Candelaria: a business based on faith and souvenirs that has been thriving for over 40 years.

When the Virgin of Candelaria is taken to Santa Cruz, the basilica will be left without its main icon. But don't worry, you can still find her image everywhere! Keychains, magnets, figurines, rosaries, bracelets, postcards – you name it, they have it with our Patron Saint of the Canary Islands.

Of course, souvenirs with images of saints are not just about faith anymore, but also about remembering a trip, about a gift. In Candelaria, there is a place full of these goods – the "House of Images" store. There are over 9,000 different souvenirs with the Virgin of Candelaria and another 4,000 with other saints!

Francisco García Hidalgo, or simply Paco, has been working in this field for over 40 years. And he says that the demand is not falling: "People think it's not fashionable anymore, but they still come – some with faith, some just out of curiosity." Paco is sure that even when the Virgin is not in the city for two weeks, sales will not drop significantly: "Yes, they buy a little less, but not critically. And when the Virgin returns, sales are even higher than during the holidays."

The most popular souvenirs in the store are those with the Virgin of Candelaria, but not as many as you might think, because there is another store next to the basilica. "We even sometimes send people there if they need something special. Goods with San Pancracio, José Gregorio, Saint Brother Pedro, and Father Anchieta are also bought well."

But the "House of Images" does not only sell Christian goods. Paco also sells many things related to other religions: "We have many saints and goods from Cuban or Mexican Santeria. Santa Muerte sells especially well." And in the store, you can also find goods for Buddhists and esoteric enthusiasts. Paco says that he has learned a lot because of this.

In Candelaria, people are used to seeing tourists buying souvenirs to remember the city. And the most popular souvenir is something with the image of the Virgin of Candelaria. "We have hundreds of different rosaries and magnets. By the way, our magnets are special because they are made specifically for us," says Francisco García.

Although tourists are interested in religious souvenirs, Paco says that most of his customers are locals: "90% of our sales are people from the islands, Canarians. Many tourists just come in to look and leave. And the locals know the history of the Virgin and buy willingly."

But if a tourist comes in and knows what they need, Paco can make good money: "Sometimes tourists buy a lot and for large sums. Once we sent a purchase to a French football player from Liverpool who came to Tenerife and bought a lot of figurines. He spent about eight or nine thousand euros."

The "House of Images" thrives thanks to hard work and, of course, God's help. Paco says that his store was consecrated by Father Jesús Mendoza when he was the rector of the basilica. And since then, the business has only grown and become known not only locally but also globally.

Now Paco's son, Francis, runs the business, but Paco himself is always nearby. And they plan to expand the store: "I've had an idea for 30 years that I couldn't realize, and now there's an opportunity to increase the area."

In the new store, you will be able to see paintings of the seven patron saints of the Canary Islands: the Virgin of Candelaria (Tenerife), the Virgin of the Snows (La Palma), the Virgin of the Kings (El Hierro), the Virgin of Guadalupe (La Gomera), the Virgin of the Pine (Gran Canaria), the Virgin of the Rock (Fuerteventura), and the Virgin of Sorrows (Lanzarote). And there will also be the Virgin of Carmen, the patron saint of La Graciosa.

Francisco García Hidalgo came to Tenerife at the age of 17 to work for a few months in the tourist center of Puerto de la Cruz. But he stayed in the Canary Islands for over 40 years. He became a well-known entrepreneur in Candelaria, where he lives and where he has the "House of Images," a business to which he has dedicated his entire life and which is now continued by his son Francis.

Paco always greets everyone who passes by Obispo Pérez Cáceres Street (or La Arena, as the locals call it). After working in the north of Tenerife, he worked in a hotel in Güímar, where he met his future wife. And then he went to work in the Dominican Republic, but still returned to Tenerife and became the manager of the famous Casa Sindo bar, one of the most popular restaurants in Candelaria in the 70s.

The idea to open a store with religious goods came to Paco when he saw how people were interested in the Brother Pedro figurines made of bread that he sold in his bar. "Around '84, I was selling TVs and other appliances, and then I decided to focus on selling religious goods," Paco recalls.

His brother, who worked in the tourism industry, advised him to open the best religious goods store. And after 40 years of work, with thousands of goods from all over the world and millions of sales, it can be said that Paco has succeeded and become famous thanks to his "House of Images."