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May – month of Romerías (pilgrimages) in Tenerife

Cheerful people to the sound of music, carts and stalls full of traditional food, colourful hand-woven dresses… No doubt, this is a Romería!

Pilgrimages, festivals and traditions

The pilgrimages, in Spanish Romería, of our island are the most traditional expression of joy, celebration and culture. Throughout Tenerife there are alternate celebrations, many of them have been held for decades. Each municipality has its own party, where homage is usually paid to the saint or local patron. This is accompanied by thousands of faithful to the rhythm of chácaras and timples, the traditional instruments of Canarian folklore.

The locals are proud to show their dances, ceremonies and different acts and everyone is invited. Everyone can join in, become part of the pilgrimages, experience the culture and history up close and taste the local cuisine on the Romería.

An opportunity to discover the gastronomy of Tenerife

If you are one of those who like to travel with all your senses, the flavours of Tenerife will not disappoint you. You may have heard of mojo, a traditional mild or spicy sauce that accompanies another great dish of our cuisine: the wrinkled potato. It is also possible that you have heard of gofio or our delicious goat cheeses and honey, essential for pilgrimages.

In any case, it is certain that your palate will love our Romerías. Ox carts, decorated with products and motifs of each place, are filled with delicacies and local wine. When preparing and serving the meat, fish and other dishes people sing joyfully. Well, it’s almost impossible to leave a pilgrimage with an empty stomach!

May, a month full of pilgrimages in Tenerife

May and August are usually the months with the most Romerías in Tenerife; especially in the month of May take place a lot of events. Practically there are Romerías throughout the island, with municipalities in the north and south celebrating pilgrimages in honour of various saints, the most common being the festivities in honour of San Isidro and Santa María de la Cabeza.

The House of the Balconies, the Casa de los Balcones, has prepared a calendar (in Spanish in this case) with all the celebrations so that you can plan ahead and immerse yourself in our culture on your arrival to Tenerife.

Baile de Mago, a traditional dance festival in Tenerife

Along with the pilgrimages are usually also celebrated the “Bailes de Magos”, another popular celebration. This festival is also characterised by local gastronomy and Canarian music. The name “mago” refers to the peasants, as they used to be called „magicians“. The farmers came together and formed traditional folklore groups, as they still exist today.

Hundreds of people put on their costumes to dance and celebrate, one of the highlights of the municipal celebrations. If you want to get to know our culture and merge with the locals, the month of May is perfect, but don’t worry, folk festivals take place throughout the whole year.

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