• Peru: Vampire of Pisco
• Brazil: Morphing Monster
• Argentina: Buried Alive
• Chile: Haunted Cemetary

Peru: Vampire of Pisco

The port town of Pisco bears the name of Peru’s national spirit. (Learn more about Pisco, a clear liquor distilled from grapes.) For all the region’s picturesque vineyards and charming weekend resorts, Pisco also holds the chilling myth of a vampire in its history.

Photo from Historias y Replatos

According to legend, an English woman by the name of Sarah Ellen Roberts was charged as a vampire, murderer, and witch.  In an elaboration of the story, Sarah was said to be one of Dracula’s brides. After her death, the Church of England refused her burial in consecrated ground, so her husband, John Roberts, traveled the world trying to find a place to bury his wife.  The small Peruvian town of Pisco was the only place to accept her body.

Sarah swore before her death in 1913 that she would rise from the dead and take vengeance in 80 years, but nothing out of the ordinary happened in Pisco when 1993 rolled around. However, a deadly earthquake shook the town in 2007, and her grave was mysteriously one of the only few tombs that were left untouched.

To this day, citizens claim to see a ghostly woman wander the town’s dusty streets at night. So when you go to Pisco for the famous drink, don’t forget to look for the Vampire of Pisco in this haunted destination!

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Brazil: Morphing Monster

The Amazon rainforest is a place of unique ecological diversity. Travelers can take a leisure cruise down the mighty Amazon River and enjoy the melodies of exotic birds at a jungle lodge. But, the mythical Brazilian Encantado – a name that roughly translates to the “enchanted one”- is a creature that you don’t want to encounter.

These mysterious monsters are believed to live deep within the Amazon waters and take the shape of dolphins or sea snakes.

Photo by Lachlan Dempsey on Unsplash

Lured by the dancing at local festivities, an Encantado morphs into a seductive human-like figure whose superior musical talent and beauty is irresistible to their unsuspecting human prey. Once bewitched under the spell of the Encantado, the victim is kidnapped and never seen again.

These supernatural shapeshifters are frequently sighted, and jungle residents have been known to avoid walking near the riverbanks at night in fear of encountering an Encantado. Legend says to be wary of the terrifying shapeshifters that could hypnotize you to the point of no return!

Argentina: Buried Alive

The Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires is the red carpet for Argentina’s deceased.  Today visitors can visit the graves of notable people, such as Eva Peron, Nobel Prize winners, and former presidents of Argentina. Among Recoleta’s endless rows of marble mausoleums and crucifixes is the grave of Rufina Cambaceres.  Rufina was born into a wealthy family and enjoyed life as a Buenos Aires socialite, which came to a tragic end in 1902 when she suddenly collapsed. She is said to have been buried alive.

 As the legend goes, all three doctors pronounced Rufina dead at the age of 19. Her body was placed in a coffin and sealed in her mausoleum. A few days after Rufina’s funeral, a cemetery worker noticed that her coffin had moved within the crypt, and the lid broke in several places. When he opened the coffin, he found several scratch marks inside. Having been mistakenly pronounced dead, young Rufina woke up in her coffin and tried to break free, but eventually suffocated to death.

Rufina Cambaceres met a tragic fate in 1902, and now her ghost haunts the Recoleta Cemetery. Photo by mertxe ituttioz/Flickr

Rufina’s heartbroken father rebuilt her grave to portray his daughter opening the doors to her own grave, which people can visit at Recoleta Cemetery. At night the gruesome shadow of her former self wanders around the cemetery and unearths dead bodies to ensure they haven’t suffered the same ugly fate.

Chile: Haunted Cemetary

The abandoned town of La Noria in Chile’s northern desert region is a haunted destination and a place of interest for ghost-story lovers.

During the 19th century, La Noria was a mining town fueled by slave labor.  Today witnesses claim to see ghosts of slaves wandering through the deserted town’s decrepit cemetery.  Some Chileans believe the spirits are from the countless number of open graves and exposed skeletal remains of the slaves that died horrible deaths and now continue to haunt the area.

Amy from Amy’s Crypt combines travel with her passion for creepy things and haunted places. She documented her visit to La Noria on her Youtube channel, and the footage of the town’s cemetery (starting at 3:45) is chilling.

If you’re looking for a place to shock up your trip to Chile, then the horrifying graveyard of La Noria will undoubtedly leave a memorable mark.

