Music, fun, and dancing were the bait as the fishing community of Los Cristianos set sail for a weekend of celebration and tribute in honour of their patron, the Virgen del Carmen. Tenerife doesn’t need an excuse to party and I could hear the DJ pumping out the music as I approached the compact Plaza de la Alpispa, behind the old beach.

The Saturday afternoon Fiesta del Sombrero (hat party) has become a popular part of the weekends tide of joy, and is always inventive and creative. Tables were set out in informal rows laden with food and drink but not many people were sitting still. The sea and nature in general always inspires the head gear but they´re not immune to modern influences, a home made drone perched on one hat but it was light weight compared to a full sized plant pot sported by one smiling lady.

Beer had clearly gone to some heads, but only in the artistic way, and as Dorada is now the official shirt sponsor of CD Tenerife, it made me proud to see the foaming tributes. Subtlety was just as effective, a neat hat with a floral trimming was enough to catch the eye and maybe even win a prize. The DJ´s table was well laden with trophies for the best efforts, they all looked deserving to me.

Further round by the port, other preparations were taking place for the following days parade of the Virgen´s statue among a flotilla of fishing boats, after the main lady had been carried through the streets of the town. Just along from the hat party, the younger revellers were enjoying the inflatable water slides as various cartoon characters watched from the side lines.

Fireworks will be lighting up the sky as the celebrations come to a close. For the fishing folk the hard work of pitting their wits against the waves continues all year. If you find yourself feeling a little hungry, it´s a much easier task to seek out one of the many local restaurants that serve the best of the catch from the Atlantic waters that lap at the shores of the Canary Islands.