Güímar on Tenerife: the Bajada de la Virgen del Socorro on 7 September 2026
When the bells of San Pedro ring out over the Valle de Güímar in eastern Tenerife long before sunrise, one of the oldest popular festivals in the Canary Islands begins. The Bajada de la Virgen del Socorro carries the Marian image from the town down to the coast — in 2026 the main day falls on Monday 7 September, with the Subida following on Tuesday 8 September.
Photo: Pofka, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Symbolbild).
The Fiestas de El Socorro are not a festival with a stage schedule but a living religious tradition that puts an entire valley on its feet. If you plan to go, it helps to know what you are joining: very early hours, a long walk, and a celebration that many local families hold close to their hearts.
What Güímar is celebrating
According to the listings service La Agenda, the Fiestas de El Socorro run over several weeks in 2026, from 23 August to 19 September. The heart of it, though, is two days. On 7 September the image of the Virgen de El Socorro is taken from the parish church of San Pedro Apóstol in the town centre down to the chapel on the coast; on 8 September it returns.
The route follows the Camino del Socorro and is generally described as around six kilometres. The destination is the hermitage in the coastal hamlet of El Socorro, right beside the Playa de Chimisay. The Web Tenerife tourism portal lists the celebration as a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Regional — a festival of regional tourist interest.
A history that starts before the conquest
The Bajada makes little sense without the founding story of Marian devotion in the Canaries. Tradition holds that Guanche shepherds found the image of the Virgin on the beach of Chimisay, on the coast of the Güímar valley, before the Castilian conquest of Tenerife. That tradition places the find in the late 14th century, with years between 1392 and 1401 commonly cited.
The caveat matters, and specialist accounts make it: there is no secure date. The chronology rests on oral tradition rather than documents. The image was later moved, according to the same tradition, to the cave of Achbinico in what is now Candelaria, where it became the Virgen de Candelaria, patron of the Canary Islands. Historical descriptions place the hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Socorro near the spot where the image is said to have been found. In August 2026 the newspaper El Día described the romería as the oldest in the Canary Islands.
7 September: four in the morning, bells, and a walk to the sea
The main day follows a tightly grown sequence. Under the programme published by La Agenda, the announcement car sets off at 04:00, accompanied by the traditional peal of bells from the San Pedro belfry. At 06:00 the pilgrims' mass is celebrated in the parish church of San Pedro Apóstol; the procession then moves to the chapel of El Calvario, and the Bajada itself begins.
El Día describes a procession of hundreds of pilgrims, decorated floats and traditional music. In the afternoon, at El Socorro, the apparition of the Virgin to the Guanches on the beach of Chimisay is re-enacted; La Agenda lists the Ceremonia de los Guanches at 19:00. The day does not end on arrival: the evening continues with celebration and dancing at the hermitage.
8 September: the Subida and the game of the almonds
The second big day falls on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Under the programme circulated by La Agenda, it opens at 08:00 on the Plaza de San Pedro with the 13th athletic floral offering, the Ofrenda Floral Atlética. At the hermitage there is a morning mass at 09:00 and the solemn mass at 11:00, followed by a procession through the hamlet.
At 17:00 the return mass is celebrated and the Subida sets off back towards San Pedro. According to the same listings, the way up includes a distribution of almonds and the traditional game of pares o nones — odds or evens — as well as a rest at the Pabellón de La Tahona, where the face of the image is cleaned, and the handover of the image to a cultural association at the spot known as La Asomada. El Día likewise associates the pares o nones game with the La Asomada stretch.
Practicalities: getting there, crowds, respect
Güímar sits on Tenerife's east coast, a few kilometres from Candelaria and connected to both the north and the south of the island by the TF-1 motorway. This is a public traditional celebration held on streets, tracks and at the shoreline; nothing in the sources consulted mentions an admission charge.
Anyone intending to walk the Bajada should be ready for darkness, sturdy footwear and a descent lasting several hours — the Camino del Socorro is a path, not a stroll. Carry water, plan the return leg in advance, and expect busy streets on both days. And keep in mind what this is: first and foremost a religious act and a family occasion, not a tourist spectacle. Restraint with cameras, especially during the masses and the procession, is part of attending well.
If you would rather not stay up all night, the arrival and the afternoon events at the El Socorro hermitage are the alternative. Sturdy shoes, water and a head torch are far more useful on the Camino del Socorro than any festival outfit.
Times and locations come from the circulated programme and may change. Check the Ayuntamiento de Güímar and the official programme booklet before travelling. The historical dates for the apparition rest on tradition and are not documentarily established.
Key facts
- Bajada: Monday 7 September 2026 in Güímar, Tenerife (La Agenda, El Día).
- Subida: Tuesday 8 September 2026, the feast of the Nativity of Mary (La Agenda).
- Full programme: 23 August to 19 September 2026, per La Agenda.
- Route: from the parish church of San Pedro Apóstol along the Camino del Socorro to the coastal chapel, generally given as around six kilometres.
- Status: listed by Web Tenerife as a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Regional; El Día calls it the oldest romería in the Canaries.
- Admission: a public traditional celebration; no admission charge is stated in the sources consulted.
FAQ
- What are the exact 2026 dates for the Bajada and Subida?
- The Bajada takes place on Monday 7 September 2026 and the Subida on Tuesday 8 September 2026. Both La Agenda and El Día give these dates for 2026.
- How long is the walk down to El Socorro?
- The procession follows the Camino del Socorro from the church of San Pedro Apóstol to the chapel on the coast; the distance is generally described as around six kilometres.
- What is the Guanche connection?
- Tradition holds that Guanche shepherds found the image of the Virgin on the beach of Chimisay in the Güímar valley, before the Castilian conquest. That apparition is re-enacted on the afternoon of 7 September.
- Are there special buses or road closures?
- No official plan had been published in the sources consulted. The Ayuntamiento de Güímar is the authoritative source; allow extra time for the journey to be safe.
- Does it cost anything to attend?
- It is a public traditional celebration held in the streets and on the coast. No admission charge is mentioned in the sources consulted.
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