The Romeiros of São Miguel: Lenten pilgrims, Feb–Mar 2027

If you travel around São Miguel in Lent, you may meet a line of men walking along the roadside, wearing shawls and carrying staffs, singing as they go. They are romeiros, pilgrims keeping a tradition that began in the 16th century, when earthquakes shook the island and people walked to pray for protection.

When and where

Each group spends one week of Lent walking right around the island. The first groups set out on the weekend after Ash Wednesday and the last ones arrive home on Holy Thursday, as the Visit Azores religious tourism guide explains. With Easter on 28 March 2027, that means from Saturday 13 February to Thursday 25 March 2027.

What you will see

Around two thousand men take part every year. Each group follows its own rules and roles, and the clothing carries symbolic meaning. Along the way they stop at about a hundred churches and hermitages devoted to the Virgin Mary, singing rounds of Hail Marys in a low, rhythmic chant. You will meet them on country roads, in village squares and at church doors all over the island.

Being a respectful onlooker

This is a penitential pilgrimage, not a show. Give the groups space on narrow roads, drive slowly when you pass them, keep your voice down near them, and ask before taking close-up photos.