The annual marine procession on the day of the Virgen del Carmen in Torrevieja will not be possible this year due to port building work, according to the City Council’s program of events for these festivities, which was released today, Monday July 7th.
The downtown portion of the procession will take place on the feast day of the patron saint of fishermen, July 16th, as usual, with the throne halting at Vista Alegre Promenade.
Only the pandemics of 2020 and 2021 disrupted the maritime procession, a decades-long tradition in the city that is heavily centred on tourism.
The decision was made because the traditional docking space for the boats participating in the maritime procession is totally occupied by construction work on the new leisure area at Puerto Paseo del Mar, as well as the heritage restoration of Muelle Mínguez, for several months.
The Virgen del Carmen festivities last only three days. It will kick off on Saturday, July 14th, with a children’s entertainment show and a lunch for Alpe and Apanee inhabitants at the fish market. On the same day, at 8:00 p.m., the José Hódar choir will sing a liturgy for all deceased fishermen at the Sagrado Corazón Church.
The Torrevieja Musical Union will accompany the traditional floral offering from Zoa Street to the Juan Aparicio-Las Rocas promenade, culminating in the Man of the Sea monument, where the same choir will perform the Salve Marinera.
On Tuesday, July 15th, a paella tournament will take place at the fish market, complete with a band and awards ceremony.
The patron saint’s day, Wednesday, July 16th, will begin with a “Musical Diana” procession through the city streets.
Around 11:30 a.m., the Cucaña Maritime Parade will take place in Torrevieja’s port. This requires going barefoot across a thick, grease-smeared wooden pole to reach the little flag at the end. (Although the official program does not state it, it often takes place at the fish market.)
A sung mass in honour of the Virgin of Carmen will take place at the Immaculate Church at 8 p.m.
After the Mass, the procession of the Virgin of Carmen will begin to Paseo Vista Alegre (Tribute to Musicians). The route includes the following streets: Caballero de Rodas, Patricio Perez, Paseo Juan Aparicio, Joaquín Chapaprieta, and Caballero de Rodas. Fireworks will subsequently be launched, and the procession will return to the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Local festivity
Torrevieja continues to celebrate Our Lady of Mount Carmel Day as a local holiday. The procession and events surrounding this devotion throughout the week preceding the festival have evolved into more of a folklore spectacle, appealing to the city’s considerable tourist population rather than Torrevieja locals themselves.
The fishing industry has been reduced to a bare minimum over the years, being replaced by jobs in tourism, services, and construction.
Only one trawler, which sells its catch in Santa Pola, and a few other vessels with smaller gear continue to operate.
Fishing activity
There are no boats, however there is some fishing activity. It focuses solely on the financial and logistical management of the fish market auction, which is the responsibility of the Fishermen’s Association, which must operate as a non-profit entity under public law and obtain a concession from the Generalitat (Catalan Government) to use the public domain.
The port of Torrevieja and the fish market serve as bases for several fishing vessels that use purse seine nets to gather bluefish, particularly sardines and anchovies, in the waters south of the province, originating in the Murcia and Andalusia regions.
The annual revenue from these auctions fluctuates between 3.5 and 6 million euros, depending on the price and volume of anchovies captured.
Author: Derek Appleton
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