As the end of October approaches, consider sharing these South American tales of horror with your friends around the campfire. Happy Halloween!

Keep Reading: The macabre holiday of Halloween is on October 31st, and in many countries in South America, All Saint’s Day or Day of the Dead, takes center stage on November 1. Read more about celebrating Day of the Dead in Peru and Bolivia.

*Updated October 2019

Britt F.

Britt is a California native who left her home to explore South America and now lives in Peru. She’s just a little obsessed about planning getaways with her family, scuba diving, and trekking.

As the Carnival season around Latin America draws to a close, the streets of Buenos Aires liven up with the Afro-descendants’ Carnival in San Telmo. This year, the festival took place on March 8th and 9th. More than 10,000 people came together to celebrate the city’s extremely rich, yet mostly overlooked African cultural heritage. The main focus? Promoting Afro-Argentine identity, making a contribution to the knowledge of cultural diversity in the country and keeping alive historical traditions.

African influence in Argentina

People flood the streets to celebrate African cultural heritage in Argentina.
Photo via Walter Franco/Pinterest

Since slavery was abolished in 1813, Argentines with African roots have faced a curious invisibility. Once accounting for more than 30 percent of the total population, the population of self-identified Afro-Argentines has declined to less than 2 percent. Miriam Gomes, a literature professor at the University of Buenos Aires tells the Washington Post: ”People for years have accepted the idea that there are no black people in Argentina.” This is partly a result of governmental programs which promoted the idea and image of a European country on Latin American soil.

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The Ministry of Culture is now, however, placing a newfound importance on preserving cultural heritage in Argentina. The Carnaval of African descent looks to revalue the African populations of Argentina. It serves to highlight respect, healthy living, and sharing the experience of African descent through the use of artistic expression in art, dance, and music.

Traditional Candombe drummers take the streets.
Photo by Larry Cox/Wikimedia Commons

A complete lineup of festivities

This year, the Afro-Argentine Carnival started with a parade on Saturday, March 8th. Dozens of troupes made their way through the city streets all the way to the main stage in the beach area of Mazana de Luces. The Afro-descendants’ Carnival is most famous for this vibrant Afro Carnival parade, in which you can enjoy traditional Comparsas dancing to the beat of Candombe drums. Various workshops are also organized, and food stands are set up.

Following this initial program, more than 20 bands performed Afro-inspired music on the main stage. These bands included The Son of Ramon, Samba Meu Lugar, and The Lantern. Uruguayan Rubén Rada closed the first day’s celebrations by playing some of his most loved songs.

Put your hands together for Rubén Rada!
Photo by Roman Mayora/Wikimedia Commons

On Sunday, the Carnival continued with a full-day concert filled with exotic dance and song. Some highlights from this year include performances from the Murga Bicentennial Pioneers and a group of Uruguayan Candombe Bonga artists. The weekend drew to a close with a Fidel Nadal reggae night.

It is now clear that the African sociocultural legacy remains alive in Argentina. According to Acercando Naciones, the Carnival contributes to the “recognition, measurement and dissemination of African roots, regaining its place in the history of Argentina and strengthening the processes of self-recognition and reaffirmation of African descent in the country.”

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Additional Information

Enjoy these photo’s from the 2014 Afro Carnival in Argentina.
Learn more about the Afro-Argentine identity here.
Examine Mariam Gromer’s study of the drastic decline of the Afro-Argentine population in Argentina.

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Latin America for Less is a group of travel experts who live, work, eat, and breathe all things South America. Their inspiration stems from a deep appreciation for the beauty and diversity that make this continent so special.

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The Evolution of the Gaucho

The traditionally nomadic gaucho lifestyle was forced to evolve as owners of  large estates, known as estancias, began fencing the vast plains across Argentina’s Pampa region to create cattle farms. This process is often referred to as the “domestication of the gaucho”. Though their free-range lifestyle has evolved, the reputation and lasting impact of the gaucho culture carries on. These wandering cowboys have hardly become domesticated – rather, they’ve adapted.

Like their predecessors, these gauchos take on the open range.
Photo by Britt Fracolli

Argentina is home to an estimated 150,000 gauchos that come from a mix of Spanish, Portuguese, Arab/Berber and Native American ancestry. Cattle were originally brought from Paraguay to Argentina in 1580, but these skilled horsemen were first documented scouring the grasslands and hunting wild cattle in the early 18^th century by Spanish travel writer Alonso Carrio de Lavandera.

