Puerto de La Cruz - Events

Events

The Tenerife Airshow (Festival de Aeromodelismo) (Spanish for 'Aeromodelling festival') is held every year near the harbour, usually in Europa Square. The airshow celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006.

El Carnaval, held every year. Ash Wednesday is in the middle of Carnival.

"La Embarcacion de la Virgen del Carmen" (The Sea-setting of the Virgin Carmen), is held on 16 July. In latter years it has become "la Fiesta del Agua" (The Water Party), where copious amounts of water are thrown during the festivities.

It is preceded by "La Sardinada" (The Sardine Festival), where sardines are fried and sold the night before at San Telmo. Hundreds of people congregate in Charco Square and its fishing port, where festival goers participate in games, like the popular 'run-along-the grease-pole', which involves participants having to run along a greased pole and catch a flag to win the game. Because of the normally mild July weather, people go in T-shirt and shorts, or just bathing suits, and enjoy a quick dip in the waters of the port to help cool themselves down. The event starts around 12-1 o'clock in the afternoon and lasts until around 10–12 o'clock at night.

At the height of "La Sardinada", a large papier mache sardine is wheeled through the streets, brought to the waterfront and "blessed" with "holy water" (normally petrol or lighter fluid) by a man dressed as a Bishop. The sardine is then set alight, to huge applause. After this, a huge firework display ensues. The event is known as the "Burial of the Sardine".

Amongst the crowd at this event, "professional mourners" can be seen; these are invariably men in drag, who wail for comic effect.

Although the Burial of the Sardine rarely starts on time, the event always attracts crowds, and it is advised to arrive early at the harbour.