Accompanied by Canarian music and excited tourists capturing the rare sight on their phones, a diverse crowd of adults and children, men and women, gathered at the Puerto de la Cruz harbor yesterday to witness one of the oldest traditions in the Canary Islands: the annual goat bathing ritual in the sea.
“June 24th is indeed the most picturesque day of the year,” emphasized the president of the Cultural Association Friends of the Sea Goat Bath, Amilcar Fariña, who organized this event as the highlight of the San Juan festivities, marking the beginning of summer.
Fariña revealed that nearly 400 goats from various locations in the La Orotava Valley were led to the harbor to partake in a ritual of Guanche origin. The purpose of the tradition was to protect and ensure the fertility of the goats by purifying them in the sea.
At around 8:00, the shepherds and their flocks started arriving at the harbor. Some animals were more hesitant than others, requiring assistance or being carried by their owners by their horns into the water, all under the watchful gaze of a large crowd.
The event also featured demonstrations of traditional Canary Islands games of skill by José Manuel Espinel Cejas, as well as a stick game presented by the Auchón Guanil Association. It was a day filled with shared traditions for families, attracting thousands of tourists who were delighted to be a part of the city’s festivities.
