We were fortunate to have friends with a sailboat and they learned about a flotilla event at the marina.  The flotilla is a traditional maritime procession in honor of the “Virgen del Carmen”, the patron saint of sailors. We headed down to the marina to meet Mike and Liz and then go and check it out.

We headed out on the boat and went towards the exit of the harbor to be ready for the flotilla. On the way out of the harbor, we came across a unique luxury cruise ship.

The luxury cruise ship is 134 meters long and is considered the largest sailing ship in the world.

We found a good location at the mouth of the harbor along with other boaters to wait for the flotilla to start.

Once the flotilla procession started, there were even, more boats that joined in.

We navigated out of the harbor following along side the main boat of the flotilla.

On the main boat, was a statue of the Virgin del Carmen proudly displayed on the roof of the cabin. The boat also was also playing a song over loudspeakers. The boaters would sound their air horns from time to time. The whole experience was very interesting and enjoyable.

We followed the flotilla for about an hour along the coastline of the Mediterranean before the flotilla stopped. At that point, the lead boat cited two prayers. The first prayer was for the protection of sailors and fisherman who are dependant on the sea for their living.  The second prayer was for the lost souls who died in the sea.

When the prayers were finished, the flotilla headed back to the harbor. It was a very interesting and enjoyable experience.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”