Canarian Emigration in the 16th Century

Alcázar de Colón (Columbus Fortress), Plaza de la Hispanidad, Santo Domingo

The conquest and colonization of the central Canary Islands, including Tenerife, runs parallel to the Discovery of America. The discovery and colonization of the Antilles by Columbus turned the Canary Islands into a privileged setting and due to their position and the action of the trade winds, the islands became the obligatory stop during passage to the Indies.

Asian plants such as sugar cane and banana from the islands would be taken to the Indies. Technicians from the Canary Islands worked in the first mill of the New Continent in Santo Domingo. (Sugar cane was introduced to Hispaniola by settlers from the Canary Islands, and the first sugar mill in the New World was established in 1516.) The African yam would penetrate the Caribbean area soon afterwards. The same would happen with the pig, goat, dog and sheep, which, brought from the islands, would spread throughout the Antilles.

The Canary Islands were, therefore, an intermediary in the spread of plants and animals on both sides of the ocean. The potato, brought from South America, would quickly acclimatise on the islands, and exports to Europe were known shortly afterwards. Together with maize, the potato would transform island agriculture, becoming the quintessential food for the lower classes of society. The first written mention of the potato is a receipt for delivery dated 28 Nov 1567 between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Antwerp.

Canary Islanders would participate in the conquest as expert guides. Between 1492 and 1506 at least 12 of the largest expeditions made a stopover in La Gomera or Tenerife, among them the biggest names of the conquest such as Christopher Columbus, Alonso de Ojeda, Amerigo Vespucci, Pedrarias (Pedro Arias Dávila), Juan de la Cosa, Vicente Yáñez Pinzón or Nicolás de Ovando. The Canary Islands had the privilege of trading with the Indies since the beginning of the colonization of the New World. A Royal Order of 1511 simply specifies that Canarians can depart with only the authorization of the ship's captain.

In this way, Canarians or residents in the Canary Islands became an integral part of the conquest and colonization expeditions, such as that of Pedro de Mendoza in the founding of Buenos Aires in 1535 or that of Pedro Fernández de Lugo for the conquest of Santa Marta in Colombia and others. However, we cannot speak of Canarian emigration in the strict sense, but rather as a basis for moving to the New World without the severe controls of the Sevillian monopoly. In the 16th century Santo Domingo first and Havana later were the main destinations. Slowly, a migratory movement of merchants and farmers would develop.

- Manuel Hernández González, Professor of American History, University of La Laguna

The daily drama of the chambermaids

Chambermaids never know what they will find behind the door

Chambermaids have been fighting for decades to improve their working conditions. Although they've managed to improve certain aspects, they continue to face a situation that seriously hinders their work: the state of some clients' rooms. In recent weeks this controversy has been revived due to the publication of a video on the social network, TikTok, in which a chambermaid shows the state in which a room of some clients who have just left the hotel has been found. Empty bags, clothes and all kinds of rubbish thrown around the room.

Reme, a chambermaid, told Atlántico Hoy that this situation has been going on for many years. “I have come to find all kinds of things, from pee to open dirty nappies on the floor of the room.” It is also the testimony of Mónica, president of Kellys Unión Tenerife, who highlights how unfeasible it is to clean this type of room, as well as the workload that it entails.

‘’When you go to clean those rooms you don’t know where to start’’

The chambermaids define their work as "against the clock", so when they encounter this type of situation, it generates unforeseen events that they have to solve in the time they have to do the work. Reme explains that these actions depend on the type of client. "Where we see these cases the most is in the low-cost, youth and drunk customers." Likewise, the maid emphasizes that she has even found vomit, defecation and pee in the middle of the rooms.

