Romeiros de São Miguel

The Romarias Quaresmais are a São Miguel practice with no real parallel elsewhere. During Lent, groups of men - a rancho of anywhere from twenty to over a hundred, led by a mestre - walk the entire circumference of the island over eight days, roughly two hundred and fifty kilometres, stopping at every church and chapel along the way to pray. They wear a shawl over the shoulders, carry a staff and a rosary, sleep in parish halls or private homes offered to them, eat what people give, and chant continuously as they walk, in a distinctive two-part harmony that is heard before the group is seen. The practice is traced to the sixteenth century, after earthquakes, as penance and petition. Groups have walked continuously since, including through emigration - Azorean ranchos now also walk in California and Canada. Women's groups have formed in recent decades.

What to look for

• The ranchos - groups of twenty to a hundred men walking with shawls and staffs.
• The circuit - the whole island, around two hundred and fifty kilometres in eight days.
• The chanting - continuous two-part singing heard before the group appears.
• The hospitality - sleeping and eating in parish halls and offered homes.

When to go

Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday. Groups are on the roads throughout and can be encountered anywhere on the island.

Good to know

This is penance, not a spectacle - do not obstruct, photograph intrusively or join in uninvited. Groups walk in all weather, and Azorean Lent is wet. There is no schedule published for visitors; you encounter them by chance.

Nearby

Groups pass through every parish on São Miguel, including Ponta Delgada, Ribeira Grande and Nordeste.