Enjoy carnivals in Spain

by / Friday, 24 February 2017 / Published in News

The carnival of Rio de Janeiro may be the most famous in the world, but this does not mean that Spain is a boring country. Quite the opposite! Cities and towns have fun every year before Lent begins, a period of time in which the days of fasting and abstinence come, as the Christian tradition marks, in memory of the forty days that Jesus Christ spent in the desert.
Are you looking for bespoke spanish holidays? Then, DO NOT MISS what comes next! Many of the following have been declared of International Tourist Interest.

5 carnivals you cannot miss in your bespoke spanish holidays

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is one of the most spectacular that take place in Spain. As you know, Tenerife is in the Canary Islands, so the good weather, despite being midwinter, is practically assured. Dances, parades and contests of transformism are just some of the activities that will take place in this island for ten days.

Cádiz

If you are looking for a holiday in the south of Spain, Cadiz should be your choice. Specially if you want to have fun during the carnival season. Choirs (up to 30 people traveling in a carriage), chirigotas (7 people dressed in an informal way), comparsas (between 10 and 15 people accompanied by their musical instruments) and quartets (between 3 and 5 people accompanied by whistles) fill with joy and color the city for three days. HINT: there are two carnivals. On one hand, the official one that takes place at the Teatro Falla. On the other hand, the ‘illegal’ one, which is the most popular of all and is formed by groups of friends who do not hesitate for a moment to sing against the mayor or the President of the Government.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Between Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria there has always been some rivalry. As it could not be other way around this rivalry is also noted in the carnivals. Las Palmas also presents an impressive carnival in which it is very popular a costume contest and where groups that satirizes on the political situation of the country can be found anywhere.

Avilés

The carnival of Avilés, also known as Antroxu, is the most popular event in the Principality of Asturias. All the neighbors walk the streets of the city in their disguises for ten days and decorate homes and commercial shops. The carnival in Aviles also includes the Thursday of “Comadres”, a festival reserved exclusively for women, who go out for dinner and enjoy the night, and the Descent of Galiana, which takes place on Saturday and in which floats of all kinds parade on a wet pavement full of foam. A MUST – SEE!

Badajoz

It is probably the carnival in which more people participate. The “comparsas” of Badajoz (group of people with instruments playing music on the streets) can be formed by more than 100 people, who cross the city showing its disguises. The choruses and the “murgas” analyze the local, regional and national news through verses and humor, while other groups make noise with their drums.

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Have you never been this close to a a carnival? Would you like to enjoy it during your bespoke spanish holidays? Well, it’s time to do it. Contact us now!

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