Living off a diet of beef and maté, gauchos spent their days on the plains hunting and herding cattle. They gained the reputation for being strong and silent, but with an affinity for violence when provoked -a trait that proved essential in the War of Independence. Gauchos’ knowledge of the terrain and their contribution to the fight won them hero status in Argentina, further romanticizing their lifestyle and culture.

Today’s gauchos are an essential element to the success of maintaining farms in Argentina. Their exceptional horsemanship, a skill set they developed from the beginning of their cultural development, is critical for rounding, herding and branding cattle.

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The Fashion Know-How of an Argentine Cowboy

The pride that gauchos take in their appearance is reflected in their elaborate get-up. Here’s a head-to-toe breakdown of their style…

A slab of ribs prepared al asador coming right up!
Photo by Britt Fracolli

The Protein Rich Diet of a Gaucho

Aside from riding, asados -considered the national dish of Argentina– are an essential component of traditional and modern gaucho culture. During asados, the conversation between gauchos centers around horses and cattle and is generally accompanied by wine and dancing.

The meat, traditionally beef, is slowly cooked over the embers of a fire. Often, the fire burns for a while to get cooking, and then the embers are moved off to the side where the meat is placed over them. Cooking can be done al asador, in which case the meat is placed on a metal cross and the carcass of an animal is splayed open next to the fire, or a la parilla, in which case a grill is placed over the embers and the meat cooks on that.

There are many details and nuances to the art of an asado, but gauchos generally use minimal seasoning.  Often just salt is used once the meat is cooked with a side of chimichurri, a salsa of sorts made of a blend of parsley, oregano, garlic, paprika, olive oil, salt, pepper and sometimes onion or spicy peppers.

A gaucho’s breakfast of champions, an asado.
Photo by Page Buono

Gauchos use only their hands, bread (or tortas fritas) and a facón to cut the meat from the bone of the carcass or to cut a chunk from the grill, and then place it in the bread. The bread acts as a plate, and for each bite the gaucho would take a chunk between his teeth, then use the facón to separate it from the larger piece.

Meet a Modern Gaucho

Jorge Guajardo, a modern Argentine gaucho, is an exceptionally skilled horseman and ranch-hand on an estancia in the Neuquen province of Argentina. Jorge has a special way with the horses – riding them standing up or jumping over the neck of a galloping horse, touching his feet to the ground on one side and then back to the other.

Jorge demonstrates his acrobatic skills during a morning ride.
Photo by Page Buono

Like his predecessors, Jorge wakes early in the morning, starting the day with maté, a traditional Argentina herbal tea, and the notorious counterpart to beef in the gaucho diet. He sits by the fire and listens to the local radio, which brings news from gauchos on other estancias. After a light breakfast of toast or tortas fritas, he tends to the horses, usually squeezing in a ride, and returning for an asado in the evening.

Jorge enjoys some morning maté to power him through the day.
Photo by Page Buono

Gauchos like Jorge work at estancias scattered throughout Patagonia, most of which are concentrated in the Pampa region of Argentina. Whatever your  travel route, be sure and take the opportunity to observe the evolution and adaptation of the powerful gaucho culture for yourself.

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Latin America for Less is a group of travel experts who live, work, eat, and breathe all things South America. Their inspiration stems from a deep appreciation for the beauty and diversity that make this continent so special.

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Bolivia’s infamous Witches’ Market

It’s a common refrain heard among travelers in South America: “If you’re going to La Paz, you must go to the Witches’ Market!”

The Witches’ Market in La Paz, known as the Mercado de las Brujas in Spanish, is a collection of shops, booths, and makeshift stalls, where women dressed in layered skirts and wearing bowler hats trade in souvenirs and occult knowledge. Yatiris is the name for the medicine healers and fortune-tellers who wander the streets offering their skills and souvenirs to paceños (La Paz residents) and travelers alike. You can recognize them by their ponchos and coca pouches.

Photo by Blane of Embassy International

On sale at the Witches’ Market, amid quantities of cheap trinkets, alpaca sweaters, and happy pants, are less attractive piles of dried frogs and rats, owl feathers, seeds, herbs, and insect parts, as well as medicinal plants, love potions, ceramic figures, and amulets. There are also statuettes and when you talk to the vendors, you learn that different statues serve different functions. For example, there are statues to protect children, to safeguard travelers, to attract love, or to bring prosperity to a business. Many of the items on sale are the raw materials of ancient indigenous Aymara rituals and practices that are still very much part of living Bolivian culture.

