Each July, Puerto de la Cruz honours the Virgen del Carmen, closely associated with its fishing community, in one of the town's most moving celebrations. The main Embarcación carries her image and that of San Telmo from the church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia through the streets to the fishing harbour, where the Virgin is taken aboard a boat. This guide explains the tradition, what you can expect as a visitor and where you can see its connection to the town throughout the year. The exact procession date and programme change each July.
A celebration rooted in the sea
The Virgen del Carmen has a special place in the lives of fishing and seafaring communities. In Puerto de la Cruz, the July celebration brings together the parish, fishing families, image bearers, musicians, neighbours and visitors around the town's old harbour. San Telmo, another figure associated with seafarers, accompanies her in the main procession.
You do not need to be religious to appreciate the sense of shared history, but this is an act of devotion as well as a public fiesta. Watch with care when the images pass, leave space for the bearers and respect people who have come to pray. The wider July fiestas and other local celebrations add music, gatherings and other events around the religious programme.
What happens at the main Embarcación?
The central celebration usually begins with a solemn Mass at the church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia. Afterward, bearers carry the images of the Virgen del Carmen and San Telmo along the procession route to the muelle pesquero, the fishing harbour. Families and onlookers line the streets; flowers and song can accompany the images on their way.
At the harbour, the Virgin is brought to a boat for the maritime part of the procession. The moment of embarkation is greeted with applause and the familiar cry, ‘¡No pasa nada, la Virgen está embarcada!’—an expression of relief and celebration that the Virgin is aboard. There may be fireworks and other fiesta activity, according to that year's programme. The images are later brought back to the church. The route, timing, boat and individual acts should always be checked in the current programme rather than assumed from a past celebration.
The history behind the procession
Puerto's connection to the Virgen del Carmen is older than its present harbour procession. Seafarers from Puerto de la Cruz were devoted to the Virgen del Carmen in nearby Los Realejos and took part in that town's celebrations. Puerto's own maritime procession developed in the early twentieth century. These are related traditions, but they should not be confused as the same procession or the same image.
The image carried in Puerto today was made and donated by the local sculptor Ángel Acosta Martín in 1954. His name also lives on at Plaza Ángel Acosta Martín beside the fishing harbour. The town's celebrations have evolved over the years, while the fishing community's devotion and the journey from church to sea remain central to their story.
What is the Virgen del Carmen Chiquita?
You may also hear about the Virgen del Carmen Chiquita and San Telmo Chiquito. These are smaller images associated with a separate procession and embarkation organised by the local fishing guild, the Cofradía de Pescadores. It is another expression of Puerto's maritime devotion, rather than a second name for the main procession from the Peña de Francia church.
If you hope to see either celebration, read the programme for that particular July carefully: the main Embarcación and the smaller fishermen's event are listed separately and need not fall on the same day.
Where to connect with the tradition year-round
Start in the central church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia, home to the image that takes part in the main procession. Religious services and church access take priority, so visit quietly and check the door for current opening information. From there, walk down toward the old fishing harbour to understand why the journey through town matters.
At the harbour, behind the Casa de la Real Aduana, look for the bronze sculpture of the Virgen del Carmen by Rodrigo Rodríguez López. It was installed in 2018 in response to the wishes of the local fishing community. Nearby **Plaza del Charco** makes an easy starting point for exploring this part of the old centre. Even outside July, the church, sculpture and harbour give you a sense of the town's bond with the sea.
How to experience the celebration
If you want to follow the religious procession, choose a spot on the published route between the church and the harbour. The harbour is where the embarkation draws the largest crowd; viewing space there can fill early. Walking into the centre is often simpler than expecting to drive to the waterfront during the fiesta. Allow time to move between viewpoints, especially with children or anyone who needs a quieter space.
There is no admission ticket to watch from public streets. Keep passages, church entrances and working areas of the harbour clear, follow stewards' instructions and take care with photographs of people in a devotional moment. If you are visiting in another month, the same short walk between church and harbour is an enjoyable way to explore Puerto without waiting for the procession.
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Check the date for your visit
The main Embarcación is part of the July fiestas, but it does not take place on a fixed 12 July every year. The Church's feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel falls on 16 July; Puerto's main harbour procession may be scheduled on another July day. Check the newly published municipal fiesta programme for the exact date, Mass, procession route and any changes before planning around the event. A past year's programme is a record of that year, not a timetable for the next one.