Discover the Energy of Gualeguaychu Carnaval
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Uncover Argentina's Best Kept Secret!
For many young world travelers, attending Carnaval in Rio is a bucket list must-do. but it's not without its challenges. Right now Brazil is facing problems with increased crime, especially in Rio - especially during the holidays. In addition, any location like Rio that is hosting a major international event will find itself overpriced and overbooked. Expect massive crowds, a lot of pickpocketing, and dorm beds in hostels for over $100. As a result, for many tourists, attending carnaval in Rio is simply a dream out of reach.
Well, I'm here to tell you that there's an alternative carnaval just as beautiful, maybe a little less wild, and certainly less dangerous! And it's easily accessible to Spanish speakers! I'm talking about Argentina's best kept secret: El Carnaval del Pais in Gualeguaychu.
"Carnaval del Pais" means Carnaval of the Country in Spanish, and there's a reason it's named that. Everywhere I went in Argentina, when I mentioned that I was going to Gualeguaychu for Carnaval, they lit up with excitement. Argentinians know that it's the big show: a spectacular display of music, dancing, costumes, and bodies that rival anything that Brazil could put out.
So step right up and get a very closeup view to the beautiful men, women, and floats that you'll be seeing at the Carnaval del Pais. With my guide, you'll be able to attend one of the world's best carnavals at a fraction of the price of other countries.
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What is Carnaval?
Carnaval is a Christian (though primarily Catholic) festive season that occurs before the holy and serious season of Lent. Lent are those 40 days before Easter in which the pious give up luxuries and indulgences to prepare themselves for the sacrifice of Christ. That means that Carnaval, the days and weeks before Lent, are an opportunity to indulge in all of those decadent things that will be given up during Lent. This includes rich foods, lots of alcohol, dancing and revelry, and beautifully sexy bodies.
Though you might guess that this holiday draws from ancient traditions, you’d be wrong: celebrations of Carnaval began in Italy in the 1200s CE, and are wholly derived from the Catholic tradition.
Carnaval is not just a time for decadence and indulgence, it is also a time for social commentary about class differences. Carnaval is celebrated in a number of countries, and in many of those places, costumes include satirical jabs at the economic and political elite. This includes deformed faces, jesters dressed as kings, and other ways of laughing at the most powerful within society.
Thus, Carnaval is not simply an opportunity to flip the religious rules on their head, but also a time to switch around class allegiances. Therefore, Carnaval is what we anthropologists call a "ritual of reversal”: a series of public events that are designed to relieve social pressure by allowing people to say and do the things that they normally can't do in polite society.
In Venice Carnaval, for example, both the rich and poor don luxurious gowns and wear masks which cover the face. This wipes out all class distinctions, and also allows for cross-class romance. In Latin America, Carnaval is an opportunity for the rich and poor alike to get together and celebrate while eating and drinking on the same level. Children can stay out all night, illicit romances are allowed, and the wealthy are openly mocked. The rest of the year, everyone has to behave according to social norms, but not during rituals of reversal. That's the power of these kinds of events: they let everybody blow off steam, but they also reinforce the social norms the rest of the time.
Therefore, Carnaval is not simply a giant party, although it is one hell of a great party. It is also an important safety valve for relieving social tension. And in Latin America right now, with the rise of authoritarianism in multiple states, and tenuous economic situations, social events that bring the community together like Carnaval are more important than ever before.
So join the party for the fun, join the party for the beauty, but also join the party because it's an important part of maintaining social order and peace.
What You'll See
The Carnaval event at the Cosmodrome in Gualeguaychu is not only a celebration, it's also a competition. Each year, three civic organizations go head-to-head in a battle of who is the most creative, artistically talented, and downright beautiful. You just get to sit and enjoy the show. And what a show it is.
Each of the three organizations will present their performance based on a theme, which is explained at the beginning of the parade. However, this explanation was in Argentinian Spanish, yelled by a very talented high command into a microphone, so even I struggled to fully understand what was going on. But, to be honest, you don't really need to understand what the main themes are, because you can kind of guess based on the outfits and floats.
Each organization is responsible for presenting four gigantic floats, each ornately decorated and loaded with carnaval performers. These massive multi-story tall designs include electric elements, music, moving parts, and performers.
Each group includes a series of subsections, each with coordinating costumes. These costumes range from the whimsical and ornate, to the sexy carnaval fare that you've come to expect: women and barely there sequin tops and tiny thongs. And don't worry, there's more than enough men to go around: at times I felt like I was watching the movie 300 with all of the abs on display. I am not complaining.
In addition to the main floats, there will be a large multi-tiered float which includes a full jam band: singers, drummers, guitarists, horns... And the energy is contagious.
Each organization ends their portion of the competition with my absolute favorite part of the show: the drummer battle. Each organization's drumline performs absolutely flawlessly, getting the crowd loud and rowdy during those last moments of judging. And what's getting them so rowdy?
The drumline is battling one female dancer. Y'all, she is gorgeous. The supreme dancers were each incredibly beautiful, very confident, and ready to dance. Unlike many of the other scantily-clad female performers, these top dancers did not have massive feathered back pieces - after all, that would make it extremely difficult to dance to the degree that they do. And these ladies let it rip, let me tell you: samba, rumba, you name it, those hips do not lie.
For approximately 4 minutes each, these women would do a back and forth with the drumline that is absolutely enchanting and spectacular. I got exhausted watching them but could not look away: these were some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen on Earth. And they can move.
