Lady Candelaria – Patron Saint of the Canary Islands

La Candelaria is a popular place for locals and visitors to the Island. Whoever enters into this small, quiet part of Tenerife, will immediately notice the sacred presence and respect from everyone that enters and leaves.

Who is this lady and how does she dominate such respect? Let me take you through some legendary myths and give you some background into how this holy person holds a special place in many hearts and continues to be worshipped.

Peaceful and Holy Town of Lady Candelaria

Legend 

It is recorded by Alonso de Espinosa in 1594, a statue of the Virgin Mary, bearing a child in one hand and a green candle in the other, was discovered on the beach in Guimar by two Guanche shepherds in 1392. One of the shepherds tried to throw a stone at the statue but his arm became paralysed, The other tried to stab the statue with a knife but ended up stabbing himself. From here, the statue was taken by a local Guanche Acaymo to (cueve de Chinguaro) a local cave in Tenerife.

Later, another Guanche named Anton returned to Tenerife and recognised the statue as of the Virgin Mary. The Guanches then move the statue to another cave known as San Blas but the statue was stolen and taken away to Lanzarote. The statue made it's way back to Tenerie after varioius events including an outbreak of the plague which occurred on Lanzarote.

Statues of the Guanches

Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria

The basilica was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 19th century. It continues to stand proud and sacred in the town of Candelaria and attracts thousands of visitors each year. 


The statue of Lady Candelaria is a replica of the original which was lost when a tsunami carried it out to sea in 1826.  

The Virgin of Candelaria is widely prayed to for protection agaist epidemics, plagues, droughts and volcanic eruptions of Mount Teide and other volcanoes. Between 1964 and 1965, the Dioces of Tenerife conducted the largest pilgrimage in the history of the Canary Islands and the statue was walked across the towns, cities and municipalities for the first time.

Every seven years, the tradition is to transfer the statue between two cities of Santa Cruz and La Laguna where the statue will remain for that period of time.

Basilica of Candelaria

Celebration

Every year on 2nd February and 15th August, there is a celebration of Lady Candelaria where thousands of pilgrims and tourists arrive at Candelaria from all parts of the Canary Islands and some parts of Spain. It is a religious ceremony and a solemn procession but thereafter, locals dressing up, feasts and fiesta.

What draws me to this place? I honestly cannot say but I do know that it holds a special place in my heart. A kind of respect and comfort feel which I find that I am drawn too and think about a lot in times of needing some hope or a silent prayer. Whether the myth is true or not, Lady Candeleria brings peace, respect and unity to many people, so this has to be a worthy acceptance of joy.

My first visit to Candelaria in 2006 was an exciting opportunity where I was interested in the tale behind the legend. Walking around the magnificent Basilica and taking in the sheer beauty of the building was a lovely experience and a very happy day for me. Walking to the area of where the cave was situated, behind the Basilica was an interesting journey to make the myth more believable. It was certainly a day that I will never forget.

Lady Candelaria and inside the Basilica

Recently in September, I travelled back to same place as I have kept this close to my heart. I was drawn to visit here to say a prayer for my best friend who has recently been diagnosed with Cancer and been through many operations. I wanted to find some hope, lay flowers, light a candle and pray. It is times like this that this is all you have and to feel that this strong figure of hope might somehow get you through these dark day, it eases the pain. It was a sad day for me on this visit as it was a personal reason for me visiting this time, certainly not the same experience from my very first time and feeling so happy. I came away feeling strong, hopeful and thankful. 

So whether this is a myth or not, what people can gain from Lady Candelaria is a personal gain of hope, respect and a closeness to the holy land. It is worth a visit to sense the tranquility of this place but if you really want to be part of the celebration, you need to visit during the sacred day of fiesta. This way, you will get to see how much this statue is truly adored.

The photographs are from my own collection and a true reflection of La Candelaria

Fanabe Costa Sur Hotel, Costa Adeje

It was great to be back and to visit Hotel Fanabe Costa Sur.