For many who seek out the Witches’ Market, the main draw is the ghoulish sight of desiccated llama fetuses that are everywhere along the street, piled into baskets, crammed into boxes, or hanging on display. Bolivians consider the llama fetus (or sullu in the Aymara language) lucky and will bury one under the foundations of a new building in order to bring protection. It can also be prepared by brujas (witches) with incense, sugar and sweets, and wool dyed in multiple colors to make a mesa andina (Andean table). When burnt, the preparation brings good luck, whether to a household, business, or other venture. In both uses, the llama fetus serves as an offering to give thanks to Pachamama, or Mother Earth.

Llama fetuses sold at the Witches’ Market in La Paz, Bolivia.

You may be wondering where these llama fetuses come from. Well, it is not uncommon for llamas to miscarry during the rainy season. The aborted fetuses are collected and then sold in markets like this one.

Interestingly, the Witches’ Market in La Paz is predominantly composed of women business owners. This market has existed for years and years and many of the shops, and the knowledge that is exchanged within them, have been passed on through generations of women. Additionally, in Bolivia, where home and business are often merged, the witches and folk healers that ply their trade along Calle Linares in La Paz also live on this street.

How to find the Witches’ Market in La Paz, Bolivia

From the center of La Paz, walk from the Plaza San Francisco – leaving the plaza with the church on your right-hand side, and wander up Sagarnarga which is lined with tourist souvenir shops and travel agencies. After two blocks, you’ll reach the Witches’ Market, which lines Linares street to your left and to your right, where it also flows into Jiminez, running up to Santa Cruz.

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Anabel Mota

Anabel has been exploring the length and width of South America since 2010. Ditching preconceptions, settling into the local pace, and embracing the unexpected are the tenets of her philosophy of travel – and life.

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Costa Rica, interestingly, is the only country to have a presidential decree, which states that only Arabica types of coffee can be produced there. The soil of the land is enriched by volcanic ash, producing a tropical acidity which gives the coffee a distinct taste and aroma. There are seven regions that produce the bean in Costa Rica, resulting in seven distinct types of coffee, which are believed to be the finest Arabica to be found anywhere in the world. These regions are: Brunca, Tarrazu, Orosi, Valle Central, Tres Rios, Valle Occidental and Turrialba. The location that the bean is harvested determines particular levels of acidity and aromas of the final product. There are currently over 70 thousand coffee producers in Costa Rica. This provides a wealth of opportunity for tours and visits to coffee plantations, giving you the opportunity to learn how coffee is grown, harvested and processed.

Enjoy a hot cup of gourmet Arabica coffee in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is home to coffee production, and this drink is firmly ingrained in the culture. It is typically enjoyed in the morning and throughout the afternoon, often with, or just after a meal. Interestingly, the country exports 90% of what it produces, so it may not be as easy to purchase that delicious gourmet cup of coffee actually within Costa Rica as you would expect. To ensure to taste the very best, it is advisable to visit a specialist café or restaurant when on vacation there. Alternatively, many of the plantations offer tasting sessions where you can learn how to grade the characteristics that qualify a gourmet coffee from an expert.

Guaro
Guaro is the national alcoholic drink of Costa Rica, and has become the trademark liquor associated with the country, much like Pisco is in Peru. The name is derived from ‘Aguadiente’, which literally translates as ‘burning water’. This clear spirit is made from distilled sugar cane, deriving from the same family as rum. However, unlike rum, which contains rich flavorings from products such as molasses, this spirit lacks that depth in taste. Often compared to the properties of vodka, it has a clear, slightly sweet and pleasingly smooth taste.

After a government crackdown on illicit production in 1851, the Fabricia Nacional de Licores, a national factory, was created. They began to produce the brand Cacique Guaro; the only one available for many years and it still remains dominant in both Costa Rica and the rest of South America. This company produces a few variants of the drink but you will find that it usually comes between 60-70% proof, converting to 30-35% volume. Do not be deceived by the alcohol content however, this spirit is notorious for its strong effects.

Cacique Guaro, the dominant brand in Costa Rica.

