El Carnaval

Updated February 2026

Carnival in Spain

There are many different festivals and celebrations in Spain, both national and regional, and even local. Back in December I wrote about la Navidad (Christmas). Febrero (February) is the month of el Carnaval (Carnival). Carnival in Spain is celebrated with costumes, parades and, in some cases, traditional food.

Unlike Navidad, el Carnaval has no fixed dates, but it is usually between the middle of febrero and the beginning of marzo (March). It’s celebrated in the days leading up to Lent, the period of 40 days before Easter in the Christian calendar. Traditionally, it was the last chance to eat well, celebrate, and break the rules before Lent began.

The duration can vary depending on the town, but it usually finishes on Miércoles de Ceniza (Ash Wednesday) and starts at least 3-4 days before that. Some Carnivals are much longer than that.

What should you expect from Carnival?

There are many different local traditions, but el Carnaval has some common characteristics:

• It is a period of fun, partying and excess in general.

• People dress up and wear masks.

• There are desfiles (parades) and other street celebrations.

• Satire, humour, and social criticism also play an important part.

So, if you are planning to walk during Carnaval, make sure you stay away from the noisiest areas in town if you want a good night’s sleep. If that’s not possible, get yourself a good pair of tapones para los oídos (earplugs!). Or… you could take a break and join in the celebrations!

The desfiles will disrupt traffic and even general walking around town, so it might be a good idea to find out in advance if/when there will be one (mostly between Saturday and Tuesday and quite likely one on Ash Wednesday to finish off the celebrations).

Apart from traffic disruptions, you may also want to keep in mind that there might be some public holidays. There are no national public holidays during the el Carnaval, so I can’t give you specific dates. But there is likely to be some local holiday here or there. Try to find out and plan (your shopping in particular) accordingly.

Carnival food

If there is a celebration, there is comida (food) associated to it. El Carnaval is not an exception. As I mentioned before, Carnaval is a period of excess, and it’s right before the beginning of Lent. This excess is reflected in the food, too.

Traditions change a lot from one region to another, so I’ll tell you about the typical Carnival foods in Galicia. After all, all Caminos lead to Santiago. And Santiago is in Galicia. There are three main typical foods.

• The main example would be cocido (cocido gallego, if you want to be specific; most regions have their own variations of cocido). This is a very substantial stew with a lot of meat (pork, beef, chicken) and vegetables. This is not just a Carnival dish, but rather a winter one, although it’s very common during the Carnaval.

The other two typical foods are sweet:

• Filloas are quite similar to crepes and they are usually eaten with a sweet filling: a bit of sprinkled sugar, honey, whipped cream, chocolate spread…

• Orejas (literally, ears). They are fried pastries, so called because their shape resembles that of an ear.

In the pictures below you can see orejas on the left and filloas on the right.

If you’d like to listen to a Spanish version of this post, here’s the Spanish for the Camino podcast episode about el Carnaval. Transcript and other extras here.

In this other article you can learn about one very peculiar Carnival celebration.

Well, 2 actually: one that happens in most towns and another one that happens in 1 place only. They involve either fish or a bird….

The most famous Carnivals in Spain

Although the Carnival is celebrated all over Spain, there are 2 places with possibly the biggest, most famous celebrations: the Canary Islands and Cádiz.

So, I invited on the podcast 2 people from these places, to tell us a bit more about it.

First we have Yaiza (Lánzate con el español), who is from the Canaries. 

And then we have Chema (Español para nómadas),  from Cádiz.

Carnival in the Canary Islands

Yaiza describes Carnival as one of the most anticipated times of the year. Streets fill with music and costumes, and people celebrate together. Each island has its own highlights.

In La Palma, “Los Indianos” sees everyone dressed in white and covered in talcum powder in a joyful, chaotic celebration.

In Gran Canaria, the famous Drag Queen Gala blends humor, social commentary, and creativity, while parades transform the city into a giant party.

Meanwhile, in Tenerife, daytime Carnival brings families together with live music, costumes, and a vibrant atmosphere.

Overall, Canary Carnival is a unique experience. Once you visit, you’ll want to return year after year.

And there’s a Camino in Gran Canaria too!

Carnival in Cádiz

According to Chema, the Carnival of Cádiz is more than a celebration; it’s a reflection of local identity and a unique way of seeing life. Historically, it has been a space for freedom, where people used songs to express opinions about politics and everyday issues long before social media existed.

The city’s rich port history and street culture shaped a playful, ironic style of communication full of humor, double meanings, and inside jokes, which is at the heart of carnival songs and performances.

There’s an official competition at Teatro Falla with different groups like chirigotas and comparsas.  But many locals believe the true spirit of Carnival lives in the streets, and the streets and squares of the La Viña neighbourhood become open-air stages where chirigotas perform and interact directly with the crowd.

For visitors, it’s also an ideal time to travel: the final days of Carnival lead almost straight into flamenco celebrations in Jerez de la Frontera.

Today’s Spanish words

¡Buen Camino!