The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Everything You Need to Know to Experience a Seafaring Tradition
When July arrives, Málaga becomes even more seafaring than usual. This is the time for the long-awaited feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, celebrated on the 16th of July, showcasing the city’s tradition and devotion to the Patroness of the Sea, the Star of Málaga’s fishermen for decades.
Tradition and Devotion Among Three Dedicated Neighbourhoods
The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is one of the oldest celebrations in Málaga and offers visitors the best opportunity to firsthand experience and immerse themselves in one of the city’s most unique and deeply-rooted traditions, where faith and culture converge in a singular way.
These events manifest the community identity of Málaga’s neighbourhoods. Devotion and joy abound.
Traditionally, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is associated with fishermen and sailors. Therefore, the neighbourhoods of Huelin, Pedregalejo, and El Palo become the main stages for this unique festivity, celebrated around the 16th of July.
On Land and at Sea
The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated both on land and at sea. The procession of the image begins through the streets of the various neighbourhoods and, once it reaches the beach, it is transferred aboard a jábega, the typical boat from Málaga, across the waters of the Mediterranean.
Who carries it? Sailors and fishermen, as she is their patroness. The bearers of the image wear the traditional marengo outfit: a white shirt, black trousers, espadrilles (or barefoot), and a red sash.
Once in the water, the Star of the Seas blesses the waters and pays tribute to those who have died at sea in the past year. The main jábega is accompanied in the water by numerous boats filled with thousands of devoted sailors.
Then, the Image Returns in Procession to Its Temple
Interestingly, the Association of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Patroness of Málaga’s Submariners, celebrates this event in a very unique way. It is one of the moments that evokes the most emotion for visitors. In this case, the submariners take the image of the Virgin and transport it to a specific point on La Malagueta beach. There, it is submerged down to a niche located at the bay’s bottom.
Important. It is worth noting that some neighbourhoods celebrate this event on the Sunday following the 16th of July. Therefore, stay tuned to our agenda on the website and our social media for all dates and times.
If there is one thing Málaga can boast about, it is its traditions. Such as that which takes place during the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the patroness of sailors. In Málaga’s neighbourhoods like Huelin, Pedregalejo, and El Palo, this tradition is deeply admired and rooted.
Every 16th of July, the day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated in the province of Málaga. As is tradition in the capital and many coastal municipalities, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is taken to the water by sailors in a typical Málaga boat called a jábega.
In Málaga city, the Coronated Virgin of Mount Carmel from Perchel and the Virgin of Mount Carmel from El Palo go out on the Sunday following the 16th of July. Once the Virgin of Mount Carmel blesses and honours the waters of the Mediterranean that bathe Málaga’s coasts in memory of the deceased, a procession takes place through their respective neighbourhoods. The men carrying the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel wear the typical marengo outfit, consisting of a white shirt, black trousers, a red sash, and espadrilles.
