Guía de Isora
Traditional festivals and cultural events in Guía de Isora:
Easter in Bloom (late March)
This fascinating artistic project takes place in the streets of the Old Quarter of Guía de Isora and is truly a one-of-a-kind event. Numerous large-scale images, inspired by scenes from the Passion of Christ, are created by florists and visual artists working in tandem, using flowers and other plant-based materials to assemble spectacular sculptures.
Procession of Saint Isidore (May)
This festival honouring Saint Isidore the Labourer is held on the third weekend in May and comprises a procession through the streets of Guía's Old Quarter, accompanied by folk singers, floats and general pageantry.
Day of Traditions (July)
The streets, squares and buildings are decorated to reflect the village way of life of the 1940s.
Residents of the Chirche neighbourhood dress up in period costume, perform typical daily activities from yesteryear and give demonstrations of now-vanished trades and professions. The activities on show include toasting wheat, sewing, ironing, basket-weaving, lace-making, traditional dances, roasting coffee beans, making fireworks, cheesemaking, and more. Shops and stalls offer a range of artisanal products and produce, such as trout, liqueurs, honey, bags, fruit and baskets.
Festival honouring Saint John and Our Lady of Mount Carmel (first weekend in August)
These feast days are held in honour of Saint John and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the patron saint of seamen. For this reason, one of the main parts of the festival is the Embarkation of the Virgin Mary, in which a statue of the Virgin Mary is transported around the bay on a boat, accompanied by the sound of horns from vessels of all shapes and sizes. This event also includes a spectacular firework display.
Festival honouring Our Lady of Candlemas (2 February and around 15 August)
This festival incorporates a number of different religious and official events, including a procession down to the sea in which a statue of the Virgin Mary is taken from the church down to the jetty. From there she is taken onto a boat and transported around the bay, to the sound of the horns of the other boats accompanying her. The festival concludes with one of the most spectacular firework displays on the island, which attracts tourists as well as locals to the neighbourhood of Alcalá.
Festival of Our Lady of Light (second and third Sundays in September)
This festival in honour of Our Lady of Light incorporates a number of different religious activities such as processions and church services, as well as a series of cultural and leisure-related events such as concerts, exhibitions, dances and a ceremony to elect the "Festival Queen". Additionally, every five years the town celebrates the time when the very first statue of Our Lady of Guidance was carried from Garachico, thereby commemorating the long-standing procession that the residents of Garachico performed for centuries.
The Great Almond Crush (October or November)
This event takes place in Aripe each year and aims to boost the production and consumption of almonds and highlight the product's importance to the country. A number of different activities take place, including a demonstration of how almonds were gathered in times past by the local people and how the gathered nuts were then crushed.
MiradasDoc International Documentary Film Festival
This cultural event has been held in Guía de Isora every November since 2006 and is of significant interest to tourists. Alongside the film screenings other activities also take place, such as roundtable discussions, conferences, concerts and workshops. The "Miradas Market" also offers producers and filmmakers from Africa, Latin America and Asia the opportunity to seek funding, distribution and screenings for their ongoing projects.
Volcano Festival (third weekend in November)
This festival is held in order to thank the Virgin Mary for having saved the lives and possessions of the local residents when Chinyero erupted in 1909 (the most recent volcanic eruption to occur in Tenerife). The main activity is the procession through Guía's Old Quarter, organized by the local Marian Association. The processional route is adorned with paper lanterns and a firework display takes place afterwards.
