Indonesia

Semana Santa in Larantuka 2027: Good Friday processions on 26 March in eastern Flores

At a glance

Dates: Next: 26 March 2027
Where: Larantuka, on the eastern tip of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara
Getting there: Fly from Kupang to Gewayantana, or fly to Maumere and go on by road
Cost: Not listed
Limits: Dark, modest clothing required on Good Friday

The 2026 edition has passed

Dates last checked: 13 October 2026

The festival

Batik-style illustration of a distant line of candle flames along a harbour shore at night below a volcano, Semana Santa in Larantuka, Flores, Indonesia — VoucherData editorial illustration

A statue washed ashore in 1510 still walks the town on Good Friday

Larantuka is a harbour town in East Flores that holds Catholic rites in the Portuguese tradition every year in the week before Easter, Semana Santa. By the afternoon of Good Friday 2024, 7,693 pilgrims had arrived. Most were Catholic, but Protestants, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims came too.

According to tradition, in 1510 a boy named Resiona saw an apparition of Mary on the beach and soon found a wooden statue of her washed ashore, most likely from a sunken Portuguese ship. Portuguese Dominican missionaries arrived about 50 years later and, together with local people, began carrying the statue, Tuan Ma, in Holy Week processions.

On Maundy Thursday the Raja of Larantuka opens the doors of the Tuan Ma chapel, and the faithful queue to kiss the statue. The queue runs into the early hours of Good Friday.

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Details

Good Friday has two processions: in the morning wooden boats escort the Christ Child statue ashore, and after dark a candlelit walk winds through town until the next dawn. Arrive by Maundy Thursday to see the Tuan Ma chapel open.

Dates: Good Friday before Easter

Good Friday falls on 26 March 2027. In 2026 it was 3 April. Holy Week follows Easter, so the date moves with the church calendar, usually in March or April.

The local parish announces the times of each rite every year. Check them before booking flights.

Getting there via Kupang or Maumere

The quickest route is a flight from Kupang to Larantuka's Gewayantana Airport. Over the 2025–2026 year-end holidays the route ran 22 flights in each direction.

You can also fly to Maumere and continue east by road.

Maundy Thursday: kissing Tuan Ma

The day before Good Friday, the Tuan Ma chapel opens so the faithful can kiss the statue. In 2024 the doors opened at 11:00, closed at 17:00 for Mass and reopened at 21:30.

The morning sea procession

In 2023 the sea procession set off at 11:00, with a flotilla of berok boats escorting the infant statue Tuan Meninu ashore.

To see the boats, be at the waterfront in the morning. The daytime sun is strong, so bring a hat and water.

The night procession through town

A lamentation service comes first at 18:00. The town procession set off at 19:00 in 2023 and at 20:00 in 2024, so times vary from year to year.

It is a long walk. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water.

Stamina and time

Good Friday runs from the morning sea procession to the late-night town procession, and much of it is spent standing and waiting in lanes packed with pilgrims. It is a solemn rite of mourning, so anyone hoping for a lively show will be disappointed.

Where to stay

Accommodation is mostly small hotels and guesthouses in Larantuka. Book once your dates are fixed. Arriving on Maundy Thursday lets you catch the kissing of Tuan Ma and the sea procession the next morning.

Etiquette and safety

Wear dark, modest clothes on Good Friday. Do not stand in front of the statues during the procession, and switch off your flash.

If you carry a candle, watch the people and clothing around you.

Good to know

Good Friday: 26 March 2027 (in 2026 it was 3 April)
When: Holy Week is the week before Easter, so the date follows the church calendar and moves each year, usually in March or April
Where: Larantuka, East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on the eastern tip of Flores
Getting there: Flights from Kupang land at Larantuka's Gewayantana Airport. You can also fly to Maumere and continue by road
Origin: Portuguese Dominican missionaries arrived in the mid-16th century and began carrying the Tuan Ma statue of Mary in Holy Week processions with local people, a tradition that continues
Dress: Pilgrims wear black on Good Friday as a sign of mourning

FAQ

How do you get to Larantuka?

Fly from Kupang to Larantuka's Gewayantana Airport, or fly to Maumere and continue east by road.

What are the origins of Semana Santa in Larantuka?

The story goes that in 1510 a boy called Resiona saw Mary appear on the shore and then found a carved wooden statue of her that had washed up, probably from a wrecked Portuguese ship. Dominican missionaries reached Larantuka in the mid-16th century and began carrying the statue, now known as Tuan Ma, through town with residents during Holy Week.

What happens on Good Friday night?

A lamentation service at 18:00 comes first. Then the faithful, holding candles, carry Tuan Ana (Jesus) and Tuan Ma (Mary) from the cathedral around town, pausing at stations called armida. In 2023 the procession set off at 19:00.

What is the sea procession?

On Good Friday morning the Tuan Meninu statue is carried from a chapel on the Rowido shore onto berok, wooden boats without engines, and escorted to Kuce beach. In 2023 it set off at 11:00.

What should you keep in mind at Semana Santa in Larantuka?

It is a rite of mourning for the Passion, not a show. Wear dark clothes and keep quiet. The procession goes on late into the night and the lanes get packed, so do not push.