The Canario’s do not go through life sadly. Their festive calendar is filled all year round. The Canario’s are proud of their traditions. Discover more about their culture here:
Carnival is celebrated everywhere on the island, although the biggest parades take place in Las Palmas. In February, the Carnival celebrations begin with the election of the carnival queen, followed by marvelous parades, masked balls and parades.
At the end of May, at the beginning of June, Las Palmas celebrates ‘Corpus Christi‘. The streets of the old town are decorated with flowers and the Plaza de Santa Ana is a carpet of floral arrangements.
On 4 August, people celebrate ‘Bajada de La Rama‘ in Agaeta. The inhabitants of Agaeta get fir branches and bring them to the sea, where they hit the waves to pray for rain.
On the last Sunday of August you can go to Artenara for ‘La Virgen de la Cuevita‘. Folk dancing, fireworks and a cozy torchlight procession.
Around 10 September you can meet one of the oldest celebrations on Gran Canaria ‘Fiesta del Charco‘. In the past, the inhabitants of La Aldea de San Nicolas naked in the charco (lagoon) of Puerto de la Aldea. When this was no longer allowed by the church, they waded dressed in it.
On 5 October you can enjoy the traditional feast in Agüimes ‘Nuestra Señora del Rosario‘. Think of stick-guard fights, Canarian wrestling, folk dancing.
In addition to the festivities, we also have 2 other tips for those who want to get to know the traditions:
Museo Canario
The most important museum of Gran Canaria can be found in Las Palmas. If you must have visited one museum, it would be this. Museo Canario introduces you in a fascinating way to the culture and way of life of the first Canarios, the Guanches. The museum not only gives an impression of their daily life, but also has a remarkable collection of well-preserved mummies.
Cenobio de Valerón
Explore the caves of the original inhabitants. A complex with 300 tombs excavated in tuff. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in the Canary Islands.