In addition, Reme emphasizes that this also happens with families. ''I have had to pick up more than ten nappies from the ground. Also clothes, food in the bathroom mixed with makeup or creams''. On many occasions, the chambermaids do not know how to proceed due to the situation they find in the rooms. ''Sometimes you don't know how to place things. On top of that, we have the responsibility that if something is missing, it's our fault,'' says Mónica, president of Kellys Unión Tenerife. Reme indicates that this type of client is also not usually careful with mobiles, tablets or consoles. ''Due to the speed of our work, we cannot always check that there is nothing in the middle of the rolled sheets, and many times objects arrive at the laundry', she explains.

No fixed hours

Monica explains that the situation is known by the sector as a whole. ''This is known in the profession in general, and it affects our workload. The time you spend in one room under those circumstances, you take away from the others,'' she says. A maid cannot leave her job or finish her shift without doing all the work she has to do that day, even if she spends more than 2 hours cleaning that type of room. "We don't know what job we're going to have to do when we arrive, and we can't leave without finishing the job, because it's grounds for sanction."

Add as a hotel rule that guests respect the room?

Mónica expresses that there should be a law that requires clients to leave the room in a condition to clean it, during their stay as well as on the day of departure, penalizing those who leave it in poor condition. Reme insists that it would be logical for this rule to reach all establishments, both hotels and apartments, since “they are basic rules of coexistence, hygiene and respect,'' she expresses.

El drama diario de las camareras de piso: ‘’Me he encontrado pañales sucios abiertos en el suelo''

The recovery of the Garafiano Shepherd, one step in the conservation of native breeds

The presence of dogs on the islands before colonization is a little discussed fact. They are part of the idiosyncrasy of a town linked until not so long ago to livestock and that has a hallmark in the native breeds. Its conservation and maintenance are a commitment to history itself.

Aware of this reality, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Government of the Canary Islands approved last April a new standard for the Garafiano dog - the Pastor Garafiano a breed of sheep dog native to the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands - with which it guarantees the conservation of the breed, which has been threatened for years.

The initiative responded to the demands of the Spanish Association of the Pastor Garafiano, which in turn collects the concerns of farmers and breeders, and defends the presence of this breed as part of the genetic, cultural and ethnological heritage of the islands.

An historical breed

The ancient inhabitants of the islands lived with the ancestors of the Garafiano shepherd, who owes his name to La Palma municipality of Garafía. Before circumscribing it to this place, where its presence was numerous, it was known as a wolfdog and has traditionally been linked to working with cattle and herding.

If there is someone who knows its history and what it means for the Canarian heritage and biodiversity, it is Juan Capote. The biologist, veterinarian and researcher from La Palma, with a recognized career, is currently president of the Federation of Indigenous Breeds of the Canary Islands (FARACAN) and was behind the creation of the first prototype that was carried out in the 1980s. Capote appoints Antonio Manuel Díaz Rodríguez as a key figure in the process of recovery and control of the species. He says that it has been a long job, "between discouragement and effort", which has been developing since 1981 to establish an adequate and faithful standard "that respects the natural characteristics and its functionality as a herding dog with an exceptional ability on the mountain". As for character, an important trait in the recovery task, Capote is clear: "It is a sensitive, intelligent and kind dog, not aggressive, and when he bonds with a person, he establishes a very deep relationship with them." The researcher also highlights the beauty of the animal, “although what I like is his look".

In 2003 the breed was officially recognized by the Royal Spanish Canine Society, but to reach that reality, many hours of work and important awareness-raising efforts were needed to put an end to the threatening practice of crossbreeding. According to Capote “in the 50s and 60s the Garafians were dangerously crossed with German shepherds, which changed, among other things, their character. Sometimes they even cut off their fangs.” But the history of these crosses, he says, began much earlier: "With the arrival of the conquerors, some breeds from La Palma were crossed with others from outside, so it was easy to see Garafians with characteristics of the Celtic dog." Changes in diet and its deficit during times of crisis also influenced their genetics. "When they began to eat well, they grew and that aspect made them gain power, but now a good diet is pursued without changing their size, since the most important thing is not the power itself, but the power applied to the ground," he says.

