The day starts with midday Mass at noon. From there the statue of the Virgin is carried down to the town's little beach and lifted aboard a boat, which leads the procession out onto the water. Organisers are expecting more than fifty fishing and pleasure boats to follow her out, filling the bay with colour as the fleet accompanies the Virgin along the shore. Once the procession at sea has finished, she is brought back to the same beach and carried back to the church, with the Marinera Los Buches band playing traditional music from the sand throughout, giving the whole occasion its unmistakable atmosphere.
For anyone who doesn't know the tradition, the Virgen del Carmen is the patron saint of everyone who goes to sea, honoured all along the Spanish coast and across the Canaries and known affectionately as the Star of the Sea. Her feast day falls on the 16th of July, and fishing towns mark it by taking her image out onto the water to bless the boats and ask for protection for their crews. For a town that grew from a fishing village like Playa Blanca, it means a great deal, and it's one of the most cherished dates on the local calendar.
The celebrations carry on well into the afternoon and evening once the Virgin is back in the church. Son del Norte play near the beach huts from 2pm, before the rock bands DeLorean and Salvapantallas take to the stage from 4pm to keep things going. And there's a bonus for football fans to round off the day, with the World Cup final shown live on a giant screen in the town square from 8pm, a fine way to end a day of sea, music and tradition among the crowds.
It all adds up to one of the most enjoyable days of the Playa Blanca summer, blending the solemn and the celebratory in the way these Canarian fiestas do so well. If you're in the town today, head down to the beach for the procession and stay on for the music. Visitors are always welcome, and it's a genuine glimpse of the island's living culture and its lasting bond with the sea.
