Candelaria, in Tenerife, is much more than just a beach destination. Discover all the secrets of this place of pilgrimage par excellence.
Book a holiday in Candelaria to discover this town in the south-east of the island. It has been one of Tenerife's principal religious centres of the island since 1392 when two Guanches – the island's indigenous people – found a statue of the Virgin of Candelaria, the patron saint of the Canary Islands. Since then, every year on August 15, thousands of pilgrims from all over the island come to praise her.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of our cheap getaways to Candelaria is the Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria, the first Marian temple in the Canaries. It was built in 1959 in front of the place where the carving of the Virgin of Candelaria was found. Its neoclassical style and its post-Moorish Mudejar details, with the sea in the background, will enchant you.
Next to the basilica you will find the nine bronze statues of the Menceyes. Before the Castilian conquest of the island in 1496, the Guanches had divided Tenerife into nine Menceyatos, each governed by a Mencey. Do not miss the realistic representation of each of them.
Behind the basilica you will find the Achbinico cave, which was the first temple dedicated to the Virgin of Candelaria. The hermitage was built respecting the form of the cave and was used as a place of Christian worship.
If you have enough time, complete your holiday package in Candelaria with an excursion to the nearby Malpaís de Güímar special nature reserve, of remarkable ecological importance. Covering almost 720 acres, the reserve is home to numerous species of birds and reptiles.
To get to Candelaria, fly to either Tenerife Sur or Tenerife Norte Airport. If you fly to the first, you can take a direct bus that will leave you by the main road from where you can walk down to Candelaria. If you fly to Tenerife Norte, take a bus to Santa Cruz and, from there, another to your destination. Our holiday offers to Candelaria will seem irresistible!
