![carmen_041_small Procession with the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Puerto Tazacorte](http://lapalma-island.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/carmen_041_small.jpg)
July 16 is the Fiesta del Carmen, (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) which is celebrated in Santa Cruz and Puerto Tazacorte. They have a special mass, and then they take the statue of the Virgin of Carmen out for a procession. So far, so much like most fiestas on the island. Only in this case, they take the statue of the virgin out on a boat parade, to bless the fishermen.
![carmen_69_small Loading the statue of Our Lady of Mt Carmel onto a fishing boat, Fiesta at Puerto Tazacorte, La Palma](http://lapalma-island.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/carmen_69_small.jpg)
These photos are fromPuerto Tazacorte. The boats go from the harbour, round to the bay just off the beach, where they sail in circles for a while before heading back to port. Then they have fireworks.
![carmen_small Boat procession at night with Our Lady of Mt Carmel, Puerto Tazacorte, La Palma](http://lapalma-island.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/carmen_small.jpg)