Pilgrimage of Our Lady of the Sea / La Virgen del Mar
La Virgen del Mar is the patron saint of Almería and has been celebrated since 1738. It is a polychrome carving dating from the twelfth century. It has a brown face and cradles the child in her right arm. The carving is housed in the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Sea.
The church was built in the sixteenth century, but had to be restored after the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The chapel was built on the site where the image of the Virgen del Mar was said to have appeared on 21st December 1502 to a local fisherman Andrés de Jaén .
The pilgrimage takes place during the first Sunday in January to commemorate the apparition of the Virgin of the Sea to the fisherman on the beach. The image moves from the Church of St. Dominic, where it is kept on display and revered throughout the year, to the Ermita de Torre García, on the beach where it appeared. In the evening it is returned.
The pilgrmage is held on the first Sunday of January, except when it coincides with New Year or Epiphany when it is moved to the following Sunday. In this procession the image of the Madonna is carried from her sanctuary in the chapel, accompanied by thousands of pilgrims and since 1998 has returned to its original path.
The municipality named her patron saint of Almeria in 1738, the pilgrimage celebrating the discovery of the Virgin has been celebrated since 1502.
Where to Stay
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Getting There
To easiest way to get to Almería is to book a flight to Almería or Malaga
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