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Festivities of the Holy Christ of Mercy of Garachico, 2025 – A Summer of Celebrations!

La Quinta Roja — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 16:29:36 +0000

Festivities of the Holy Christ of Mercy of Garachico. 2025, a summer of celebrations!

2025 is a year of festivities in Garachico. From July 23rd to August 3rd, our town will once again be filled with color and joy to celebrate the Festivities of the Holy Christ of Mercy — the only lustral festivities in Tenerife. A deeply rooted religious and cultural celebration in Garachico, where the entire town takes part, from children to the elderly.

For months, the people of Garachico devote themselves selflessly to the preparations, so that their streets and squares burst with color. Keep reading and discover these truly special festivities.

The Miraculous Christ of Mercy

The Festivities in honor of the Christ of Mercy are the most important celebrations of our town, Garachico, and the only lustral festivities on the island of Tenerife. They are held every five years, although the pandemic prevented their celebration in 2020, so the last edition took place in 2015.

For a whole week, Garachico’s streets and squares are adorned with lanterns and flowers to venerate the Christ of Mercy and commemorate an episode that marked the history of our town.

The origin of this festival dates back to 1706, after the eruption of the Trevejo volcano, which destroyed part of the town and Garachico’s port. According to tradition, the faithful took the Christ of Mercy out in a procession, and a miracle happened. The fury of the volcano subsided, and the lava flows stopped, putting an end to the destruction that plagued the town.

Since then, this festival has been celebrated, with only the date and frequency changing over time. Originally held in October, it was moved decades ago to summer due to bad weather affecting the festivities and to coincide with the celebrations of Saint Anne and Saint Roch.

Devotion and History

During Garachico’s Lustral Festivities, tribute is paid to the Christ of Mercy, while remembering one of the most tragic and decisive moments in Garachico’s history — the eruption of the Trevejo volcano, which ended the economic prosperity the town and port enjoyed during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Yet, despite recalling the devastating power of nature, the Lustral Festivities are full of joy, color, and art. Religious ceremonies blend with popular celebrations that reflect the creativity and dedication of our people, who put their hearts into building colorful floats and decorating squares and façades with cheerful flowers and handcrafted paper lanterns.

A Community United by Its Festivities

The Festivities of the Holy Christ of Mercy come to life thanks to the involvement of the entire town. Children, adults, and the elderly — everyone contributes their part to make the celebration possible.

Months in advance, in homes, neighborhood associations, and senior centers, the paper flowers that will decorate façades, streets, squares, and floats begin to take shape. Thousands of colorful flowers, carefully handcrafted, become part of the decorations designed by those in charge of adorning the squares and the floats — ideas that are brought to life by everyone and kept secret until the festivities begin.

Manolo and Berni are just two of the many neighbors who take part in preparing the festivities. He has lived them since he was a child — it’s in his blood — growing up making flowers and helping his parents in any way he could. She, originally from Icod, got involved over 25 years ago when they moved to the town.

They recall how, back in 2015, they would gather with other neighbors in their garage to make the flowers. They spent hours chatting, sharing homemade cakes and coffee, while threading wire through the paper and shaping the flowers. As the days passed, they ended up surrounded by flowers, colorful paper balls, and ribbons. Tourists walking by were amazed by the vibrant scene and would often ask if they could come in and take a look.

This year, the Town Hall has provided each group with a space where they can work and store all the materials that will become part of the decorations: wood, cardboard, paper, paint… There, they also keep boxes of paper flowers and materials that were left unused in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Berni and her friends are currently making white flowers for Manolo’s project to decorate the door of the Church of Santa Ana, through which the Christ will pass during the procession.

More than 25 years ago, Manolo Baute volunteered to adorn the church door for the feast of San Roque, and this year he wants to create something special for the Christ. A decoration that will rise over 20 meters high — a design he keeps secret.

Until the festivities begin, they will continue crafting the flowers and elements needed to bring to life the vision of Miguel Velázquez, who is in charge of decorating Plaza de la Libertad, or Plaza de Arriba. About forty-five people make up this working group, including Minguín — a true all-rounder who helps with everything.

Other groups of neighbors will be responsible for decorating La Glorieta, Plaza de la Cruz Roja, Plaza de Abajo — next to Siux bar — and Plaza del Muelle. In each square, the creative mind behind the design works hand in hand with a group of neighbors who create the elements and assemble everything to bring it to life. A great team effort.

In addition to the squares, the streets are also beautifully decorated for the occasion. Every neighbor takes care of decorating their own façade with flowers and lanterns, making Garachico even more beautiful.

The Floats of Garachico

The Lustral Festivities are unique on the island, especially because of their floats. Unlike the traditional ox-drawn carts seen in local pilgrimages, Garachico’s floats are motorized and decorated with allegorical themes that transport us to fantastic worlds, distant cultures, or the classical world.

