The Canary Islands have countless charms. Beyond the climate and its beaches, the archipelago is a cultural bastion where the traditions of its people play an important role and attract the attention of any visitor. That’s why today we’d like to tell you about the six essential parties of Gran Canaria.
Between August and September, the atmosphere in Teror becomes even more special. At the end of summer, every year the municipality welcomes the Fiestas del Pino, the festivity that venerates the Virgen del Pino. People from all over the island make the pilgrimage to Teror to pay their respects to the virgin and fulfil their promises. During the Romería del Pino, the historic centre of the village is filled with carts, traditional dances and much, much merriment.
A day before the festival in Agaete that pays tribute to the Virgin of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, the municipality celebrates La Bajada de La Rama on the 4th of August, where hundreds of people walk through the streets with branches of pine, eucalyptus and pennyroyal to the sound of music. This curious tradition comes from an ancient custom called Enramada. The route ends at the hermitage of Las Nieves.
11 September is a date marked in red for the municipality of La Aldea de San Nicolás. This village of wild landscapes celebrates every year on this day the Fiesta del Charco, where thousands of people enter a famous local lagoon emulating the Canarian ancestors who hunted fish with their hands after sedating them with plant sap. It is a fun-filled event where everyone gets soaked.
Every first weekend in February, one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, Tejeda, celebrates the Fiesta del Almendro en Flor (Almond Blossom Festival). It is, without a doubt, another of Gran Canaria’s essential festivals. It is an explosion of colour during the blossoming season and in 2021 it was declared of National Tourist Interest.
The Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the most emblematic festival of the capital of Gran Canaria, which fills the city with colour and masks, could not be missed either. Due to the health situation, in 2022 the carnival held its popular events for the first time outside its usual dates (February/March), moving to July.
Another of Gran Canaria’s essential fiestas is the Vará del Pescao, which takes place at the end of August. This festival celebrates the seafaring tradition of Arinaga and, in the Avenida de los Pescadores, in Arinaga Beach, the Barca de la Vará hands out sardines which are roasted and eaten by all those present amidst music, jubilation and lots of fun.
