



Put on Your High Heels, Honey
by Andrea Montgomery
In one fortnight of whimsical eccentricities and fevered abandonment and mayhem that is Carnaval, Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife stages an event of such idiosyncratic absurdity that it makes the rest of the carousing seem conservative; a male-only, drag race in which the contestants dress in sometimes scandalous but always wickedly witty attire and teeter over a range of obstacles in heels that make Elton
Carnaval originated in
Carnaval quickly spread throughout the Catholic countries of
Thought by the church to be blasphemous and by the authorities to be subversive, attendance at Carnaval (the Spanish spelling) was frowned upon and so the practice of wearing costumes and masks developed to hide an individual’s identity and allow them to carouse without fear of recrimination.
Franco banned Carnaval in 1937 on the grounds that it provided the ideal climate for crime to flourish undetected. With the Second World War and Franco’s ban in place, Carnaval kept a low profile until 1945 when it re-emerged clandestinely in
Being a former Governor of the
Over the years, much about Tenerife's Carnaval has changed; the traditional masks have virtually disappeared and costumes have become more elaborate, covering a wider spectrum of disguises and in some cases, not covering very much at all.
However, the election of Carnaval Queens still heralds the start of the festivities and the Opening Parade sees them, their Maids of Honour and entourages, being driven through the main streets of Puerto accompanied by the traditional ‘murgas’ in clown costume and assorted groups and individuals in fancy dress.
The ‘Burial of the Sardine’ used to denote the demise of Carnaval but nowadays marks the half way point on Ash Wednesday; hordes of weeping ‘widows’ follow a funeral cortège for a giant papier mâché sardine down to the harbour where the ‘corpse’ is set alight amidst an extravaganza of fireworks and a cacophony of banshee wailing.
The ‘Gran Cosa Apoteosis’ or closing parade of Carnaval used to involve the throwing of huevos tacos which were eggshell and cloth balls held together by paste and thrown onto the passing parade from windows and balconies. In 1906 they were banned on health and safety grounds as some people were apparently being over zealous in their use, to be replaced by the confetti and streamers that we see today; the expression “have somebody’s eye out” must surely have come into the discussions.
But Carnaval hasn’t just lost some of its old traditions; it’s also re-discovered some and invented entirely new ones.
El Mataculebra or ‘Killing the Snake’ is a recently revived tradition that initially came to Puerto de la Cruz from
The allegorical act represents a sarcastic sideswipe at the oppression of slavery. A group of plantation workers and their foreman, the only fair skinned one in the group, try to kill the snake which symbolises evil and domination.
Rapidly becoming the highlight of Puerto’s Carnaval and attracting over 10,000 spectators in 2005, registration for the High Heels Marathon takes place in Plaza del Charco where contestants have their heels measured for regulation minimum height by the event’s compère; a Lily Savage lookalike in bouffant wig, false eyelashes that cause a draft when she blinks and heels that would induce vertigo in a lesser mortal.
Outrageous and convoluted costumes are de riguer; amongst them a troupe of bathing beauties totter into the arena, shower rails and curtains threaded through a turban head towel with matching towel pinned around the torso and loofahs in hand. They’re followed by a dozen devils clad in fireman red synthetic leather hot pants, horns and capes and then by three crabs whose bright red pincers catch in everything. Contestants avail themselves of free beer from the side of the stage; not for these insouciant athletes the isotonic properties of a high energy drink, what’s needed here is the bolstering benefits of a beer or two to oil the heels, although, watching the bathing beauties negotiate their towel rails into the narrow doorway of the portaloos forty minutes later, shoes were clearly no longer the issue.
Obstacles are then placed at various intervals along the route; eight tyres laid together in two rows, a stepladder onto a platform, a seesaw and the first ‘sprinters’ appear, stumbling precariously up ladders, helped by teams of assistants on hand to ensure no-one actually breaks an ankle, or worse, a nail during the proceedings. After the first two or three pass, an endless wait as the main body of the race amble and perform to the crowds; obstacles are negotiated with pantomime difficulty and underwear and assorted ‘accessories’ are brandished and flaunted.
When all the contestants have finally made it back to the Plaza, prizes are awarded in a multitude of categories, each winner ascending the stage to the booming strains of It’s Raining Men and the whole affair melts imperceptibly into another night of partying til dawn, and not a pancake in sight.
This article was published in Living Tenerife magazine in February 2006
All ages, shapes and sizes participate in Carnaval
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Copyright © 2006 Real
Tenerife’s Carnaval parades are fantastic to see, but they involve a bit of stamina and a lot of standing around. You’ll need to be in position about an hour before the ‘official’ start to get a prime spot.
Become part of Carnaval
The parades are great spectacles, but they are ‘spectacles’. The true heart of Carnaval in Tenerife lies in the street parties. Instead of being a spectator, become a ‘Carnaval goer’.
All that’s required is to use a bit of imagination and dress up a little. If you’re a man visiting with your female partner, then borrowing her clothes is perfectly acceptable (maybe not to her). Cross dressing is pretty much obligatory, but anything will do. Trust us it does make a difference. If you’re in fancy dress you’ll see a very different Carnaval in Tenerife; one that’s unforgettable.
Don’t arrive too early. Carnaval in the street doesn’t hit its stride until around midnight. By then those not in fancy dress will be the odd ones out. From then enjoy the week long party; it’s a great atmosphere and one which many visitors never experience.
Theme of Tenerife's Carnaval 2008
Carnaval Santa Cruz: Magic: Carnaval Puerto de la Cruz: Fear (which pretty much opens it up for ghouls, ghosties and all sorts of creatures of the night).