All this work in favor of conservation has also been possible thanks to the support of the Canarian Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA), attached to the Ministry, which has worked on the recognition of almost all the native breeds of the Canary Islands and has collaborated in taking of samples for the study of the Garafiano shepherd.

The importance of recognition

Before recovery is recognition. That is the previous and essential step today in any recovery process. The rest of the requirements are the existence of an adequate census, a genetic study, a morphological one and a historical one, which includes the evolution of animals. A proposal for a breed standard and a genetic management of the breed are also necessary. Right now, according to Capote, “the official census is very low because there was a long period of discouragement. There are more than 100 Garafians registered with a presence from all the islands and some places on the Peninsula, although their number is much higher”.

The commitment of professionals, breeders and institutions to the recovery of native breeds is solid and has its best example in the conservation of breeds as emblematic as the Presa Canario, which has maintained its standard since 1989 and has a record of 15,500 copies distributed all over the world. In fact, and according to the president of the Spanish Presa Canario Club, José Manuel López, "this breed is among the five with the highest projection and acceptance in the world”. “We calculate that 40% or a little more of the breed is outside the islands. Northern Europe is the place where there is more projection, but we also find many specimens in the United States, Mexico or Argentina, to name just a few places”, López points out.

True to origin standard

The new Garafiano standard seeks to maintain its original characteristics as a medium-sized lupoid dog, suitable for grazing in steep areas thanks to its rump, among other features. Its height is medium in size and varies depending on the sex (between 54 and 60 centimetres for males, and between 50 and 56 for females). The usual weight would be between 18 and 25 kilos in females and 24 to 31 kilos in males. Their eyes are slanted and they may have extra fingers on the back paws. As for the coat, it is indicated that it is long and of fawn or alobado (wolf-like, especially in hair colour) colours, mainly. 

In addition, they are highly appreciated for their character as pets.

La recuperación del pastor garafiano, un paso más en la conservación de las razas autóctonas

San Bartolomé and the release of the Diablita

The figure of San Bartolomé in Buenavista del Norte

San Bartolomé, one of the twelve apostles (Bartholomew the Apostle), was the patron saint of Buenavista del Norte from 1561 to 1659, when he became co-patron along with the Virgen de Los Remedios, who acquired the patronage after fighting the devastating plague of locusts that devastated the town.

Every August 23, evil lurks, as the Diablita (little devil - strictly speaking a female one as it ends in an A) is released by removing the chain that this saint holds in his left hand to contain evil, while the bells ring. Formerly, for 24 hours the inhabitants of Buenavista abandoned their work, even in the fields, for fear of being attacked by evil. And, according to Ulpiano Pérez Barrios in his book Buenavista, estudio histórico artístico, such was the unfounded fear that some "came to affirm that by transgressing such a custom the devil had appeared to them incarnated in ferocious animals dragging noisy chains of long links".

The residents of this northern municipality say that during the day that Diablita was loose, wandering the streets, they did not go to the beach, or to the mountains, and they were especially careful when picking up a knife. At any moment the devil could make an appearance and you had to be alert.

In addition, young people from Buenavista will explain how their parents and grandparents threatened them when they were children so that they behaved well and did not let them do everything they wanted, for example, saying to them, "not today, if you go to the beach that Diablita can drown you".

On August 24, the day of Saint Bartholomew, it is the Virgin Mary who chains up the devil again so that he can no longer harm the townspeople, ending evil until the following year.

The image of Saint Bartholomew: The old image of San Bartolomé belonged to the Parish of San Pedro de Daute and, on August 23, 1562, it was transferred to the Church of Buenavista in procession by the will of the people to choose the apostle as patron. However, today that image is no longer preserved, as it was lost among many others in the church fire in June 1996.

