Fiestas del Cristo in La Laguna: what they are and what to expect
Every September, La Laguna holds its main fiestas. These are not neighbourhood celebrations: for several days the city changes pace, and on 14 September, the main day, it takes in people from all over the island.
What is being celebrated
At the centre is an image: the Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna, a crucifix of Flemish origin that reached the island in the sixteenth century and is venerated in its own sanctuary, beside the square that carries its name.
The devotion is old and deeply rooted, which explains the scale of the celebration: for many people in La Laguna this is the fiesta of the year, ahead even of carnival.
The three ingredients
The fair. Around the sanctuary and the square a fairground is set up, with stalls, rides and food. It runs for several days and is the most family-oriented part, working in the afternoon and evening.
The fireworks. On the eve of the main day there is a pyrotechnic display that is by far the most crowded moment. It can be seen from several points in the city and from the higher ground, and some people come up purely for it. If you go, go early: the good spots fill long before it starts.
The procession. On the 14th, with the image, and with a different atmosphere: quieter, more devotional, with many people who came specifically for that moment.
What to expect if you go
Three practical warnings, in order of usefulness:
Parking is difficult. La Laguna's old town is pedestrian anyway, and on those days the streets around the sanctuary are closed too. The tram and the bus are the sensible way in from Santa Cruz.
Bring a layer. It sounds odd in September, but La Laguna sits at 550 metres and it genuinely cools down at night. It is the number one complaint from people who come up from the coast in short sleeves.
The fair is an evening thing. Arrive in the early afternoon and you will find it still waking up.
If crowds are not your thing
These fiestas run at two speeds, and it helps to know it. The fireworks night and the 14th are packed. On the other days the city is much as usual, with the fairground working in its own area and the old town quiet.
You can easily spend the morning seeing the city and drop into the festive part later, without walking into the peak.
A month full of fiestas
These are not the only ones in September in the Canaries. It is one of the busiest months in the island calendar, with major celebrations on several islands, some of them the biggest of the year in their own town.
If you want to understand what each element is (the offering, the romería, the procession, the parranda), we explain it in the guide to fiestas and romerías. The specific dates for these days are in the events calendar.
As always with Canarian fiestas: the detailed programme is published shortly beforehand, sometimes only a week or two. The main dates do not move; the timings do.
And while you are in La Laguna
Even if you come for the fiesta, it is worth setting aside time for the city itself: it is a World Heritage Site, and the old town can be walked in a couple of hours. It sits on the route in what to see in Tenerife, along with the Anaga massif, which starts just above it.
Keep reading: What to see in Puerto de la Cruz · Virgen de los Dolores, Lanzarote's biggest fiesta · Traditional Canarian sports: what you are actually watching
Cover photo: Berthold Werner, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
