The Fiesta del Carmen is next to the Carnival in February and March, the most important festival in Morro Jable. The "Virgen del Carmen" or "Estrella del Mar" is the patron saint of fishermen and sailors. In a coastal village with a fishing port, it is quite natural that Saint Carmen plays a major role in traditional customs and customs. The fishing has a long tradition in Morro Jable and the small harbor in the meantime also excursion boats and the ferry to Gran Canaria for a long time served mainly the local fishermen.
The Fiesta del Carmen takes place every year on the 16th of July and is celebrated in many Spanish coastal towns and of course in the other Canary Islands. In Fuerteventura, the Fiesta del Carmen takes place only in Corralejo except in Morro Jable.
Marian devotion has a long tradition in Spain. The celebration in honor of St. Carmen goes back to a custom from the 16th century.
The highlight of the festival is a procession of all boats of the place along the coast. On these boats a statue of Mary is transported, which was previously carried in a long march through the village.
The second highlight of the festival is the evening celebration of the Fiesta del Carmen. This celebration not only goes on until late in the evening, but until the early hours of the morning. At dawn, when the sun is shining again, the entire celebration community or what is left of it moves through the village and is splashed with water by the inhabitants of the windows.
The accompanying celebrations for the Fiesta del Carmen often go several days in the village there are small rides for children and large children's food stalls with local specialties and drinks stalls.
For us the Fiesta del Carmen is one of the highlights of the year. Yes, the festivities are loud, but apart from the carnival in the Canarian winter, there is hardly any other festival where you can experience so much Spanish joie de vivre, hospitality and cordiality.
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