It is clear that Costa Rica proudly consider this their national liquor, as you are overwhelmed by the various cocktail combinations that are readily available throughout the country. One highly popular mix is with refresco, a thick fresh fruit juice blended with either water or milk and usually sweetened to taste. This comes in a variety of mouthwatering flavors, such as watermelon, strawberry or mango, all served with ice. Another typical drink is the Guaro Sour, where 2 shots of the spirit are infused with a bitter lime mix, sugar, lots of ice and a wedge of fresh lime. The versatility of the liquor, however, means pretty much any cocktail can be substituted with it, so you will no doubt come across margaritas, mojitos and martinis featuring guaro during a Costa Rica trip.

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Latin America for Less is a group of travel experts who live, work, eat, and breathe all things South America. Their inspiration stems from a deep appreciation for the beauty and diversity that make this continent so special.

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Constructed over a period of 9 years, from 1922 to 1931, the statue was designed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and Brazilian artist Carlos Oswald and it was carved by French sculptor Paul Landowski, who preferred the Art Deco style. The interior structure of the statue is made of reinforced concrete and the outer layers are of soapstone. The cost to build the statue totaled 2 million reais, at that time equal to $250,000, or a staggering $3 million in today’s equivalent, and incredibly, all the funds were donations gathered by Catholic parishes across Brazil.

At the time of its construction, the Christ the Redeemer statue was the greatest feat of Brazilian engineering. It was also the largest Jesus statue in the world, though it has since lost this distinction to other, successively bigger ones around the world. Today, it holds fifth place in the ranking of statues by size, but it is the only Jesus statue recognized as a World Wonder. Every day, hundreds of locals and foreign travelers visit this most iconic of Brazil travel attractions.

On a Rio de Janeiro tour, millions of visitors flock to Mt. Corcovado every year to take photos with the statue and of the incredible panorama below.

The Christ the Redeemer statue’s fame as one of Brazil’s most recognizable landmarks may be partly due to the inimitable urban and cultural landscape over which the statue stands guard. Situated atop Mount Corcovado in the Tijuca Forest National Park (the largest urban park in the world), the statue presides over remarkable views of the city of Rio below, including the iconic beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, the granite rock outcrop directly on the coast known as Sugarloaf Mountain, as well the distinctive Guanabara Bay and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. These sites (and sights) are the classic highlights of a Rio de Janeiro tour.

Brazil is a deeply Catholic country. Talk to any Brazilian, and if the subject of Rio de Janeiro comes up, they are sure to sing the praises of the Christ the Redeemer statue, a symbol as deeply entwined with the identity of the city (and the nation) as Carnaval, samba, cachaça, its beautiful tropical beaches, or “o jogo bonito” (literally, “the beautiful game,” also known as football or soccer).

The most recent modifications to the structure were completed in October 2006, when the Chapel of Nossa Senhora Aparecida (Our Lady of Apparition, patron saint of Brazil) was dedicated. Located at the base of the statue, the chapel has a capacity for 150 worshippers and Catholic weddings and baptisms can be celebrated here.

An aerial view of the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, a man-made treasure of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

In 2007, the Christ the Redeemer Statue was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in a competition organized by the New7Wonders Foundation. Millions of voters participated in the election, and Rio’s magnificent man-made creation was chosen alongside other wonders, including our already profiled Machu Picchu, as well as Chichen Itza, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, and others.

The main viewing platform of Cristo Redentor can be accessed by a series of walkways, escalators, and elevators.  For a very cool aerial panorama of Christ the Redeemer and the city of Rio, check out this site: http://bit.ly/UWwyqo.

The travel experts at Latin America For Less can help you organize tours to Brazil’s top destinations, including Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, and the Amazon. Contact us to start planning your dream Brazil vacation.

Anabel Mota

Anabel has been exploring the length and width of South America since 2010. Ditching preconceptions, settling into the local pace, and embracing the unexpected are the tenets of her philosophy of travel – and life.

www.latinamericaforless.com

Quito boasts one of the most fervent and colorful Holy Week processions in South America. The purple-robed and masked men are known as “cucuruchos.”

Semana Santa is a huge source of internal, domestic tourism in South America. Much like schools in the U.S. allow students a week off for Spring Break, national governments grant feriados largos (extended holidays) so that people can take advantage of a long weekend to travel. Some domestic travelers make a pilgrimage to the nearest religious celebration, but others choose to get out of town to the nearest beach or mountain getaway. In major Semana Santa destinations, hotels can book up months in advance, major streets or public spaces can be blocked off to car traffic, and specific attractions may also be closed to “tourists” if such venues are being used by religious celebrants. (For example, the Cusco Cathedral is closed for tourism, but inconspicuous travelers may still gain admission.)

