If you want to know the dates of the pilgrimages in Gran Canaria in 2023, in this article we will try to include them all with day and location so that you don’t miss any of them. For those who read us from outside Spain, a pilgrimage or romería is a Catholic religious festivity that consists of a pilgrimage in which the participants (called romeros) walk a certain distance to a hermitage, sanctuary or church in honour of a saint or virgin.
Pilgrimages in Gran Canaria 2023
Below, we leave you with a list of the dates of the pilgrimages in Gran Canaria in 2023, where we mention at least one per municipality. The most important ones are the pilgrimage of El Pino in Teror, Santiago Apóstol in Gáldar, Virgen de Las Nieves in Agaete, Santa Brígida, Las Marías in Guía or the one in Mogán in honour of San Antonio “El Chico”. But don’t worry, there are many more, so here we go!
JANUARY – Pilgrimages in Gran Canaria 2023
✔ Sunday 29th January, Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria and Blas 2023, Ingenio
This popular pilgrimage is usually held on the last Sunday in January in the centre of Ingenio. In August, the Carrizal pilgrimage takes place, also in Ingenio, which we mention below.
MAY – Pilgrimages in Gran Canaria 2023
✔ Saturday 6th May, San Isidro Labrador 2023, Gáldar
✔ Saturday 13th May, Santísima Trinidad 2023, El Tablero, San Bartolomé de Tirajana
✔ Saturday 13th May, Nuestra Señora de Fátima 2023, Aldea Blanca
✔ Saturday 20th Mayo, San Isidro 2023, Artenara
The San Isidro pilgrimage of 2023 in Artenara already has a date. This festivity has been celebrated since 1967, where the pilgrims and parranderos from all the neighbourhoods of the municipality participate with their carts.
JUNE – Pilgrimages in Gran Canaria 2023
✔ Saturday 3rd June, San Antonio “El Chico” 2023, Mogán
This popular pilgrimage is usually held on the first weekend of June in the village of Mogán. As we said at the beginning, it is one of the most important on the island and in order to participate and enter the procession it is compulsory to wear the typical Canarian costume.
✔ Saturday 17th June, San Juan de 2023, Arucas
The most famous pilgrimage in Arucas is usually on the Saturday before San Juan (24th June) and the @welovegrancanaria (Instagram) community confirms that this is the day 🙂
✔ Saturday 17th June, San Antonio de Padua 2023, Moya
This Gran Canarian pilgrimage in honour of San Antonio de Padua is one of the most popular in Gran Canaria and attracts more than 10,000 people. It is usually held on the second or third weekend of June, the 2023 pilgrimage is already confirmed. Save the date!
✔ Saturday 17th June (pending confirmation), San Juan de 2023, Telde
This pilgrimage in Telde will be held on Saturday 17th June at 18:00 in the evening, as long as it is not changed by the new government.
JULY – Pilgrimages in Gran Canaria 2023
✔ Saturday 15th July, Santiago de Los Caballeros 2023, Gáldar
The pilgrimage of Santiago in Gáldar is also one of the most popular and traditional in Gran Canaria. It is usually held in mid-July and this year it is already confirmed for Saturday 15th.
✔ Sunday 16th July, Virgen del Carmen 2023, Arguineguín – Puerto de Mogán
Every year, the villages of Arguineguín, El Pajar and Puerto de Mogán honour the Virgen del Carmen with their traditional maritime pilgrimage. The procession starts in Arguineguín, stops at the hermitage-cave on the beach of Santa Águeda and ends in Puerto de Mogán. It is a very beautiful procession and is normally held on the Sunday following the day of Carmen. This year 2023 it will be on the same day of El Carmen, which falls on a Sunday. In the same way, a pilgrimage is also celebrated in Arguineguín on the Saturday before the day of El Carmen. This year it will be on the 8th of July 2023.
✔ Saturday 22nd of July, Virgen del Carmen 2023, La Isleta, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
This long-awaited pilgrimage is normally held on the Saturday following the day of El Carmen, concentrating carts and pilgrims in the capital’s neighbourhood of La Isleta. In the evening there is also a Rama Canaria and a large open-air dance.
AUGUST – Pilgrimages in Gran Canaria 2023
✔ Saturday 5th August, Santa Brígida pilgrimage 2023
The Santa Brígida pilgrimage is held on the first Saturday in August. All the neighborhoods take part in this offering to their patron saint, Santa Brígida, with floats decorated with typical motifs, as well as the pilgrims and parranderos who dance and sing to the sound. It has been celebrated since 1957 and is one of the most visited festivals on the island. The festival ends with a large open-air dance with live music in the streets of the historic centre of the village.
✔ Saturday 12th August, Virgen de las Nieves 2023, Agaete
The Saturday after the feast of La Rama (4th of August) usually takes place the pilgrimage offering to the Virgen de las Nieves of Agaete. The programme is not yet published, but our local friends of Agaete confirm that this is usually the case.
✔ Monday 14th August, Virgen del Buen Suceso 2023, El Carrizal (Ingenio)
This pilgrimage in Ingenio is one of those that is always celebrated on the same day, no matter where the sun rises. That is, the day before the 15th of August, the day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which refers to the day on which Mary ascended to heaven without dying. Do you know this pilgrimage? We have it pending.
