Tenerife
The port of Puerto de la Cruz.
The port of Puerto is a place for everyone. Here you will meet tourists, fishermen, sportsmen, divers, fishermen and locals who enjoy the atmosphere at the pier and the harbour. Pure life is already happening in the morning. The fishermen still go about their work here and the fishing boats that lie on the stone beach and are docked at the pier create a special and almost melancholic atmosphere.
Sports enthusiasts such as joggers, divers and swimmers also use the harbour and the beach for their morning exercise. Swimmers jump into the water from the pier and do their laps, anglers try their luck early in the morning and joggers run along the harbour promenade. Diving trips and excursions are also organised from the harbour.
For tourists and locals, the port of Purtode la Cruz is also a centre of attraction. Tourists enjoy the romantic atmosphere and the sunset, especially in the evening. In the morning, you can admire the view of the Orotava Valley and you will be inspired to dream.
The Altar of Saint Carmen
The 16th of July each year, the "Día de la Virgen del Carmen" is the special day in many Spanish coastal towns, but also widespread throughout the world, when fishermen and sailors honour, bless and celebrate their patron saint as hope and protection for their families and the sea.
The history goes back a long way. Virgen del Carmen or Nuestra Señora del Carmen has nothing to do with a saint, but with Mount Carmel in the Carmel Mountains in Israel. It was the abode of the Old Testament prophet Elijah and his disciples and was also considered a holy place by the young Christians.
On 16 July 1251, the English Carmelite monk Simon Stock had a version of the Virgin Mary (Virgen María); the apparition was called Nuestra Señora del Monte Carmelo or María del Carmen.
16 July is a joyous day with many activities around fishing and the sea. Almost all the fishing boats are out on the water - decorated all over with colourful flags and manned by their families and friends. In some coastal towns, it is almost a folk festival that goes on for several days.
But the reverence, respect and gratitude of the people they worship are palpable and the religious roots remain. Prayers and various church masses are held and the crowning event on 16 July is the procession in which the Virgen del Carmen is carried into the sea by fishermen and sailors. Surrounded by countless boats carrying her image, they sail together singing "Salve! Estrella de los Mares", so that the water will be blessed and they will be protected from misfortune.
In Estepona (photos), after the many events during the day in the port, the procession begins at 19:30 in the Iglesia del Carmen and leads through the old fishermen's quarter, which is also lovingly decorated with altars, along the Paseo Maritimo to the sea - Virgen del Carmen begins her return journey again on the Paseo until she returns to her Ermita del Carmen in the fishermen's quarter around midnight.
This centuries-old tradition shows the feeling of deep attachment of the fishermen and sailors to their patron saint and the power of faith in their "Estrella del Mar".
Text / Photos: Marga Lange.
Fishermen bon the Playa del Muelle
