Date of publication 21/03/2024
The Best Carnivals Around the World to Enjoy with Friends
Are you organizing your next friends' getaway but can't agree on the destination? Here's an idea: travel to the places where the best carnivals in the world are celebrated. You will discover other cultures and become part of their most festive and carefree customs, in addition to having a great time. From Tenerife to Rio de Janeiro, you will enjoy different experiences while continuing to collect moments. The memory of the trip will remain in your memory wrapped in a halo of color and joy, as if it were a mental parade.
Choosing accommodation where you feel cared for and can relax and rest after a day (or a long night) of partying will make your vacation even more perfect. In these Iberostar hotels especially aimed at adults, both the rooms and suites as well as the gastronomic and wellness spaces will adapt to you to offer you the stay you deserve. The best part? No two carnivals are the same. Therefore, just as it happens with other universal festivities like New Year's, you will have the opportunity to open yourself to discover different ways of seeing life, always linked to local traditions, depending on the place you go to. Here are some proposals.
Carnival of Tenerife
The Carnival of Tenerife in the Canary Islands is not only famous for its Queen and its Child Queen but also for its music, its comparsas, and, in general, the dance atmosphere that fills its towns and Santa Cruz, the capital of the island, for more than a month. From mid-January until well into the first fortnight of February, various activities take place, including performances, thematic parades, and tastings of typical Canarian food. Buñuelos, honey soups, or pumpkin tortillas are some of the sweets associated with carnival in the Canary Islands. The event always concludes with the Burial of the Sardine, a satirical funeral that even has its own mourners and a funeral procession to, symbolically and irreverently, say goodbye to the party and welcome the austerity of Lent (according to Catholic practices).
The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest in 1980, after an associative movement of almost 10,000 people promoted it almost from the origins of the city. At present, efforts are still being made to achieve the recognition of World Heritage by UNESCO. In 1987, it obtained the Guinness World Record for the largest participation of people in a public outdoor dance: more than 200,000 souls danced in the Carnival of Tenerife alongside the very Celia Cruz. And it is that the "Island of Eternal Spring" can boast good weather in any season, something that invites you to go out into the streets to enjoy the good vibes. Each year, a different theme is chosen for the costumes, in which the majority of attendees base their outfits. With or without characterization, Iberostar hotels in Tenerife are open all year round to accompany you in the celebration of one of the best carnivals in the world.
Carnival of Cádiz
Without leaving Spain, from the Carnival of Tenerife, we move to the Carnival of Cádiz, which is also recognized as a Festival of International Tourist Interest. In addition to eternal sunsets by the sea and incredibly beautiful Andalusian beaches, this Mediterranean coastal destination also hosts one of the best carnivals in the world. It takes place between the second and third week of February and, on this occasion, the costumes and music are accompanied by a sense of humor: the contests of chirigotas (mocking songs about current affairs that start to be heard from January), choirs, comparsas, and quartets capture all the attention during the Gaditan version of the festivity.
Do you want to complete your holidays in Cádiz with days of rest and physical activity to recharge your batteries? The Iberostar Waves Royal Andalus hotel, located in Sancti Petri, remains open all year round. It's a paradise for golf lovers: from there, you will have direct access to the Iberostar Golf Club Real Novo Sancti Petri, designed by Severiano Ballesteros. Its facilities, personalized services, and playing ground, divided into two courses of 18 holes each and with a practice area, are up to the standards of other prestigious golf courses worldwide.
Carnival of Rio de Janeiro
Loud and carefree, the beginning of the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil dates back to 1840, when its first costume ball with European-style polkas and waltzes was recorded. It is related to the Portuguese carnivalesque festival, Entrudo. It would not be until 1917 that samba, its current hallmark as one of the best carnivals in the world, was introduced. Today, twelve samba schools compete for the carnival title during five days of non-stop dance and festivity where the city comes to life. Its Sambadrome is known worldwide. The official carnival dates change every year, as they are governed by the Christian calendar. Its end coincides with Ash Wednesday, the day that establishes the beginning of Lent.
These five-star hotels in Praia do Forte, located next to the historic city of Salvador de Bahia, will allow you and your friends to continue discovering the magic of Brazil, this time from one of its most paradisiacal and sustainable beaches. There you can practice community tourism and learn more about the project for the protection of sea turtles led by Iberostar. You will enjoy the connection with nature and with yourselves in the heart of a natural reserve, a peaceful plan after the hustle and bustle of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival. Can you think of a better combination?