✔ Tuesday 15th August, Pilgrimage of San Roque 2023, Firgas
On the 15th of August Firgas goes on pilgrimage and the wagons and pilgrims occupy the streets with offerings for their patron saint San Roque. At 12:00 am the big festival begins with fireworks. During these festivities, the curious Traída del Palo (Carrying of the pole) is a tradition in which the locals carry a wooden pole to the San Roque square. Once there, they place a flag at the top and raise the pole. The challenge consists of climbing up the pole and kissing the flag, something that only the fittest people manage to do.
✔ Friday 25th August, procession of the “Vará del Pescao”, Arinaga
This festivity is celebrated on the last Friday of August in Arinaga in honour of the fishermen of the area. It is not really a religious festival, so we could not really call it a pilgrimage. However, there is a procession along the promenade with the “Barca de La Vará” as the protagonist. It is followed by around 20 boats with wheels that roast and distribute sardines to all those who attend. The route goes from Risco Verde along the promenade to the beach. We have an article with more popular festivals in Gran Canaria in case you are interested in knowing them all.
SEPTEMBER – Pilgrimages in Gran Canaria 2023
✔ Thursday 7th September, Virgen del Pino pilgrimage 2023, Teror
Every 7th of September, one of the most important pilgrimages of Gran Canaria is celebrated, as it honours the patron saint of the island of Gran Canaria. On this day, the 21 municipal carts (one per municipality), as well as the representative of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, gather in the direction of the Basílica del Pino. This popular pilgrimage was established by Néstor Álamo in 1952 and today it is one of the most popular.
✔ Sunday 10th September, Pilgrimage San Nicolás de Tolentino 2023, La Aldea
On 10 September the villagers celebrate the traditional pilgrimage of La Aldea de San Nicolás coinciding with the day of San Nicolás de Tolentino, always one day before the popular Fiesta del Charco (11 September).
✔ Saturday 16th September, Virgen del Socorro 2023, Tejeda
Tejeda‘s festivity in honour of its patron saint usually takes place in the second week of September and this year it will probably be on Saturday 16th, we will update you as soon as the town hall publishes its programme.
✔ Sunday 17th September, Las Marías pilgrimage 2023, Santa María de Guía
This popular pilgrimage of Gran Canaria is held every year on the third weekend of September and consists of two main events: the Bajada de la Rama from the midlands to Guía on Saturday and the pilgrimage on Sunday at midday. It is one of the most traditional and beautiful pilgrimages in the Canary Islands.
✔ Wednesday 20th September, San Mateo pilgrimage 2023
Every 20th September hundreds of people congregate in the village of San Mateo to celebrate its traditional pilgrimage. This is one of the pilgrimages in Gran Canaria that is always held on the same day, regardless of which day of the week falls on the 20th.
✔ Saturday 23rd September, San Miguel pilgrimage 2023, Valsequillo
The pilgrimage in honour of San Miguel de Valsequillo is always held on the Saturday before the 29th of September (San Miguel). All the neighbourhoods of the village take part and the fiesta ends with a verbena in the Tifariti square.
✔ Saturday 30th September, Nuestra Señora del Rosario 2023, Agüimes
This offering to the Virgin of the Rosary in Agüimes is always celebrated with a pilgrimage on the Saturday before the feast of the Virgin, which takes place on the 7th of October.
OCTOBER – Pilgrimages in Gran Canaria 2023
✔ October (pending), La Encarnación and the Apple Festival 2023, Valleseco
One of the first Saturdays in October, Valleseco celebrates its most important festivities in honour of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación. This celebration coincides with the Fiesta de la Manzana (Apple Festival) and on Saturday afternoon the locals make a pilgrimage with their carts and traditional costumes to offer the Virgin the products of the land, among which the apple of Valleseco stands out.
✔ Saturday 7th October, Pilgrimage of El Rosario 2023, Vegueta
On the first weekend of October, the old town of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria fills with pilgrims to celebrate another of the pilgrimages of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In this case in the area of Vegueta and in honour of the Virgen del Rosario.
DECEMBER – Pilgrimages in Gran Canaria 2023
✔ Sunday 17th December, Los Labradores pilgrimage 2023, Santa Lucía de Tirajana
On the Sunday following the celebration of Santa Lucía (13 December), the Romería de Los Labradores takes place, in honour of the Virgen del Rosario. On this day the pilgrims put on their best typical costume and go through the streets of the village with carts, offering visitors typical local products. In addition, during this pilgrimage of Santa Lucía, the traditional drink called mejunje, a local drink made with rum, honey and aromatic herbs, is usually shared.
As you will have seen, the pilgrimage is a way of expressing the faith and devotion of the Canary Islanders, but it is also a celebration of their culture and traditions. Although its origin is religious, nowadays many people take part in it because of its cultural and festive nature. In this article we have collected the most important pilgrimages of Gran Canaria, but there are many more. If you want, you can leave us a comment with the date of the one in your town and we will be happy to include it. And now it’s your turn to dust off your traditional costume as the season of pilgrimages begins.
Video summary of the pilgrimages of Gran Canaria 2023
Below, you can see a summary video that includes some of the most important pilgrimages on the island. Remember that on our YouTube channel we have more content about what to do in Gran Canaria, subscribe now here.
Guides to Gran Canaria
If you are visiting the island for the first time and don’t know the best things to do in Gran Canaria, we invite you to take a look at all our guides to discover the most authentic side of the island on your own. We have daily itineraries, a restaurant guide, a beach guide and more. You can see them all by clicking below.
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