Virgen de los Dolores, Romeria, mid September annually
I thought that I would add this traditional walk to my collection as it is an event that happens annually here on the island and, for both residents and those tourist who wish to partake, it is a wonderful walk to take part in.
Firstly, a bit of history. During the volcanic eruptions of 1736 the local residents of Mancha Blanca walked with their priest, carrying a statue of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, to the mountain of Guiguán Moutain, where they promised the Virgin that they would build a church for her if she stopped the lava from reaching their village and their fertile farmlands. One brave man hammered a wooden cross ahead of the moving molten lava flow and, when the lava the cross, it changed direction away from the village. It took the villagers ten years to erect the church with other islanders assisting with their own donations to help the cause on hearing of the miraculous story. During a further eruption in 1824, the villagers again prayed to the Virgen that their lands would not be destoyed. Once more the lava ceased to reach their village thanks to her intervention upon which time the Virgen de los Dolores was proclaimed to be Señora de los Volcanes – Lady of the Volcanoes, and became the patron saint of Lanzarote.
The highlight of the event is the main procession, taking place on September 15th. At this time an effigy of Dolores is paraded through the town. The annual walk takes place on the Saturday preceeding the 15th.
Tags: Los Dolores, Traditional
I thought that it might be an idea, at this early stage, to give you a general idea as to the geography and geology of the island so that when you come to try one of the walks, you know what to expect.
The island has an are of 846 km² and, dimension wise, it measures 77km from north to south and 25km from west to east. We have two mountain ranges here on the island, in the north is Famara (671m) and in the south Los Ajaches (608m).
The island is of volcanic origin created when the continental plates of Africa and America broke up. The major volcanic eruptions took place here between 1730 and 1736. During this time a quarter of the island was covered in lava destroying the most fertile soil that was here so it is, subsequently, not an island particularly renowned for its hedgerows, forests and meadows. It does, however, offer some amazing scenery featuring striking colours, shapes and contrasts. I am pretty sure that in every walk that I will describe to you there will be a volcano somewhere in the landscape as we have more than 300 on the island, but I certainly don´t plan on marching you up and down all of them, however, there are a couple of hikes that I really enjoy doing which do entail climbing to the top, but don´t worry, it´s not as tough as it sounds!
Tags: General Hiking Overview
Las Casitas de Femés – Femés – Las Casitas de Femés
Difficulty: Medium. Distance: 13.8km.
Duration: Approximately 3hrs 20 minutes.
Route: Circular. Car or Bus: Own transport or the local Arrecife bus route number 5.
Essentials: Suitable clothing (depending on the time of year), sturdy walking shoes/boots, water, suncream, mobile phone, snacks and/or picnic, hat.
Warning: The return leg of this walk can be extremely windy at times as there is no shelter from the islands north/northeast trade winds that blow down the island. Although it is not hazardous, extra care should be taken.
The onset of this walk is in the small settlement of Las de Casitas Femés which stands a short distance, in an easterly direction, down the valley from the village of Femés.
In Las de Casitas Femés you will find a small car park, next to a public bus stop and phone box. There is a building on the corner with a sign reading ´Taller de Empleo “Turismo Activo de Tegoyo” ´. Park your car or disembark the bus here.
Tags: Femés, Las Casitas de Femés
