FESTIVALS
Noche de los Brujos, Mexico
When: First Friday in March Why: For spiritual cleansing and witchy souvenirs What: The languid lakeside city of Catemaco is Mexico’s witchcraft capital. The area draws sorcerers and shamans from far and wide, particularly each March, when the slopes of Cerro Mono Blanco (White Monkey Hill) play host to the annual Noche de los Brujos festival. The brujos and brujas (witches) of Catemaco practice a unique blend of Indigenous paganism with Catholic influences — it’s not unusual to step into a brujo’s shop and spot pentagrams hanging on the wall beside pictures of the Virgin Mary. On the night, many witches set up tents and stalls on the slopes of Cerro Mono Blanco where you can take part in a limpia (spiritual cleansing ceremony), brave a tarot reading or browse magical artefacts in one of the many makeshift stalls that spring up around the site. After all, what better souvenir than a bewitched amulet, voodoo doll or magical tincture? How to do it: Catemaco lies in the eastern state of Veracruz and is most easily reached by flying to the state capital, also called Veracruz, and getting a three-hour bus. Tickets for the festival can be purchased online.
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Fiesta de la Candelaria, Peru
Clockwise from above: Lake Catemaco is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Mexico; Fiesta de la Candelaria features more than 40,000 dancers in dazzling costumes; the moai of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) were carved to honour ancestors; Puno’s main square becomes the heart of Candelaria; fisherfolk provide boats to celebrants at the Festa de Iemanjá to take offerings to sea
When: 1-12 February 2027 Why: For psychedelic costumes What: The city of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, is the atmospheric setting for this festival, which honours both the Virgin Mary and Pachamama, the Andean mother goddess. The lakeside city is widely regarded as Peru’s folkloric capital, and nowhere is that more evident than during the Fiesta de la Candelaria (Candlemas). For nearly two weeks, Puno erupts into a kaleidoscope of music, dance and colour as hundreds of troupes parade in elaborate costumes. Bug-eyed masks, silver-plated devils and
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richly embroidered outfits compete for attention, accompanied by brass bands, pounding drums and the haunting sound of panpipes. Flower carpets decorate the streets, while dancers and musicians fill every corner of the city, creating an atmosphere that feels part religious pilgrimage, part epic street party. How to do it: To get to Puno, fly to Juliaca airport and take a one-hour taxi, or get a long-distance bus from cities like Cusco (seven hours). Anyone can join the street processions. Book accommodation well in advance.
candelariacentral.com
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