San Bartolomé y la suelta de la Diablita, una tradición que no se olvida

The strange crime of Vilaflor

Casa de los Soler in Vilaflor

At sunset on August 17, 1840, when he was heading down the road from Granadilla to Vilaflor, near the small hamlet of Cruz de Juan Bello, just over a kilometre from the town, Don Alonso Chirino del Hoyo-Solórzano, VII Marquis de la Fuente de Las Palmas, was assassinated by twelve masked men. 

Nobody admitted it and the case is unsolved. Subsequent investigations failed to find anything out about that case and the file was dismissed. A thick veil of silence was spread over the entire region and not a single word came out of the mouths of the local people. You only heard them comment: "They say they killed the Marquis?" And the invariable answer was: "So they say."

We know the face of this noble from a portrait made of him by the Puerto de la Cruz painter Luis de la Cruz in 1815. In it he appears when he had just turned twenty-three years old, in a black frock coat, white vest, shirt and collar. The dark and deep eyes, the straight nose and the thick lips stand out in his face, distilling the image of him as aristocratic arrogance. When he died he was 48 years old.

To understand the causes of his death, we must go back to the 15th century. 

The region of Chasna belonged in pre-Hispanic times to the Menceyato de Abona (Menceyato was the name given to Guanche kingdoms) and when the island was conquered, the lands and the use of the waters became the property of Pedro Soler, a Catalan from Tarragona, who created a sugar mill and founded the town of Vilaflor or Chasna. In 1601, his grandson established a mayorazgo (a privilege allowing an individual to entail his estate so that his property, real or personal, could be passed on intact to a successor), from his lands that today form a large part of the municipalities of Arona, San Miguel and Vilaflor.

In the Plaza de San Pedro, in front of the church, stands the manor house of said mayorazgo, in which its gallery on stone columns stands out. Further down in the ravine, a water mill also owned by the Solers survives, although not in use. Then president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Ricardo Mechior, expressed during a visit in 2004 his desire for this institution to buy and restore the Casa de los Soler.

From the beginning, the relations between this family and the locals were not good. The abusive model of leasing in kind without a contract allowed landlords to evict tenants, who found themselves in times of drought, condemned to starvation and emigration. The attitude of the owners of the mayorazgo provoked countless lawsuits and even popular uprisings against the family. In fact, the people of Chasna spent almost two hundred years without paying the fee for the usufruct - the right to enjoy the use and advantages - of the land and water.

Over time, the mayorazgo passed into the hands of the Chirino Soler family and in 1825, when Alonso Chirino inherited the marquisate from his father, he wanted to recover it by claiming the rights to the lands that had been cultivated by the peasants since time immemorial. A judgment of 1833 found in his favour and when it was ratified in 1840, the murder took place.

There were no reports and it was not known who the perpetrators were. This species of Tenerife social conflict between a feudal lord and his vassals has traditionally been considered as an example of the free and proud character of the people of Chasna in the fight for their rights, but for the historian Nelson Díaz Frías, author of the Historia de Vilaflor de Chasna, the murderers were the representatives of the rural Chasna oligarchy or mafia, which was clearly the most affected by the restoration of the mayorazgo. Even today, if you talk to the older people of Vilaflor and the issue of the murder of the Marquis de la Fuente de Las Palmas comes up, don't be surprised if they say: "They say they killed the Marquis." Nor are they surprised if you answer: "That's what they say." 

El extraño crimen de Vilaflor

Tenerife Football Club Celebrates Centenary

Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López Magical Blas, CC BY-SA 4.0

Football was being played in Tenerife at the beginning of the 20th Century, brought to the island by British sailors who visited the city's port and by the large British colony that existed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife at that time. In 1908 there was news of a Club Inglés (English Club) and soon various clubs were formed. 

Club Deportivo Tenerife (Tenerife Football Club) was founded on November 21, 1912 under the name "Tenerife Sporting Club", and in 1922, after a crisis, it was re-founded with the current name and the constitution of a new board. 