Manolo Baute recalls how, during his childhood around 70 years ago, an event took place that remains in the town’s memory as a true example of the solidarity and dedication of Garachico’s people. The day before the parade, part of the flower float being built by the Benítez family caught fire while it was being welded. The entire town of Garachico — even the cloistered nuns — came together to help. In just one day, they crafted new paper flowers to rebuild the float, and it was able to parade as planned.

The float parade is one of the most important moments of these festivities. Every edition, groups of friends, clubs, or associations create the five or six floats that make up the parade — each one designed around a free theme, with one float made entirely from paper flowers. It is a true showcase of the town’s creativity, artistry, and dedication to its celebration.

Every five years, the float designers face the challenge of impressing the thousands of people who fill the streets with their designs and themes. For months, they keep their creations secret, assigning tasks to team members without revealing the final design, which only becomes known when the float is assembled just days before the parade.

In the last edition, held in 2015, a very young designer, Raul Pérez, surprised everyone with his first creation, The Most Powerful Night, inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia. Another designer, Rubén González, amazed the crowd with a float created using the art of origami.

In addition to the adults who design and build the floats, children and young people also play a fundamental role in the parade, becoming the main characters who bring these creations to life. Tere, the accountant at our hotel, took part in the parade twice, riding on one of the floats — an unforgettable experience that, years later, her children also got to live.

She remembers how her mother made her a beautiful traditional dress from Panama. The families of the participants had to cover the cost of fabrics and accessories and make the costumes — a task often carried out at home, thanks to the sewing skills of many women in the town.

Program of the Lustral Festivities

This year, the Lustral Festivities will take place from July 23rd to August 3rd, with a program of activities that includes religious celebrations, cultural events, and folklore performances. We recommend checking the Town Hall’s website for the latest updates on the schedule.

The main events will be concentrated on the weekend of August 2nd and 3rd: the float parade and the procession of the Christ of Mercy, which will conclude with a unique fireworks display recreating the volcanic eruption. But throughout the week, visitors can enjoy exhibitions, concerts, open-air dances, children’s activities, and an extensive religious program.

The Lustral Festivities are framed between the Feast of Santa Ana and San Joaquín and the celebration of San Roque, making Garachico one big celebration throughout July and August.

The Allegorical Float Parade

One of the highlights of these festivities is the allegorical float parade, which takes place in two moments: on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

This year, five floats will participate: the floral float, the children’s float, and three others featuring different allegories.

The first parade is held on Saturday night and concludes with an open-air dance at La Glorieta, right in front of the hotel.

To fully enjoy the floats in daylight and appreciate every detail, we’ll have to wait until Sunday afternoon, when they will once again parade through the main streets of the historic center, accompanied by the town’s marching band.

Procession of the Christ of Mercy

The image of the Christ of Mercy is one of the treasures preserved in the Church of Santa Ana, located just a few steps from La Quinta Roja and one of the most venerated images in the town. It dates back to 1547 and was crafted from corn paste by the Tarascan indigenous people of Michoacán, Mexico.

It is a very lightweight image because it is hollow inside. According to legend, this type of figure was used to hide gold and valuable objects, which were smuggled from the New World.

As part of the festivities held in His honor, the Christ is carried in procession through the town on Sunday morning and again in the afternoon, ending at the bay, where a spectacular display of natural and artificial fireworks takes place, marking the grand finale of the celebrations.

The Risco and La Atalaya Fire Spectacle

The volcanic eruption that devastated Garachico in 1706 is reenacted every five years with the launch of fireballs from the cliffs of La Culata and a pyromusical show set in Garachico’s bay as the Christ of Mercy arrives at the pier after the procession.

The spectacle begins with the launch of huge fireballs from the top of the cliff, recreating the lava flows of Garachico’s volcanic eruption and the tongues of fire that reached the bay.

Today, these fireballs are made with burlap sacks soaked in kerosene, but in the past, wooden barrels once used for storing salted fish were used. Along the bay, sacks filled with pinecones and drenched in kerosene are also placed.

The sight of the fireballs bouncing down the cliffside sends shivers through the crowd watching from the pier. Behind this impressive scene is the hard work of another group of neighbors who, days before, climb up the cliff to prepare the fireballs — and on the night itself, light and launch them, pushing them down with iron hooks.

Once the natural fire show ends, the fireworks set to music take over this natural amphitheater. A pyromusical spectacle that serves as the grand finale of the Festivities of the Holy Christ of Mercy. And so, the countdown begins for the next Lustral Festivities.

The Christ bids farewell, making way for Saint Roch. It’s summer, and Garachico is in full celebration!

La entrada Festivities of the Holy Christ of Mercy of Garachico, 2025 – A Summer of Celebrations! se publicó primero en La Quinta Roja.

Trevejo Volcano, discover its history

La Quinta Roja — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 11:09:22 +0000

Trevejo Volcano,
discover its history

The Trevejo volcano is located in the upper part of the municipality of Garachico and is one of the main natural attractions of the area.

In 1706, it became a tragic protagonist in the history of this municipality when it erupted and disrupted the economic prosperity of what was then Tenerife’s economic capital, the town and port of Garachico.

