Our Lady of Mount Carmel

La Vila Joiosa has always been—and continues to be—closely tied to the sea. The fishing industry is one of the most important traditional economic activities in this town on the Costa Blanca. In addition to fishing, there are other activities that boost the local economy and further connect it to the Mediterranean: water sports, recreational boating…

This close connection between La Vila Joiosa and the sea makes July 16—the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patron saint of the sea, fishermen, and sailors—a cherished and special day for this coastal town. Virtually all families have had—and continue to have—a connection to the sea through friends and/or relatives, which is why this day is particularly significant on the town’s calendar, even though it is not a local holiday.

On the afternoon of July 16, the statue of the Virgin of Carmen is carried in a pilgrimage down to the port to begin the Maritime Procession around the bay of La Vila Joiosa. The statue of the patron saint of the sea is carried on a fishing boat, while dozens of vessels—large and small, fishing boats and pleasure craft—all decked out for the occasion, accompany it, sounding their horns.

A snapshot that radiates gratitude, devotion, and joy—and that helps many people forget, even if only for a moment, the harshness of the waves.

As the sign on the pedestrian walkway in front of the Yacht Club reads—a walkway themed around and dedicated to the fishermen of Vilero—“There are three kinds of men: the living, the dead, and those who go out to sea.”