The origin is confusing, since the directives established August 8, 1922 as the sole date of foundation, although events were held for the fiftieth anniversary both in 1962 and in 1972, the 75th anniversary in 1997 and centenary in 2022. 

The club's home ground has been the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium, after leaving the Campo de Miraflores in 1925.

CD Tenerife audience with Pope Francis on the occasion of its centenary

The meeting will take place in the Vatican on August 17 and will be one of the central acts of the centenary that the club is celebrating throughout 2022.

The CD Tenerife delegation, headed by its president Miguel Concepción, will travel to Rome and will participate in the General Audience of the Holy Father at the Vatican. They will have the opportunity to share a meeting with the Pope and to express their gratitude to him for this great deference towards all those who have belonged to and are part of CD Tenerife during its first century of life.

El CD Tenerife participará en una audiencia con el Papa Francisco con motivo de su centenario

James Cook's stopover in Santa Cruz

Resolution and Adventure in Matavai Bay, by William Hodges in 1776, shows the two ships of Commander James Cook's second voyage of exploration in the Pacific at anchor in Tahiti.

The event took place during his expedition to find a route that connected the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic through North America.

James Cook, born on November 7, 1728 in Marton, United Kingdom, died in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, on February 14, 1779. The most important navigator, explorer and cartographer of the 18th century entered the Royal Navy in 1755, rising to to captain 4 years later. The English Admiralty and the Royal Society of London appointed him to carry out three great maritime expeditions through the Pacific Ocean, which would be of enormous scientific and cartographic significance for later years, while at the same time they took possession, on behalf of His Majesty, of sites of interest to the crown.

The first voyage sailed from London on June 30, 1768, aboard the Endeavour, bound for Plymouth, where they picked up naturalists and astronomers Daniel Solander, Charles Green, and Joseph Banks. After being in Tenerife, in September they headed for Tahiti, with the mission of observing the passage of the planet Venus in front of the solar disk, on June 3, 1769. From here they went in search of the Southern continent, discovering the island of Admiralty and Society Island. He sailed around New Zealand and headed for Australia, which had not yet been settled by Europeans. On his arrival in London in 1771, the people were amazed at the collections of exotic plants they had collected.

The second trip (1772-1775) was delimited to the South hemisphere and the oceans of the Earth. On this occasion, the H.M.S. Endeavor was accompanied by H.M.S. Resolution and the H.M.S. Adventure, on board were astronomers, naturalists and cartoonists.

The third voyage (1776-1780) had the mission of finding a maritime commercial route that would connect the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic through the North of the American continent. In addition to finding this northern pass, they discovered several islands and the Hawaiian archipelago.

Cook departed from the port of Plymouth, on July 12, 1776, in command of HMS Resolution (1771), accompanied by HMS Discovery, captained by Charles Clerke.

When sailing to the Cape of Good Hope, they had to make a stopover in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, from August 1 to 4, 1776, because a storm that surprised them off the Bay of Biscay left them without food for the crew and for the livestock. They took advantage of their stay to obtain wine, stock up on water, buy wheat, pears, melons, bananas, pumpkins and potatoes, and buy oxen, lambs and goats.

His stay coincided with that of the French mathematician Jean-Charles de Borda, with whom he had the opportunity to exchange his observations on the longitude and latitude of the Santa Cruz dock, as well as the height of Mount Teide.

The expedition's doctor, William Anderson, recommends the climate and air of Tenerife for the cure of tuberculosis patients. He testifies that Captain Cook was invited to spend the night at Casa Mackay, a house located on the main road to La Laguna, nº 120.

His journeys did not see the light of day until 1784, the year in which his posthumous work was published by the British Admiralty, with the title 'A voyage to the Pacific Ocean by order of His Majesty to make discoveries in the northern hemisphere and determine the position of western America, its distance from Asia and the possibility of finding a passage to Europe through the northeast.'

