • 27 Aug 18 - Festival of San Bernardo in Arafo
  • 27 Aug 18 - San Agustín and San Roque in Vilaflor de Chasna
  • 31 Aug 18 - Festival of Nuestra Señora de Buen Viaje in El Tanque

Vilaflor Crafts Fair: In Tenerife's highest village, Vilaflor, the annual Crafts Fair, now into it's 28th Edition, is taking place on Saturday 25 August 2018 from 11am to 8pm in the Plaza de San Pedro. Organisers say some 150 artisans will be taking part, offering wares in Traditional Pottery, Traditional Carpentry, Ceramics, Cane Basketry, Wicker Basketry, Palm Basketry, Tinsmith, Rosettes, Wood Turning, etc.

Feria de Artesanía de Vilaflor de Chasna 2018

Los Corazones de Tejina: The Hearts of Tejina takes place on the Sunday closest to 24 August, with Tejina Hearts 2018 on 26 August. This is one of the most brightly coloured and striking traditions on the island, which is why residents are so keen to keep it alive.

In Buenavista del Norte the San Bartolomé Crafts Fair on Sunday 19 August 2018 in the Plaza de Los Remedios from 10:30am with some 60 artisans. Feria de Artesanía San Bartolomé en Buenavista del Norte 2018

Pinolere Craft Fair 2018
On 31 August, 1 and 2 September the year's largest craft fair, the Pinolere Craft Fair, takes place at the Pinolere Ethnographic Museum (Calle Alzados Guanches, s/n, 38310 Pinolere, Santa Cruz de Tenerife). In this 33rd edition, dedicated to the typical and traditional costumes of the Canary Islands, more than 200 artisans are taking part.

Tenerife Land of Eternal Christmas

Sunbathing SantaDesert Island ChristmasScuba Diving SantaTropical Santa
Santa's Having a Whale of a TimeSurfing SantaWaterski SantaCamel Rodeo Santa
With a wide range of products in each design, click the pics (above) to see the full selections.