Holy Week in Tenerife is one of the most impressive in the Canary Islands. Solemn processions cross the streets of Santa Cruz, La Orotava and La Laguna, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
La Orotava is the beating heart of Canarian Semana Santa. Each evening of the week, confraternities in penitent robes carry floats (pasos) depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife hosts spectacular night processions, notably on Good Friday with the paso del Cristo de La Laguna.
San Cristóbal de La Laguna (UNESCO): the colonial alleyways of the historic center transform into a natural setting for emotionally charged processions.
- From March 21 (Palm Sunday) to March 28 (Easter Sunday)
- Main processions: Maundy Thursday (March 25, Procession of Silence) and Good Friday (March 26)
- Free admission to all processions
- Arrive early for evening processions (8pm) — pavements fill up 1 hour before
- Dark clothing required out of respect
- Parking: avoid city centers those evenings, use TITSA buses
- Photos: permitted from the sidewalks, not from the processions
Maundy Thursday evening — entirely nocturnal procession, lit by torches, without music. One of the rare truly silent collective experiences you can have while traveling.