city: Lanzarote

Romeria de los Dolores Experience in Lanzarote with Locals

Straw-hatted dancers and guitar-playing shepherds descend on the hamlet of Mancha Blanca every September for the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. And if you're in Lanzarote for the ‘romeria Virgen de los Dolores', as this pilgrimage is known, it's a must-do. Cristina, one of our local guides, says, ‘It's a once-a-year event, so the islanders take it very seriously. They don their traditional costumes and celebrate with friends and family. There's singing, dancing and lots of wine drinking. I love it and also make the pilgrimage myself.'You'll be picked up in the afternoon and transferred to Mancha Blanca. This sleepy village on the edge of Los Volcanes Nature Reserve comes to life on the Saturday closest to the 15th of September. Thousands of islanders make the trek to the dinky chapel of the ‘Virgen de los Dolores'. Many come accompanied by their farm animals, so don't surprised to find donkeys, oxen and camels milling about. The romeria traces its origins to when a priest carrying a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows miraculously halted the lava flow from an eruption and saved the village in 1736.Groups of string musicians, known as parrandas, play songs of devotion and praise to the virgin. As part of the festivities, many farmers and craftsmen set up stalls selling local products such as Malvasia wine, cheese, cactus jam and earthenware. The romeria is a great opportunity to mingle with the locals and try local specialities and contribute to the community.