Chapter II of the third volume, entitled 'Stay of the Resolution in Tenerife', deals with the description of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, provisions that can be acquired, observations to determine the longitude of Tenerife, botanical investigations, the city of Santa Cruz and La Laguna, agriculture, air and climate.

"Seeing that we did not have enough fodder and grain for the animals that I wanted to keep alive until we reached the Cape of Good Hope, I decided to stop at Tenerife and also take provisions for the crew there, since I considered this island more appropriate than Madeira. for my purposes.

We sighted Tenerife at four in the afternoon on July 31st and, as at nine o'clock at night we were quite close, we went deeper into the sea, in order to skirt it during the night. At dawn on August 1, we rounded the eastern tip of the Island and, at eight o'clock, we anchored on the southeast side of the Santa Cruz roadstead, at twenty-three fathoms (33.4 m.) on a muddy sandy bottom. .

Punta de Anaga, the eastern point of the roadstead, was to the north, 64º west. To the West-South-West, we had the church of San Francisco, which made the height of its bell tower remarkable. To the South 65º West, the Peak. And, to the South 39º West, the southwest point of the roadstead, where the fort or castle is located.

In this roadstead we find La Boussole, a French frigate commanded by Caballero Borda, two brigs from the same nation, a third brig that came from London and that was going to Senegal, and fourteen Spanish ships.

As soon as we docked, the harbour master came to pay us a visit; One of my officers accompanied him ashore to greet the Governor on my behalf and request permission to ship water and buy the things that were necessary for us. The governor granted me, with the greatest kindness, everything I had asked of him, and one of his officers came to compliment me. After dinner I went to see him with some of my officers; before returning on board I bought grain and straw for the animals, and arranged with Mr. M'Carrich for the purchase of some casks of wine. Since we couldn't refill our containers ourselves, the skipper of a Spanish ship promised to supply us with water.

The Santa Cruz roadstead is located in front of the city of the same name, on the south eastern side of the island. It is well sheltered, it is wide, and its bottom is of good firmness. It is completely open to winds from the southeast and south, but these winds are never long lasting. All the ships we saw had four anchors out, two to the northeast and two to the southwest; and its cables were stretched on barrels.

In the southwestern part of the roadstead there is a boardwalk that extends into the sea from the city and is very convenient for loading and unloading ships; there the water that is embarked is taken. The city's water comes from a stream that descends from the hills; most of it arrives in wooden tubes or troughs, supported by thin struts. However, the width of the channel shows that it sometimes serves as a channel for large torrents. These canals were being repaired during our stopover and fresh water, which is very good, was scarce.

The city of Santa Cruz, which is small in size, is fairly well built; the churches have nothing magnificent on the outside, but the interior is decorous and somewhat ornate.

They sold us a considerable amount of provisions, and it is clear that they do not consume all the products of their soil. I was foolish enough to buy young oxen and paid for them at a higher price; however, pigs, lambs, goats, and poultry were not as expensive. We also found fruit in abundance and ate grapes, figs, pears, blackberries and melons. The squashes, onions, corn, and sweet potatoes are of excellent quality, and I have never found them better preserved at sea. The inhabitants take little fish from its coastline, but their boats do a considerable catch off the Barbary Coast and sell the produce at a good price. In a word, it seemed to me that ships undertaking long voyages should stop at Tenerife rather than at Madeira.

Caballero de Borda, captain of the French frigate that was anchored in the Santa Cruz roadstead, carried out, in agreement with M. Varela, a Spanish astronomer, observations to determine the daily movement of two clocks that they had on board. They carried out this work in a shop located on the wharf; Every day, at noon, they compared their watch, with the help of some signals, with the astronomical clock that was on the coast.

M. de Borda was kind enough to communicate his signals to me and we were also able to examine the daily movement of our marine clock; but our stopover at Tenerife was too short for me to take much advantage of the friendly favor he wished to do me.

