Write us

Festival of Virgen del Carmen in Paucartambo July 2014

05 June 2014 (2513 reads)

Festival of Virgen del Carmen in Paucartambo July 2014

The original Andean patrimonial festival takes place in a picturesque white-washed town with blue doors and windows. In mid-July of every year campesinos from all over the Sacred Valley trek to the small mountain town to dance in the festival of the Virgen Del Carmen. Though many Andean towns have patrimonial festivals with traditional dances that mix indigenous beliefs, local legend, and Catholic worship, Paucartambo's is the great-granddaddy of them all.

Nowadays the festival is flooded with thousands of tourists, Peruvians and foreigners alike, who brave the lethal, winding mountain roads to binge on food and drink for five days straight. The spirit of debauchery is infectious. The crisp mountain air buzzes with the music of a dozen marching bands and the crack of incessant fireworks. 

Boarding room is scarce, so friends and families pack into windowless rooms occupied but once a year – and no one cares about the meager accommodations because the party in the street goes round the clock. You retreat to your cave only for some desperately needed sleep before you're roused by the fear of missing something great. (Of course, nicer rooms are possible to find, though costly.)

Over the course of the festival each of the dozen or so dance groups in full regalia enacts the story of its existence – one group represents the wealthy Spanish-blooded landowners with massive noses who strut side-to-side with jugs of beer and spurs on their boots. A group of devils, masked in Chinese dragon-style headdresses, scale the roofs of the town and entice the onlookers, tempting them to sin.

After a day of parading through the town, each dance retreats to a large house or meeting hall for a night of sumptuous Andean cuisine and endless beer and pisco. These beer halls are packed to the brim late into the night, with revelers spilling out their doors only at the point of exhaustion.

And for the truly brave of heart there is an early-morning excursion which is perhaps the greatest treat of all. After a sweaty climb through the fierce cold, clutching bottles of rum, the dauntless trekker finds himself at Tres Cruzes, the edge of the Andes, looking out at the sunrise exploding over thousands of miles of rainforest. The festival-induced stupor cannot help but be broken by this incomparable vista and the glory of the Amazon.

Book now








Transfers

Transfer Ollantaytambo to Cusco

2h
USD 60.00
Private transfer in comfortable vehicles from the Ollantaytambo train station, where we will pick up you, to the airport or hotel in Cusco

Tour & transfer Ollantaytambo, Maras, Moray & Salineras, Chinchero

5h
USD 75.00
Transfer to Ollantaytambo or Cusco that includes a refreshing tour to Maras, Moray and Chinchero in private service

Pisaq Tour from Ollantaytambo

5h
USD 85.00
If you are in Ollantaytambo and want a private tour to the impressive constructions of Pisac take the services of Hierba Buena Tours


Travel Blog

The Inti Raymi 2023, the magical and great festival of the kingdom of the Incas


24 May 2023

The Inti Raymi 2023, the magical and great festival of the kingdom of the Incas


It was not about an obligation or myths, it was about giving true love to the Sun God, the Inti Raymi is a festival of worship and gratitude.

read more (+)



More from Blog

Cusco says goodbye to the rains and prepares for the festivities 26 April 2023

Cusco says goodbye to the rains and prepares for the festivities


Cusco prepares for the festivities and cultural activities, saying goodbye to the refreshing rain and welcoming the sun of June, the Sun of the Incas.
From Cusco airport to Machu Picchu 31 January 2020

From Cusco airport to Machu Picchu


Take our taxi, it will take you completely comfortable from the Cusco airport to Ollantaytambo, then we board you on the train to Machu Picchu.
Ukukus: 26 years of music and art in Cusco downtown 10 January 2020

Ukukus: 26 years of music and art in Cusco downtown


Ukukus is reborn, for more than 30 years it has governed the nights of Cusco, it is the party at the end of the road, the obligatory last night in Cusco for tourists.
Rainy season tips for visit Machu Picchu 27 December 2019

Rainy season tips for visit Machu Picchu


Information on what to bring and what to do in the rainy season in Machu Picchu

Hierba Buena Tours
Urb Aprovite A-16, San Jeronimo, Cusco, Perú
GOOGLE MAPS
Phone / WhatsApp: +51 984 763 998


We accept the following payment methods without additional charges

Tarjetas de crédito Cusco
neuro(drive).pro()