Wherever the sea washes ashore it seems the Canarios will make a beach, stripping off to sunbathe even if the sand is a little more pebble than powder. Candelaria, on Tenerife’s east coast is no different.
What at first glance appears to be a typical Canarian fishing port, hides a secret. Well, possibly the worst kept secret in the archipelago. The imposing tower that always seems to be in view wherever you stand in this town. Rising proudly at the end (or perhaps the start) of the promenade is the Basilica of Candelaria (Basilica of the Royal Marian Shrine of the Our Lady of Candelaria to give it its full title) a shrine dedicated to the patroness of the Canary Islands, the Virgin Mary. Its neoclassical style lends the building an older appearance than is actually the case having been built between 1949 and 1959. Its grand structure seems out of place for such a small town but its location, directly on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean gives it an even more dramatic setting.
If the church does not catch your attention (highly unlikely), the almost mystical parade of figures of the 9 aboriginal Guanche kings of Tenerife
As I stroll down the solitary shopping street to the sounds of a busker playing Spanish guitar (although I suppose here it is just guitar), I spot a few tourists and it looks as though this picturesque port has not yet made it on to the mass tourist trail. And for me, that is Candelaria’s charm.
