Virgin of La Candelaria

Buy a figure of the Virgin of La Candelaria

At Canarias Shop, you will find a variety of statuettes and figures of the Virgin of La Candelaria.
The beautiful culture of our Canary Islands is full of beliefs and traditions that touch the heart of every generation and are reflected in the celebrations and festivities held each year with such devotion throughout the archipelago.
Tenerife bears witness to this, as every 2nd of February and, above all, on the 15th of August, honour is paid to the patron saint of the Canary Islands, who from the town of Candelaria makes herself felt through a devout celebration dedicated to "La Morenita" (The Little Dark One).

The Apparition of the Virgin of La Candelaria

The story of the Virgin of La Candelaria dates back to the times before the conquest of Tenerife, when the island was inhabited by the Guanches, its aboriginal people.
It is said that the image of the Virgin Mary was found on Chimisay beach, in what is today the municipality of Güímar, by two Guanche shepherds who were leading their livestock along the coast.

The aborigines, who did not yet know Christianity, venerated the image and called her Chaxiraxi. The carving holds a candle in one hand —hence the name "Candelaria" (Candlemas)— and the Christ Child in the other, and her dark complexion earned her the affectionate nickname of "La Morenita". The original image disappeared on the night of the 7th of November 1826, when a flood swept the carving out to sea; the one venerated today was carved by the sculptor Fernando Estévez in 1827.

Basilica of the Virgin of La Candelaria

Alongside the devotion to the Virgin of La Candelaria and the tradition surrounding her, we cannot overlook the Basilica of Our Lady of La Candelaria, built in the coastal town of Candelaria, facing the sea where, according to tradition, Our Lady appeared.

The current temple was built between the years 1949 and 1959, on the site where earlier sanctuaries dedicated to the patron saint had stood over the centuries.

It is one of the main pilgrimage centres of the Canary archipelago: every 15th of August, thousands of pilgrims walk the island's roads to reach it, in what is considered the largest pilgrimage in the islands.