Candelaria
Town, 18 km south of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is the religious capital of not only Tenerife, but the entire archipelago. In the local basilica there is a statue of Our Lady of Candelaria, who is considered the patroness of the Canary Islands.
The Basilica de Nuestra Seńora de Candelaria with 1959 r. it's already the third, which was built in this place - the first temple was destroyed by fire, and the other by the flood, which also took the original Virgen de Candelaria figurine found in 1392 r.
To the left of the basilica there are nine huge statues of the Guanche kings, who ruled the nine kingdoms, Tenerife was divided into before the conquest.
Their silhouettes against the sea make a really big impression. Going further along the shore, you come to the chapel of San Blas. The stone chapel is built in the Cueva de Achibinico, where shepherds lived until the miraculous figurine was assembled. The chapel has retained its original atmosphere – the only decoration of the stone interior is a bronze reproduction of Our Lady of Candelaria. Right behind the chapel is the Cueva de los Camellos, first inhabited by shepherds, and later arriving on camels (camel) pilgrims.
Our Lady of Candelaria
Virgin of Candelaria (candle – candle, from the candle, which Madonna is holding in her hand), also known as the Black Madonna, is considered the patroness of the Canary Islands. According to beliefs, the statue was found by two shepherds, goats grazing near the beach at the mouth of the Chinguaro Gorge. Noticing the silhouette of a woman with a baby in her arms, they tried to show her in signs, to leave the territory belonging to King Acayamo. Because despite their efforts, the woman did not leave, one of the shepherds decided to throw a stone at her, however, every time, when he raised his hand, this one was falling. Once the shepherds realized, that they are dealing with a supernatural phenomenon, decided to inform the king of the astonishing discovery. Intrigued, Acayamo went with his subjects to the beach and ordered them to move the statue to the Achbinico grotto. Only after 40 years, from one of the shepherds converted to Christianity, King Acayamo's subjects found out, that the miraculous statue represents the Virgin Mary. From that moment on, the shepherds called the statue Chaxiraxis, that is, "Mother who supports the world”.
Virgen de Candelaria remained in the cave until 1826 r., when the sea, which previously presented the people of Tenerife with a miraculous statue, decided to take him back.