Left: Klaudia and Reception Staff

It was a great opportunity to be invited to visit the Hotel Fanabe Costa Sur. Why? Let me tell you why. I love this hotel as it oozes quality and the selection of food will not disappoint any guest. I have recently written a blog piece about my experience for staying at this hotel 2 years ago so I was keen to find out if anything had changed since this time. Well the answer is yes, there certainly has been some changes and it was good to see that the hotel has added more facilities for extra family fun.

Klaudia took the time to show me around the hotel and to take in the new features which were available since my last visit. There were 2 new pools which comprise of a children’s pool and a fresh water pool for water sports. Its great to know that both of these pools are heated too. There is a small shooting range to practice firing at the target, indoor play area, mini golf, football & basket ball court. 

The bedrooms are a good size and well maintained, decor neutral colours with comfy beds. It was really good to take a look inside the junior suite to see what the upgrade would be in comparison to the double suite. Well I can say that you get what you pay for! The area was divided up into a lounge and bedroom with 2 satellite televisions. Guests would expect to find 'a la carte' mini bar service (chargeable) and a large double bed with a sofa bed. Moving into the bathroom, well this was really spacious with a corner jacuzzi bath, luxury white robes and to me, it was a perfect place to enjoy a relaxing bath with a glass of bubbly before starting your night out. 

Junior Suite (the hotel has 6 junior suites)

One of the best points about this hotel is the restaurant. The choice and quality of food is outstanding and I must give credit to the Chefs and their team for providing guests with such an array of fine food. The selection seems to go on for miles with salad bars, cheeses, soups, fish, meat, pizza, paella and much more. The desserts are really good, in fact, I ended up going back for a little bit more!!!

One thing to remember about the restaurant! there is a dress code on the evening and guests are not allowed to dine wearing swim/day type shorts so beware! what I like about this restaurant is service and the classy feel. Elegant and nice and you will feel very much at home, dining in this place. You can sit inside or there is a small area for the hot evenings where you can choose to sit outside. Both are really nice and guests will not be disappointed.

Main Dining Area

Main Dining Area

One of the nice features of this hotel is the roof top for sunbathers. Guests will find a large area and plenty of sun beds but be warned, this is a very popular spot and always a winner with guests. There is a bar situated on the roof top so you will not run short of a drink or light snack and you can cool off in the roof top pool. For those feeling a little more adventurous, there is an area which is for naturist guests (which is screened off so don't think this will be spoiling your holiday) as you will not see any of this, unless you specifically go into this area.

There is a beautiful swimming pool and at the back of the hotel. Guests will find facilities for the children to be entertained, further heated swimming pools and activities.

The views from the roof top are stunning and at night, make sure you take a little walk to visit this area and take your camera or phone to get a lovely photo of the sun going down. Magnificent colours with a magical feel.

Stunning roof top views

Pool Area and Roof Top

So in a nutshell... this is a really good choice of hotel where I certainly felt safe, relaxed and very happy here. It is in a fantastic location in Costa Adeje and if you like pretty beaches then this is close to some fantastic settings. Make sure you take a walk along to El Duque which is a short walk and stop for an afternoon drink.

Lovely hotel, professional and hard working staff, delicious food with a good selection, excellent location and certainly on my list to stay again. 
You may wish to check out the other hotels which belong to this company chain as they are all really high standard and a good choice. http://www.gfhoteles.com/en/  

Costa Adeje Gran (South Tenerife)
Hotel Isabel (South Tenerife)
Noella Play (North of Tenerife)

Further reviews can be found on Tripadvisor.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a big 'thank you' to Klaudia Kelenyova for spending the time with me and answering all my questions. Her professionalism and friendly attitude was greatly received and without her, I would not have been able to create the blogs for Hotel Fanabe Costa Sur and Hotel Isabel. Muchas Gracias Klaudia and well done!

The information contained in this post is of my own opinion only and all photographs are taken and supplied from my personal collection.

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