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Travel during this time can be a special and intense experience, an opportunity to not just observe but also to become immersed in deeply-felt cultural traditions that are explicitly intended to rouse practitioners into even more passionate faith. We’ve already covered Easter celebrations in Peru; today, we profile other Holy Week festivities in South America.

Thousands of pilgrams travel to the monumental, white-walled Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana, one of Bolivia’s most important religious shrines. The interior is decorated with art from the Cusco School as well as a hallowed wood carving of the Virgin  of Copacabana.

Holy Week in Copacabana, Bolivia

The small town of Copacabana, a top destination for Bolivia tours located on the shores of Lake Titicaca, draws thousands of Bolivians for a celebration without equal. Its most distinctive feature is an annual 150-kilometer pilgrimage from La Paz to Copacabana. Thousands of self-chosen pilgrims traverse the distance on foot, a journey of about 2 days, as a sign of penance and sacrifice. Several thousand other believers arrive in Copacabana by car, bus, and other means for 3 days of processions, religious rites, and sermons ending on Easter Sunday.

Copacabana is host to 2 important religious sites. The Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana is a monumental baroque church, built on the site of the original 16th century sanctuary to the Virgin of Copacabana. She is the patron saint of Bolivia and revered especially by Aymara believers because of her indigenous facial features, evident is a wooden sculpture crafted by Francisco Tito Yupanqui (grandson of the Inca Tupac Yupanqui). Cerro Calvario, the hill rising above Copacabana, has the 14 Stations of the Cross where pilgrims arrive to pile rocks – each rock represents one sin – on top of each monument.

Semana Santa in Quito & Ecuador

Throughout Ecuador, Semana Santa is celebrated with ritual-infused processions, music, and food. Quito, the capital city, sees a huge procession on Good Friday dedicated to “Jesus del Gran Poder.” The streets of the historic center are filled with multitudes and the faithful carry huge heavy statues of Jesus and Virgin Mary encased in crystal urns and mounted on platforms that they hoist onto their shoulders. Men dress as cucuruchus, wearing purple hoods and robes, crowns of thorns, and chains around their ankles, all symbols of penance. The procession departs from the historic San Francisco Church and winds a route through the old city center.

Food is a definite highlight of Holy Week in Ecuador, and a dish known as fanesca occupies a central place at the dinner table of most families. Fanesca is a stew made especially for Lent – a period during which consumption of meat is expressly prohibited – and consists of fish (usually bacalao, or salt cod), lentils, beans, corn, milk, eggs, and cheese. Other common ingredients are vegetables, peanuts, and various seasonings, and fried plantains are usually added as a topping, but the preparation of the stew varies according to region and even family to family.

One traditional recipe for fanesca calls for 12 ingredients, one for each apostle; the fish represents Christ. Food is a highlight of travel to South America during Semana Santa.

An Excuse to Vacation in South America
As mentioned, less observant South Americans use the holiday as an occasion to spend time with family and friends, to go on vacation, and to pursue relaxation. Brazil is one of South America’s most Catholic countries; but religious affiliations aside, residents are more likely to plan an escape to the countryside and to the nearest beach than to a church. Uruguay, the small country sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina, is one of the most secular nations on the continent. If you’re on vacation in Uruguay, you might notice that “Holy Week” has been officially renamed Semana de Turismo (Tourism Week) and indeed domestic travel is greatly encouraged. Meanwhile, Argentina keeps their celebrations family-oriented. On Easter Sunday, families and friends gather round the table to eat seafood-based dishes, although it’s also acceptable to enjoy a traditional asado (grilled meat served buffet style).

That said, in any of the above mentioned countries, there’s still a chance that you might stumble upon an Easter-related event. During most of the year, Puerto Madryn, also known as the Scuba Diving Capital of Argentina, is a top destination for marine wildlife lovers who come to spot migrating Southern right whales. But during Holy Week, Puerto Madryn is famous for an underwater reenactment of the Passion of Christ. Forty wet-suited scuba divers jump into the bay bearing a wooden cross, while the priest, equipped with a hydrophone, recites prayers once everyone is submerged in the bay.

Contact an expert travel advisor at Latin America For Less to start planning your exciting vacation to South America. All our travel packages and tours are fully customizable to meet your needs.