The comparisons that we repeated three days confirmed that the movement of my marine watch had not made any difference. We determined the longitude by observations of the height of the sun on the horizon, and the marine clock gave me the same result. I took the mean of the observations made on the first, second, and third days of August, and found longitude 16º 31´ West. By the same operation find out that the latitude is 18º 35' 30''.

La escala de James Cook en Santa Cruz

Tenerife in August 2022

Sunlight and shadows in Garachico

August 15 for Asunción de la Virgen (Assumption of the Virgin) is a national public holiday throughout Spain and the Canary Islands. 

Candelaria Council is planning the August festivities in honour of the patron saint of the Canary Islands. With the worst of the pandemic has been left behind, it will be possible to resume the traditional Peregrinación a Candelaria (pilgrimage) on foot to the basilica. Security will be reinforced on the main days, Sunday, August 14, at 3:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. on August 15. Previously on Saturday, August 13, the members of the Local Police and Civil Protection of Candelaria will be reinforced to coincide with the beginning of the weekend. (Se refuerza la seguridad de la fiesta de Candelaria ante la alta afluencia esperada)

La Laguna hosts a new edition of 'Dreamer Market' between August 5 and 7. This event brings together 50 Canarian brands that will offer fashion, art and crafts, and is complemented by activities and gastronomy. The Camino Largo de La Laguna will be the scene of the new edition of 'Dreamer Market', an event that will be held on August 5, 6 and 7 and that will bring together 50 Canarian brands in this characteristic space of the municipality that will offer the public products as varied as fashion, accessories and natural cosmetics. Canarian creators will focus the offer of this commercial showcase in the form of a pop up store, where you can also find a wide range of music, leisure and gastronomy. 'Dreamer Market' will be held in the surroundings of the Castle of the Camino Largo. The event will begin Friday, 5th, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and will continue on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., respectively. In addition, this proposal will include activities for the whole family.

La Laguna acoge una nueva edición de ‘Dreamer Market’ entre el 5 y 7 de agosto

On Sunday, 21 August 2022 from 10 am in the central Plaza de los Remedios in Buenavista del Norte come and enjoy the annual San Bartolomé Craft Fair 2022, which takes place as part of the fiestas for the town's co-patron. 

San Bartolomé, one of the twelve apostles (Bartholomew the Apostle), was the patron saint of Buenavista del Norte from 1561 to 1659, when he became co-patron along with the Virgen de Los Remedios, who acquired the patronage after fighting the devastating plague of locusts that devastated the town. His festivity was the most important for the town until the 19th century and, although it has lost relevance among the population, is still celebrated.

Feria de Artesanía San Bartolomé 2022

Saturday, 27 August 2022, head to Arafo for the Romería de San Agustín. Arafo, in the south east of the island of Tenerife, will host its traditional Pilgrimage of San Agustín, usually from 5:00 p.m. Carts, parrandas and folk groups, as well as hundreds of people, will participate. The starting point of the pilgrimage is expected to be, as usual, at the Esquina de los Carros. 

Ayuntamiento de Arafo

The Tejina - a district of San Cristóbal de La Laguna - festivities in honour of San Bartolomé begin their 2022 edition with the return to normality of all of its and main events and celebrations, such as the traditional offering of hearts to its patron saint, known as the Corazones de Tejina (The Hearts of Tejina).

On August 15th, the "Verbena de la pamela" (Dance at which participants wear picture hats) (see photos), is at 3:00 p.m. in the church square. The festival of Pamela, one of the most famous Verbenas in Tenerife. Around 6,000 people dancing while wearing their headdresses and in each edition, their designs are surpassed. This is one of the big days of these festivities.

The big day of the festivities will arrive on Sunday August 28 with the entrance of the emblematic hearts to the church square and the offering to Saint Bartholomew and, at night, the celebration of the XXXII Festival of Exaltation of the Hearts. 

