La Laguna Seeks Cultural Heritage Status for Traditional Boat Races Again
La Laguna City Council is partnering with experts to seek Asset of Cultural Interest recognition for its traditional boat races, a historic cultural practice tied to local festivals and agricultural heritage.
La Laguna City Council is teaming up with the Tajica Association of Traditional Boats to try again to get the traditional boat races of Valle Tabares, Valle Jiménez, and Los Campitos recognized as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).
They tried before, but it didn't work out. This time, the City Council will get help from Cultania, a specialized company, to create a report. This report will show that this popular event deserves protection from the Canary Islands Government.
La Laguna's Mayor, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, says the boat races are a unique part of the area's culture and celebrations. He believes they definitely deserve to be recognized as an Asset of Cultural Interest. He added that they're going to try again with expert advice, hoping to finally achieve this recognition that the valley residents have wanted for years.
The Culture Department, led by Adrián del Castillo, is behind this effort. They recently met with representatives from the Tajica Association (José Gregorio Martín, José Antonio de la Rosa, and Manuel Báez) and Josué Ramos, a historian and co-director of Cultania, to plan how to prepare the necessary documents.
Historian Alberto Galván Tudela says the boat tradition started in the 16th century, possibly in Garachico and Tegueste. In Valle Jiménez, the races happen during the festival for the Virgen de Fátima, while in Valle Tabares, they're part of the Virgen del Rosario celebrations.
Last June, the city put up a sculpture by Ibrahim Hernández near the roundabout on the TF-111 road, which leads to Valle Jiménez and Valle Tabares. This sculpture is a tribute to the traditional boat races. In 2022, La Laguna's council approved a request to install the sculpture.
According to the council, the boat races of Valle Tabares and Valle Jiménez are a long-standing tradition, offered to the Virgen del Rosario and the Virgen de Fátima. They represent important cultural values related to farming and livestock in the area.