Every year on the 16th of July at 7:00 in the morning a procession, with drummers and trumpeters from Lo Pagan, leave the "Plaza Iglesia" (the church square) in San Pedro del Pinatar on a pilgrimage the Mar Menor. This marks the start of the "Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen".
The size of the procession increases as it meanders through the streets of San Pedro and Lo Pagan as it makes its way to the harbour of the Mar Menor "Little Sea" in Lo Pagan.
Town folk (and that means nearly everyone) and holiday makers alike wait by the road side, joining the procession goes by. The locals accompany the virgin on her travel to the Mar Menor as a mark of respect for, and remembrance of, the fishermen
who lost their lives and their families.
The procession stops several times on its pilgrimage, in historically significant places to pay homage, and at 10:00 arrives at the Mar Menor where those not in the procession are already on their boats. Big boats, small boats, even rowing boats and
lots of them, waiting for the next part of the journey.
The Procession of the Virgin Carmen takes to water and proceeds to the centre of the Mar Menor, with boats following in the usual fashion of the Spanish. Once there, prayers are offered and flowers are given to the sea. And, to make it a really
spectacular occasion, at the appointed hour, the Spanish "red arrow" fly past with their wonderful aerobatics. And why not, this is Spain after all, who says a small village like San Pedro del Pinatar can't summon the mighty Spanish Air Force
if they want to?
Nothing interrupts the Spanish tradition, so by 2pm everyone is back on shore and disperse to their midday meal. This is followed by various activities throughout the afternoon, organised by the locals.
At midnight the procession recommences. In a blaze of fireworks the statue of the Virgin Carmen is returned to the San Pedro Parish church, "Plaza Iglesia", where she remains until next year when will it leave once again on its pilgrimage to the Mar Menor.