The program includes, until September 4, multiple activities for all ages, musical performances, festivals and processions, among other events. "We are extremely happy to meet again," said the Councillor for Fiestas, who stressed that "the programming that has been worked on together with the Fiestas Commission will be up to the task", with the performances, among others, from “Kike Pérez, Soul Sanet, Bohemia de Lanzarote… It's going to be a return in style”.

Tejina recupera todos los actos de sus fiestas en honor a San Bartolomé

On Sunday, 28 August, 2022, Vilaflor de Chasna will celebrate its patron saint festivities in honor of San Agustín and San Roque, who have great religious and cultural importance. The festivity is centred around the Plaza de San Pedro Apóstol, which will fill with music and joy.

From Friday, 26 August, 2022, popular and religious events begin, with a mass and procession, including the Danza de las Cintas, from 8 p.m. 

On Saturday, 27 August, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., is the 30th Vilaflor Craft Fair, with an extensive sample of various traditional crafts, as well as foodstuffs.

On Sunday, 28 August, from 12:30 p.m., the Romería is celebrated to close the festival where the streets are filled with Canarian music and floats full of typical dishes and wines from the area's artisans. Full program (PDF)

The neighbourhood of Charco del Pino in Granadilla de Abona celebrates its festivities in honour of its patron saint, San Luis Rey de Francia (Saint Louis King of France), with a varied program of events that includes the celebration of its traditional Romería (pilgrimage) and a night of tapas and wine.

The night of 'Tapas and Wines', takes place Friday 19 August, at the Chiñama sports centre, starting at 9:00 p.m., with wineries and restaurants in the area, and performances by the groups Chajora, Paraíso and Aparranda2. 

The traditional pilgrimage will take to the streets on Saturday, August 20, from 6:00 p.m. along the usual route with the offering to San Luis Rey by folk groups and floats. To end the day, there will be a dance enlivened by the groups Una Hora Menos, Pasión and the Sensación Gomera orchestra.

Charco del Pino celebra este sábado su tradicional Romería a partir de las 18:00 horas

Oktoberfest returns to the Plaza de Europa in Puerto de la Cruz

From Monday the 22nd to Sunday the 28th the city celebrates Semana Bávara - Oktoberfest (Bavarian Week), the oldest beer festival in Spain. 

And Oktoberfest (yes, we know it's not October) returns to the Plaza Europa for it's 49th edition, on Friday, 26, Saturday, 27 and Sunday, 28 August. The events will begin on Monday, August 22 with concerts by the German orchestras Reinheitsgebot, Hüttenzauber and Blechbuckel, arriving from different parts of the country to share the traditional folklore of German culture and offer traditional music in the different hotels that collaborate this year and on the main streets of the city, such as Calle Iriarte, Avenida de Colón or Lago Martiánez.

La Oktoberfest convertirá a la plaza de Europa del Puerto de la Cruz en un pueblo alemán el próximo fin de semana

The major celebrations due to take place during August include the Fuegos de Alcalá (Alcalá Fireworks), which normally take place each year on August 15th, the Romería de San Roque in Garachico on 16 August and the Corazones de Tejina around 24 August. Puerto de la Cruz are also celebrating their Semana Bávara Oktoberfest (Bavarian Week) from 22 - 28 August 2022. Events of their Summer Carnival will also begin on 25 Aug 2022.

Municipal (local to that area) holidays (shop closures) in August 2022 are:

• 6 August: Festivity of El Salvador in La Matanza
• 8 August: Festivity of Nuestra Señora de La Esperanza in El Rosario
• 16 August: Festivity of San Roque in Garachico
• 22 August: Fiestas for the Town's Patrons in Fasnia and La Guancha
• 24 August: Festivity of San Bartolomé in Buenavista del Norte
• 29 August: Festivity of San Bernardo in Arafo
• 29 August: Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación in La Victoria
• 29 August: Festivity of San Agustín y San Roque in Vilaflor
• 31 August: Festividad Nuestra Señora de Buen Viaje in El Tanque

Corazones de Tejina 2022