Patron Saint Festivities of San Miguel Arcangel

San Miguel de Abona is one of those quiet southern Tenerife towns most holidaymakers drive straight past on the way to the coast. Come late September, though, it's worth the short detour inland. The whole place turns out for its patron, Saint Michael the Archangel, and the streets fill up for the best part of a fortnight.

Expect a real mix. There are religious services alongside a romería, where locals process through the town in traditional Canarian dress, plus open-air concerts, folk dances and a fairground for the kids. It all builds towards the saint's day on 29 September. Everything's free, there's no fuss about who turns up, and it's a genuine community do rather than anything laid on for tourists.