Kike Navarro – La Palma in pictures • 31

When the devil dances ...

—  Once a year, the devil does his mischief on the island of La Palma.

For many, it is the highlight of the festival in honour of the patron saint of Tijarafe, the Virgen de Candelaria. Kike Navarro has captured the hot atmosphere of the devilish dance for us.

Every year on the night of 7 to 8 September, the event attracts thousands of people. Not only do they flock together from the island, but they also come from other Canary Islands and holidaymakers don't miss the spectacle.  

The devil keeps waiting and as the orchestra plays, the tension mounts. From where will he emerge this time? Big heads and giants mingle with the dancers on the church square, it is already well past midnight, almost 3 o'clock ... and suddenly the black figure is in their midst.

click to enlarge

Noisy, spraying sparks, wrapped in the smell of gunpowder, he dances between the raging crowd with big red eyes. To ensure that no one is harmed in the shower of sparks, strong men form a protective ring around Satan. Sophisticated pyrotechnic surprises pop out of the horned body more and more violently, until finally his head explodes.

With that, the haunting is over. The Virgin of Light has triumphed over the devil and he disappears into darkness again for a whole year.

The municipality of Tijarafe

Tijarafe

On the sunny, dry northwest side of La Palma, away from the wind, lies the municipality of Tijarafe.

Due to the sloping nature of the terrain, there are numerous impressive viewpoints of the mountains and Atlantic Ocean. The higher-lying districts of Aguatavar, Arecida and Tinizara are surrounded by beautiful nature and invite you to take a walk.

You can walk through vineyards, almond trees and pine forests to the treeless peaks of the Caldera de Taburiente.

La Palma in pictures • photo series

Rating and Comments

Your rating

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6

Please comment your rating!

Please enter your email address

I agree, that my personal information provided in the contact form for the object of replying to my inquiry may be raised and processed.

Note: You may withdraw your consent at any time for the future by sending an e-mail to info@la-palma.travel.

Please find detailed information about the handling of user data in our data protection declaration.