DESTINATIONS LATIN AMERICA | FESTIVALS
LIKE THIS? CARNAVAL DE ORURO, BOLIVIA
Drawing crowds of up to 400,000, Bolivia’s annual carnival takes place high in the Altiplano, in the city of Oruro. Blending ancient Andean rituals – including the worship of ‘Mother Earth’, Pachamama – with Catholic traditions, it involves folk dances, indigenous crafts and live music across three days, with costumed characters including the Devil, the Virgen de la Candelaria and famous Incas roaming the streets in colourful parades.
INTI RAYMI FESTIVAL, PERU
THE BACKGROUND: For an alternative glimpse into the country’s Andean cultures, look to Cusco’s Inti Raymi Festival, which dates back more than 500 years. The Incas believed honouring the sun god Inti would reap good harvests, and would perform special dances and animals sacrifices in his honour. Today, it’s re-enacted in a day-long celebration on June 24. HIGHLIGHTS: The lead-up to the main event sees Cusco’s main square come alive with daily Andean music and dancing, plus parades, nightly firework displays and traditional Incan foods. On the final day, actors take on the roles of Inca representatives, praising the sun god before making their way towards the ancient site of Saqsaywaman against a dramatic backdrop of panpipes, horns and drums. “It draws thousands of visitors with colourful parades and dances, and is well worth recommending for an authentic Latin American festival,” says Andrew Sullivan, assistant product and commercial manager for touring at Travel 2. BOOK IT: An eight-day Inti Raymi Festival & Inca Trail small-group tour costs from £1,759 including accommodation, some meals, a
four-day Inca Trail hike and flights, departing June 22, 2020.
travel2.com
TRY THIS DAY OF THE DEAD, MEXICO
Death-honouring traditions, skull-strewn costumes and dramatic music performances; once an Aztec ritual, Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos is now one of the most talked-about festivities in Latin America. Celebrated across the country around All Saints Day (November 1), it sees friends and family come together to decorate ancestors’ altars with colourful gifts, while feasts and performers take to the streets.
KITE FESTIVAL, GUATEMALA
THE BACKGROUND: Guatemala’s answer to All Saints Day is the Giant Kite Festival, when thousands gather in a graveyard in the small town of Sumpango to fly kites in honour of the deceased. HIGHLIGHTS: Live music, street food and other festivities accompany the event, with kites – which span up to 20m in diameter – handmade by villagers using paper, cloth and bamboo frames. “It’s a kaleidoscope of colour,” says Rafe Stone, product manager for Central America at Journey Latin America. “The designs are chosen carefully, featuring important cultural symbols, Mayan influences and protest art depicting government oppression and economic inequality.” There are prizes for the most creative and longest-flying, while various other festivities attract those seeking an authentic, historical experience. BOOK IT: Journey Latin America can include a visit to the festival on its tailor-made, 15-day Signature Guatemala and Belize: Culture and Caribbean trip, which starts at £3,126 per person including flights.
journeylatinamerica.co.uk
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5 DECEMBER 2019
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURES: Shutterstock
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