Puerto de la Cruz has a lot to offer and if you are looking to enjoy the festivities held in the places you visit, you have chosen the right place. Apart from the pleasant weather all year round, the black sand beaches and the multicultural environment, we must add numerous festivities very well distributed in the calendar.
When are you thinking about visiting the island? Well, pay attention, you can certainly make it coincide with a specific date and live the best celebrations of the most festive municipality in the north of Tenerife.
Carnival, Carnival
The Carnival of Tenerife is well known for being one of the best in the world and, without a doubt, the best in the country. For a week, the streets are filled with colours, people change their personality and become what they want to be, and the island is a real party.
After that of the capital, the Carnival of Puerto de la Cruz is the best known, and has even been declared of international tourist interest. Every night, when music begins, masks and characters of all kinds flood the streets and the city does not return to calm until morning.
If you come to the Carnival of Puerto de la Cruz, you cannot miss the Entierro de la Sardina (the Burial of the Sardine), the Mascarita and the Ponte el Tacón contests and the final big parade at the end of the festivity.
Holy Week, art and tradition
As in most towns and cities of the country, Holy Week in Puerto de la Cruz is a very special time of the year for its inhabitants. And although the processions going down the streets at this time are a clear symbol of religiosity, not only the most devoted ones delight in this celebration.
Apart from history, tradition and religion, we must add the taste for art enjoyed by locals and visitors when admiring closely the different statues and floats, a reflection of the work of great sculptors.
So, whether your interests are religious or artistic, visiting Puerto de la Cruz during Holy Week is surely a good option.
Festival of the Crosses between flowers
The arrival of May fills this municipality (and some others) with flowers. On the 3rd day the Exaltation of the Cross is celebrated, and all the chapels and crosses located on the streets and private houses are decorated with flowers.
As if it were a competition, the inhabitants (called Portuenses) work hard and make every effort to decorate the most beautiful cross. Different flowers of all colours and shrouds -some of great value- adorn them, and people gaze at them one by one, admiring their good work.
In addition, this particular festivity coincides with the date on which, in the year 1651, the first local mayor of Puerto de la Cruz took possession, which is why the foundational festivities of the city are also celebrated.
San Juan and the night of fire
The night of fire, the eve of San Juan, is a magical night for many people, the most special of the year, and Puerto de la Cruz is the place chosen by a large number of islanders to fill ravines and beaches with bonfires and make their long-cherished wishes.
Bonfires, torches, candles, music, food and fireworks star on the night of June 23, in which families, groups of friends and couples fill Playa Jardín with the intention of enjoying the magic that takes place every year in that small spot of the map.
People approach the fire to make a wish, leave behind everything bad and make their dreams come true, and many dare to take a purifying bath to start the summer.
If you visit Puerto de la Cruz at the end of June it is a must.
July festivities, the most eagerly awaited event
July festivities are the most famous, the largest and most characteristic of Puerto de la Cruz. People love them, they fill the streets and ensure unforgettable moments year after year.
It is time to remember the seafaring origins of the city and everything revolves around the boat of the Virgen del Carmen and San Telmo, a ritual of religious tradition that currently brings together people from all over the island on the quay.
The days before and after the event numerous activities and celebrations are held in the municipality, and nobody miss them, even if it involves spending a week from celebration to celebration. Attendees enjoy the summer, the good weather, and how beautiful Puerto de la Cruz is, especially if it is decked out with festive decorations.
If you want to know what you cannot miss, pay attention. First of all, the boat; the Baile de Magos, and the so fashionable sardinada, in which you will be able to enjoy sea flavour and summer.
San Andrés, chestnuts and wine
When the year ends, the nights get cooler and the streets smell cold, it is time to celebrate Saint Andrew’s Day by eating roasted chestnuts and drinking a good glass of wine.
Throughout the month of November you can find stalls in the streets of Puerto de la Cruz where you can buy paper cones filled with chestnuts, the fruit of autumn, and their smell and flavour will leave you a good memory forever.
And on 29th day, just before December starts, Saint Andrew’s Day is celebrated. That night, children and adults “corren el cacharro“, a very typical tradition in the Islands. They walk the streets dragging empty cans and making as much noise as possible.
In addition, in the centre of the city people can taste chestnuts, sweet potatoes, fish and wine, and enjoy with pleasure the last party before the arrival of Christmas.
Which one do you prefer?