Anabel Mota

Anabel has been exploring the length and width of South America since 2010. Ditching preconceptions, settling into the local pace, and embracing the unexpected are the tenets of her philosophy of travel – and life.

www.latinamericaforless.com

Today, we look at Carnival in Salvador de Bahia and Recife, both of which are excellent destinations for Brazil travel for Carnival and around the year. All of Brazil celebrates Carnival, and while the festivities from place to place are all equally euphoric, they diverge in their specific traditions and influences.

Carnival groups are called blocos and can include up to 6000 members. The most popular are blocos afros, afoxés, samba, percussion, and trio elétricos, and together fill kilometers of Salvador’s streets with revelry.

Salvador de Bahia

Bahia-style Carnival is more participatory and more musically varied than Rio. The latter is reflected in two Carnival innovations that had their birthplace in Salvador de Bahia and spread to the rest of Brazil, namely the trio elétrico and the guitarra baiana.

In the 1950s, three local musicians, including Osmar Macedo, invented the trio elétrico. The threesome wanted to be able to amplify their string instruments while cruising the streets, so they equipped a small truck with loudspeakers. From its scaled-down origins, the trio elétrico caught on and has morphed into the huge mobile soundstage of today, decked out with platforms for dozens of performers, and used everywhere in Brazil.

Osmar Macedo also co-invented the guitarra baiana (Bahian guitar, also known as the pau electrica, electric log, or electric mandolin). Its use was at first limited to Bahian Carnival, but has since spread to become a popular instrument across Brazil and in many musical styles. Osmar’s son Armandinho is considered a master of this guitar. (Check out a video of Armandinho performing “Brasileirinho” during Bahia’s Carnival).

African Bahia is well-represented in Salvador’s Carnival. African influences are evident in dances, costumes, and rhythms.

Unlike Rio’s samba parades, which are limited to the Sambadromo, Salvador’s main Carnival party is comprised of kilometers-long circuits that take over designated city streets. People are organized into blocos, each of which chooses a specific style of music. The dancing members if blocos can number into the thousands. Carnival in Bahia is not so much a spectator event as it is one that demands foot-stomping, hip-swinging participation. Barracas, street corner stations equipped with sound systems where crowds gather to drink and dance and praças (squares) also become gathering points to play and dance to music in various Brazilian styles, including classic Carnival songs.

Recife & Olinda

Unique musical rhythms are also a key distinguishing feature of Carnival celebrations in Recife & Olinda, considered one of the most fun festivities in Brazil because of its intense participatory nature – which exceeds even that of Salvador.

The lively and enticing sounds of frevo and maracuta transform Carnival onlookers into a vivacious crowd. Frevo is a working-class variation of the Portuguese word for fervor, and describes a frenetic beat that reflects African influences. Dancers of frevo are called passistas.

Passistas have become an iconic image of Recife Carnival. They wear bright, shiny costumes, wield umbrellas, and perform high jumps and other acrobatic moves.

Recife’s biggest claim to Carnival fame is Galo da Madrugada (Dawn Rooster), an early morning gathering of costumed partiers that begins at the break of dawn at 5:30 am on Saturday in Recife’s main square. Over 2 million people flood downtown Recife for this early morning party. Trios elétricos wind their way from Boa Viagem Beach, through neighborhood streets, and join the marching bands and percussionists to play music for the people. Recife thus becomes a huge dance party that involves everyone.

Olinda, located 6 kilometers from Recife, also hosts a Carnival celebration that is awash in popular cultural traditions. Given the proximity, it is easy to split your Carnival party time between Recife and Olinda. The beautiful city of Olinda is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the party unfolds on its hilly cobblestone streets lined with colonial-era houses. Although lesser known than other parties, Carnival in Olinda is a real treat for culture-loving travelers because it is a more egalitarian event: everyone regardless of affiliation with a bloco can join in the parade.

Bonecos gigantes, or giant papier-mâché dolls, are one of the most photogenic features of Carnival in Olinda. They represent political figures, public intellectuals, and celebrities as well as original, invented characters.

Contact us to learn more about Brazil vacation packages and how you can organize travel to Salvador de Bahia or a tour to Recife & Olinda for Carnival!

Anabel Mota

Anabel has been exploring the length and width of South America since 2010. Ditching preconceptions, settling into the local pace, and embracing the unexpected are the tenets of her philosophy of travel – and life.

www.latinamericaforless.com