Yaiza's romeria to the Virgen de Los Remedios collects food, fiestas run to 9 September

Hundreds of people filled the streets of Yaiza on Saturday for the romeria and offering to the Virgen de Los Remedios, patron of the municipality. The procession set off from the car park at the football ground and ended at the parish church, where participants left farm produce, non-perishable food and basic household goods at the feet of the Virgin. The donations will be distributed among families in vulnerable situations.

Parranda bands and folk groups played and danced along the whole route without letting up. The village decorated some twenty carts, most of them animal-drawn: farm and livestock workers brought their donkeys and horses, and stockman Chalo Vinoly took part with two animals from the Uga camel herd, a reminder both of the animal's role in the island's old agricultural work and of its present-day link to tourism in Timanfaya National Park.

The day produced its share of family stories. Young Lucas Ortiz, from Yaiza, wore the same outfit his father wore 45 years ago when dancing with the village rondalla. Like the Ortiz family, many others from Yaiza and across Lanzarote joined the walk, sharing music, wine, cheese, cured meats, sweets and traditional Canarian dishes. Yaiza's seniors group, a fixture at the municipality's festive and cultural events, was also strongly represented after weeks of rehearsals.

The romeria remains one of the most popular and best-attended events in the south of Lanzarote, and also one of the most charitable, since the offering to the patron turns directly into practical help. Fiestas in honour of the Virgen de Los Remedios continue in the village until 9 September.

Practical notes for visiting Yaiza during the fiestas

Yaiza is a village of narrow whitewashed streets, and on fiesta days the centre fills up quickly. The sensible approach is to park on the outskirts and walk to the square. It is about ten minutes by car from Playa Blanca; coming down from Arrecife you pass through Uga, home to the camel herd that works daily at Timanfaya. Bring a light layer for the evening: even in late August, the wind in the south drops the temperature as soon as the sun goes down.