Carnival of Veracruz
If the Brazilian carnival crosses borders, the Carnival of Veracruz in Mexico weaves cultures. It is considered one of the best carnivals in the world to delve into Mexican customs with European influence. The Greeks already consecrated a festival in honor of Bacchus, the god of wine, which would later be absorbed by Christianity. The history of the carnival in Veracruz goes back to Roman times, with Emperor Maximilian. The word carnival comes from the Latin carnelevare, which means “to abandon meat” or “farewell to meat,” since these dates are identified with the party celebrated by Catholics before Lent.
In the 19th century, it resurfaced as a mask ball in the salons of high society. Soon the event left the palaces to cheer the streets, giving rise to the famous Parades of the Carnival of Veracruz, which begins with the Burning of Bad Mood (represented by a public figure who, in that year, has not been very popular among the citizens) and ends with the Burial of Juan Carnival, the equivalent of the Burial of the Sardine in other places. In addition to dancing to exhaustion and dressing up in groups, in Veracruz, you will also toast to yourselves with a good shot of tequila or mezcal. Accompanied by a powerful mole and other Mexican delicacies like tacos, it will give you the strength to continue celebrating.
Notting Hill Carnival
In Europe, the Notting Hill Carnival is an alternative version of this festivity, though just as multicultural as other best carnivals in the world. It attracts up to a million people a year since it was first held in 1966. It takes place in summer, in the London neighborhood of the same name, specifically throughout the last week of August. It is organized by members of the British Afro-Caribbean community as a symbol of reconciliation and their presence in England. In fact, it originated during the era of the civil rights movements as a solution to a series of racial and xenophobic conflicts. Since then, percussion groups, Calypso music, and food trucks with typical African and Caribbean food turn West London into an eclectic meeting point between civilizations.
It usually starts on Saturday with a steel band competition. Sunday is dedicated to children, with a parade specially designed for them. Awards for the best costumes are also distributed. Monday, a public holiday in the United Kingdom, celebrates the main parade of floats and, afterwards, the famous after-parties of the Notting Hill Carnival... The hard part will be deciding on just one! A significant fact is that, in recent years, the number of entirely electric floats included in its parade has grown to reduce CO2 emissions. This great advancement shows that fun does not have to be at odds with environmental awareness.
Carnival of Lisbon or Entrudo
The Carnival of Lisbon, or Entrudo as it is known to the locals, is celebrated not only in the capital but all over Portugal under the popular name of Entrudo. It has Brazilian influences (samba is a must) and Spanish influences (it includes a satirical parade based on floats and figures of famous characters parodied for the occasion). It is one of the oldest marked dates in Europe: according to records, it was already celebrated in the 12th century during the reign of Alfonso III.
Some of its most emblematic locations? On one hand, the Commerce Square, where the main stage is set up. In the Bairro Alto, its most popular and busy area, neighbors organize their own events parallel to the official ones. The final party with the award ceremony takes place in the Parque das Nações on Shrove Tuesday.
The Iberostar Selection Lisbon hotel is located next to Avenida da Liberdade, just a twenty-minute walk from the hustle and bustle of Bairro Alto and a five-minute walk from Marquês de Pombal Square. Resting by its pool with a cocktail in hand or pampering yourselves with treatments at its spa at the end of your carnival days, extra plans to spend more quality time with friends, will help you achieve a balance between activity and calm.
Venice Carnival
Alongside the Notting Hill Carnival and Entrudo, the Venice Carnival maintains its place among the most renowned on the European continent. Its origin dates back to the 11th century, although it was not declared a public festival until the 13th century. The elegance of the Venetian masks and the costumes inspired by those worn in the Middle Ages flood its alleyways, canals, and squares during the ten days of February prior to Ash Wednesday. In the opening ceremony, a hundred boats cross the Grand Canal led by the Pantegana, an iconic gondola shaped like a giant water rat. Another special moment is the Flight of the Angel, when a human angel played by an acrobat flies over St. Mark's Square. Meanwhile, the mythical canal of Cannaregio is filled with lights. The best part? The parades and improvised performances with theater and live music that spontaneously arise in any corner.
The Venice Carnival will also serve as an excuse to explore a beautiful European destination where (perhaps) you have never been. Whether your travel philosophy is closer to mindful travel or you usually take advantage of your getaways to plan gastronomic routes, touring the city with all five senses will contribute to anchoring you in the present and appreciating the company of the rest, whether during a conscious walk or around a table. The artistic value and uniqueness of Venice will put the finishing touch to a stay that, most likely, you will inaugurate dressed in period costume and end resting. Very close to Italy, other Mediterranean countries like Montenegro and Greece await you. Iberostar hotels for trips with friends will do the rest.
