CRUISING
TO CARNIVAL IN CADIZ
©
1991 Tor Pinney - All Rights Reserved
 |
For
Mediterranean-bound mariners, the southern Iberian
Peninsula - Portugal and Spain - is a likely place to
wait out the winter. There are excellent, all-weather
harbors to ride out the gales that plague the region
during these months, and plenty of fine cruising in
between. And just when you've had about enough of the
cool winter weather, there's an event that's guaranteed
to warm the hearts and revive the spirits of everyone
aboard. It's Carnival in Cadiz!
Carnival!
The very word conjures images of bacchanalia - festive
music, wild costumes, drinking and dancing in the
streets. A celebration of life in the flesh; a time to
lighten up and let loose! Cadiz offers all this and
more!
The
Spanish coastal city of Cadiz (pronounced "Kah'deeth")
boasts one of the biggest Carnivals in the world (after
Rio Di Janero and Trinidad). Built centuries ago on an
island which is today a peninsula, Cadiz is a compact
city, in many ways typically Spanish with its shady
plazas and parks, somber fortress walls and stalwart
statues. Throughout, the streets and alleys of the Old
Town twist and turn like tunnels in a rabbit warren. In
summer, tourists flock to its broad ocean beaches. But
winter's Carnival transforms this tranquil seaside city,
drawing crowds from near and far, filling the hotels and
hostels to capacity. |
Of
course, hotel accommodations are never a problem for the lucky
cruising sailors who come for the party. Within Cadiz's
protected commercial harbor are two inner harbors where visiting
yachts may dock. One is the Real Club Nautico (the Royal Yacht
Club), a tiny basin filled with the boats of its members. They
can usually be persuaded to squeeze you in somewhere. For budget
cruisers, the inner fishermen's harbor allows yachts to raft up
to the local fishing boats at the wharf for free. Another option
is to stay at Puerto Sherry Marina just across the bay from Old
Cadiz, and commute by bus, ferry, or fast dinghy for the
Carnival festivities. In fact, Puerto Sherry - a clean, modern
and convenient marina - is an excellent place to winter and/or
haul out.
Traditionally,
Carnival is a final fling before the austerity of Lent. Carnival
in Cadiz lasts for 10 days in February, ending on the Sunday
before Ash Wednesday. In Spain, it has been celebrated in the
towns and villages since time immemorial. In Cadiz, the
evolution of Carnival is a unique blend of many influences.
During
the 17th century, Cadiz prospered from the enormous wealth
brought by Spanish galleons from the New World. But these ships
brought more than just gold and silver. Their multinational
crews brought to the wharves of Cadiz their own unique music and
dances to contribute to the fiesta: African and Creole songs,
habaneras (Cuban dances), sambas, rangueras, rustic Colombian
music - all mingled with the local Andalusian jaleo dancing and
the traditional hand-clapped flamenco rhythms of Spain.
Furthermore, trade with Genoa and Venice imported a touch of
renaissance art from Italy, and the lingering Moorish influence
lent a mystical spice to the sights and sounds of this very
special Spanish citadel - and, especially, to its Carnival.
Today,
Cadiz's rich history combines with electric lighting, amplified
music, and motorized parades to create a spectacular array of
street entertainment for locals and tourists alike at Carnival
time. The serene city explodes with unbridled revelry. In
particular, the streets of the old town fill with costumed
revelers, many formed into groups wearing elaborate, matching
outfits. They parade through the narrow cobblestone streets to
the driving rhythm of a bass drum and a snare, often accompanied
by merry singing and comical, nasal-sounding kazoos. The groups
are likely to stop anywhere, be it street corner or tavern, to
put on an impromptu performance, singing their chosen Carnival
songs for an enthusiastic crowd.
There
are scheduled performances as well - lots of them! Most days
they begin in the early afternoon with La Tronada (The Thunder),
an ear-shattering explosion of fireworks in Plaza San Juan de
Dios, down near the fishermen's harbor. If you're anchored there
you can watch it from your cockpit! After that the action
doesn't stop `til dawn - all over town! Competing for first
honors are scores of singing groups with up to 35 vocalists
backed by guitars, lutes, and drums. They've been rehearsing
since September, and all are excellent. Outdoor stages seem to
spring up in every plaza. Choruses, comedians, costume
competitions, and children's shows abound. There are dances,
scheduled and unscheduled, and riotous costume parades winding
through the crowded streets, sometimes featuring decorated,
tractor-propelled floats swaying with the music of the singers
and musicians on board. They even have a couple of rock-n-roll
concerts in the great Plaza de Catedral, where several thousand
cheering youngsters greet the most popular Spanish rock groups.
Everywhere are smiling faces, dancing, drinking, singing,
glitter, confetti, streamers, and music.
Although
Carnival in Cadiz lasts a week and a half, many come just for
the weekends when everything really revs up into high gear. One
Spaniard, arriving by bus from Seville, was undaunted by the
fact that there might not be any available hotel rooms in Cadiz.
"Oh, I'll just stay up all night partying, and catch the
bus home in the morning," he said. "Why sleep?"
A
grand fireworks display signaled the end of the Carnival
celebrations, and the next morning all that remained - besides a
city-wide hangover - were several tons of confetti and empty
bottles. For us aboard Sparrow, it was time to find a
quiet berth at Puerto Sherry Marina across the bay, to watch the
approaching Spanish spring fill the fields with wild flowers and
to prepare for a summer in the Med.
Carnival
equals Life just for the fun of it! For any cruising sailor who
finds himself in this part of the world in mid-winter, it's an
experience not to be missed. "Viva Carnaval!"
~
End ~
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