This eruption, also known as the Garachico or Arenas Negras eruption, is one of the five historical eruptions of Tenerife and had the greatest socioeconomic impact on the island.

A bit of history of the Garachico eruption

For forty days, the pahoehoe lava tongues descended the slopes you can see from the solarium and the windows of our hotel, devastating the island’s main port and much of Garachico’s buildings.

The Palace House of the Marqueses de La Quinta Roja, where our hotel is located, remained intact, but the house of the powerful Counts of La Gomera, located in the square, just steps from here, was practically destroyed, with only a few details of its facade surviving. The church of Santa Ana, whose bells greet us every morning, was also a victim of its fury.

A stroll through Garachico

If we go for a walk through the town and let our imagination work, we can get an idea of how the main source of income of this village, its port, the main one on the island, the center of Tenerife’s international trade with Europe and America and the main economic engine of the island was affected.

A few meters from the Church of Santa Ana, descending Francisco Montesdeoca and Garcia Street, is the Puerta de Tierra. This was the gate through which all the goods that entered and left this port had to pass. Here, Malvasia wines left in galleons bound for Europe and America, and works of art from Flanders were imported.

If you turn towards the sea, you will see that the coastline is now far away. All the land that separates us was gained by the ocean due to the eruption.

Go closer to the coast. Next to the castle of San Miguel, which miraculously remained intact, you will see the natural pools of Caletón. These pools were created by lava tongues that reached the sea and changed the destiny of this town, destroying the natural harbor’s roadstead and putting an end to an era of splendor and prosperity.

Hiking Route by the Trevejo Volcano from San José de Los Llanos

After this walk through the history of the town, we suggest a plan: put on your walking boots and join us in meeting the protagonist of this story, the Trevejo volcano, also known as Montaña Negra.

You will need to drive 30 minutes towards the municipality of El Tanque and then follow the signs directing you to San José de Los Llanos.

You can park your car in the recreation area and follow the signs for the Chinyero trail, another of the most beautiful volcanoes in the area.

The trail starts narrow, surrounded by shrubs. As we climb, we see the vegetation clearing, allowing us to see the vast landscape. Pay attention to the trail markers, as there are some moments where the path splits, and you can get confused.

As we ascend, the pine forest takes over the landscape. We see burnt bark, a result of the last fire in August 2022. You are in front of a natural survivor, the Canary pine, a unique pine species that can withstand fire. Look closely, and you will surely see some green shoots sprouting. Life finds a way.

The Trevejo Volcano and its Black Sands

After a while of ascending, a great reward awaits us. Among the pine forest, to our left, the silhouette of the Trevejo volcano appears with Teide in the background.

You have to reach the foot of the volcano to discover an otherworldly landscape.

The volcano is surrounded by the “black sands” that give this area its name (lapilli or picón), dotted with young pine trees of an intense green.

It’s truly impressive.

In the Vergara canal, which supplies water to the area, we stop to take a break to contemplate the landscape and to give Otto a drink.

Once we reach this point, we have several options to continue exploring. We can decide to take a circular route to go around the volcano and return to San José de Los Llanos; take a trail to the right and continue to the Chinyero volcano; or descend through the Arenas Negras recreational area. The ascent to the volcano is prohibited to protect it from erosion, so we are content to enjoy it from here.

We decided to follow the path that runs along the side of the volcano towards Arenas Negras.

The view of Teide with Pico Viejo and the blurred pine forests we see from here is impressive.

I have come here many times, but today we are very fortunate as the day is completely clear and we can enjoy this priceless view. A gift that is not always received because this area is often shrouded in fog.

We took the opportunity to take many photos so that those who come and are not so lucky can also enjoy it.

Towards Chinyero

When we reach the Arenas Negras turnoff, we decide to turn towards Chinyero and make a small circular route that will take us back to the Vergara canal.

The landscape transforms again. We pass by enormous tongues of lava covered with lichens where large solitary pines have found a home. Next to them, we feel small. This is one of my favorite spots on this route.

On the way back

We navigate the volcanic rocks and rejoin the trail that takes us back to the Trevejos volcano.

As we get closer, we can see again, among the pines, the view of Montaña Negra and Teide.

The beauty and calm that this landscape conveys do not suggest that this volcano was the cause of the volcanic eruption that caused the most damage in Tenerife.

We descend again through the pine forests along the same trail we climbed.

The landscape looks different when you see it from another perspective. Otto keeps walking ahead of us, clearing the way.

The finishing touch

Back to civilization, we stop at the gas station bar in El Tanque to recharge. After some tapas of roasted pork leg and goat meat, we review the route. We have walked nine kilometers in two and a half hours, and we were fortunate to enjoy this landscape with such a clear and bright day.

It’s time to return to Garachico. La Quinta Roja and a relaxing bath in the volcanic pools of El Caletón await us.

La entrada Trevejo Volcano, discover its history se publicó primero en La Quinta Roja.