Hermano Pedro's Way
The Hermano Pedro's Way is an old 19-km pilgrimage route in Tenerife, linking Vilaflor, San Miguel de Abona and Granadilla de Abona in the island’s southeast. It began as a Guanche transhumance path used to move livestock between coast and highlands by season. After the 15th-century conquest, it remained as a network of traditional paths and appears on old maps from the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 17th century, Saint Peter of Betancur (Hermano Pedro) traveled it as a boy when he worked as a goat shepherd before his mission in Guatemala.
In 2005, three years after the saint’s canonization, a study began to recover, value and organize the Hermano Pedro route and nearby paths, highlighting it as a symbol of unity for the Abona region (Fasnia, Arico, Granadilla de Abona, San Miguel de Abona and Vilaflor).
The official pilgrimage takes place each year on the Saturday before April 24 (the saint’s feast day). It starts with a 6:00 am Mass at the main parish of Saint Peter the Apostle in Vilaflor. At 7:00 am, the descent begins, passing through part of San Miguel de Abona and ending at the cave of Santo Hermano Pedro in Granadilla de Abona. Hermano Pedro used this cave as winter shelter for his flock, a place of prayer, and a hiding spot from pirates. The walk lasts about five hours.
Along the route there are important natural and cultural highlights, notable fauna, and architectural elements, some of which are protected as Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC). Arrival at the cave is around 1:00 pm, where another Mass and the veneration of a relic take place. The route is organized by the municipalities of Vilaflor and Granadilla, with help from other groups connected to the cave space.
In 2012, the route was promoted in the Network of Religious Routes in Europe to help link it with other faith journeys.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:58 (CET).