San Roque’s celebration in Garachico resumes after last year’s fire.
Yesterday, the streets of Garachico were filled with people celebrating the pilgrimage of San Roque, which had been suspended last year due to a forest fire. The pilgrimage, held every August 16, is one of the most popular events in the region and on the island.
In 2023, the festival had to be cancelled just hours before its scheduled start due to a devastating forest fire that affected Tenerife. This fire, one of the most destructive in the Canary Islands in recent decades, burned 13,000 hectares of forest across twelve municipalities.
After a year of anticipation, thousands of worshippers showed their devotion to San Roque in Garachico. People from all over Tenerife travelled to the town to participate in the festivities, either by car or on foot.
Early in the morning, crowds gathered in the square named after the saint, where the centuries-old hermitage houses his image. A traditional mass for the pilgrims was held at the hermitage. The celebrations culminated with cries of ‘Long live San Roquito’ as the saint was paraded to the main parish of Santa Ana, showered with flower petals along the streets of the historic centre.
The procession began at 2:00 p.m. and was attended by around 4,000 people, as reported by the Local Police. Although this was a smaller turnout than in previous years, the streets were still bustling with attendees, including hundreds of tourists eager to experience this typical Canary Islands event.
San Roque was accompanied by 19 small carts, 28 wagons, pilgrims, horse teams, and goat herds. Following them were bands and folklore groups that provided musical entertainment along the route, which passed through the most iconic streets of the historic centre adorned with traditional coloured ribbons. The intense heat of the day prompted many attendees to take breaks from the festivities with a refreshing swim in the old dock.
