Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Light, Sanctuary and hermitage church in Tarifa, Spain

The Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Light stands 8 km from Tarifa. Its church has a Latin-cross plan with three naves and a main chapel, and the present form, after many modifications, adds a chapel, an adjoining courtyard and quarters for the brotherhood and caretakers. The image of the Virgin kept inside dates from the late 16th or early 17th century.

The sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de la Luz, patroness of Tarifa, is documented from the 14th century. Legend attributes its founding to Alfonso XI, who had it built to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Salado. Its present form results from numerous modifications over the centuries, which gave the church its Latin-cross layout of three naves and a main chapel.

The Virgin of the Light is Tarifa's patron, and her image in the church dates from the late 16th or early 17th century. Her feast is held in September with a popular pilgrimage and a procession that carries the Virgin from the sanctuary to the city, accompanied by hundreds of riders on horseback. On the last Saturday of September it is tradition to pass beneath the Virgin's mantle.

The sanctuary stands about 8 km from Tarifa, so reaching it means leaving the town by road. Its feast falls in September, when the Virgin is carried from the sanctuary to the city in a procession with hundreds of riders on horseback; plan around that date if you want to see it or avoid the crowds.

The sanctuary stands 8 km from Tarifa, and on the last Saturday of September it is customary to pass beneath the mantle of the Virgin, a gesture made during the romería that brings her image to the town.