Once a group has finished their performance, there's a brief interlude where corporate sponsors (with their own scantily clad models ) entertain the crowd while the next group gets ready for judgment. The entire event lasts approximately three and a half hours, finishing up around 1:30 a.m. After the last group has completed their performance, the parade route is opened up to the public. You can head back to your hotel, or you can stick around for the live music performed by local bands. Dancing continues well into the night.
The City of Gualeguaychu
One of the biggest differences between these two carnavals is the fact that Gualeguaychu is not Rio. This is both a good and bad thing. It's good because this sleepy little town has very little crime and you'll feel safe the entire time you're walking around - even completely drunk late at night. Of course you won't find the beautiful beaches and crazy-wild night scene that you'd find in Rio. Life is full of trade-offs.
But the other big trade-off is the price. Rio is going to cost you an arm, a leg, and your first born child in order to be able to afford a hostel let alone a hotel during carnaval. And forget about Sambadrome tickets. You'll be paying a fortune just to get a view of anything exciting.
Argentina, in contrast, is a much more affordable country to begin with. And Gualeguaychu is not Buenos Aires: it's not the capital, it's not a major city, it's basically a backwater. Except for three weeks every spring when it is carnaval season.
That means you'll be paying less than $30 a night for a hotel room, and carnaval tickets - even the front row seats that I had - won't cost you more than $30 a pop.
Dollar for dollar, Rio ain’t got nothing on Gualeguaychu.
Gualeguaychu is a 3-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires, and during carnaval season they run a ton of buses. So I recommend checking out of your Porteno hotel, hopping on the bus all the way to Gualeguaychu, and checking in for the night. After you're done with carnaval, you'll sleep till the next day, get back on a bus and go back to Buenos Aires. Almost too easy.
You could stay overnight, like I did, and attend several days of carnaval. but for those on a tight schedule, that's not necessary. The same groups compete each night, so you'll be seeing roughly the same show. But for a one-day day trip from Buenos Aires, Carnavale de Pais cannot be beat.
Tips for Attending the Event
The first challenge will be getting your tickets. You can purchase them online if you have an Argentinian credit card. I did not, and reserved mine online, only to arrive and find out that my reservation was not successful. However, it was not difficult to purchase tickets on the spot for the same price and have basically the same seats that I had originally reserved.
Tickets are sold in person on the northern side of the Cosmodrome in Gualeguaychu. You can pay by cash, or you can use credit or debit. Either way, you need to bring some form of identification in order to purchase tickets. A photocopy of a foreign passport is sufficient.
The gates open around 8:00pm, and the show begins at 10:00pm. Although if I'm being completely honest, the show didn't really begin until 10:15 to 10:20. But believe me there was more than enough to do to occupy you until then.
You can just get tickets to enter the event; this will be the first of two tickets you are handed when you purchase tickets. When you go through the main gates, you'll scan this initial ticket. This ticket allows you to sit in any of the best open sections, which fill up relatively quickly. However, at only $20 for front row seats, there's really no reason not to also purchase a specific seat at the event.
If you do purchase a reserved seat ticket for the main event, you'll go to that section, walk up to the seating attendant, show your ticket, and be seated by a professional. It could not be much easier.
Food and Entertainment
The most important thing to realize is that while you're at Carnaval, cash is king. Not a single food vendor is going to take a credit card: don't even bother trying. There are several ATMs in town, so just be sure to arrive with cash.
Before you even hit the entry gate, you'll see lots of vendors selling entertainment items. For the kiddos, you'll see lots of cans of spray stuff that kids can use to goof around. Light-up and flowered crowns are available to purchase, as well as beautiful carnaval masks and stunning headdresses. If you really want to get into the vibe, you can also get your face painted at a number of spots.
There are a number of food options available when you arrive at Carnaval, both outside of the ticket gate and inside. To be clear, these are not high quality food options. But they're also excruciatingly cheap. Cones of fries will cost you a little over $1USD, sodas are cheaper. Hamburgers grilled by local civic groups will set you back $2. You are not here for a culinary experience, but you also won't break the bank like you would at most high energy musical events. You can also bring your own food in If you really feel the need to, you just can't bring in glass.
Perhaps most important for your entertainment, alcohol is plentiful inside and outside the venue. Cans of beer are under $2, while mixed drinks range from $3 to $5. You can even buy champagne for around $5 a glass. You can purchase this at a number of vendors once you walk through the main gates, and those who have purchased tickets for assigned seating will be in sections where waiters and waitresses walk through to take your order and bring you drinks.
I… kinda?... recommend an Argentinian favorite drink - the fernet and Coke. Fernet is a bitter alcohol imported from Italy that is overwhelmingly popular in Argentina. In fact, Argentina consumes over 75% of the fernet produced globally. They mix it with Coca-Cola in large quantities, and it's an acquired taste. But it is cheap, strong, and utterly local. Give it a try, and then switch over to the mojito, daiquiri, or beer to suit your palate.
Dr. C's Final Thoughts
Carnaval is a once in a lifetime experience, full of energy, color, and culture. This is a religious event, but it's also an opportunity for the community to come together and have a great time. These are family-friendly events, where everyone can get together and celebrate life.
The display of bodies and the dancing skills cannot be beat. There's absolutely nothing that can compare to Carnaval. But for many who don't see Rio as an option, it's good to know that there is an alternative that is affordable, safe, Spanish-speaking, and just as delightful as the Brazilian counterpart.
I cannot recommend Carnaval in Gualeguaychu enough. This is Argentina's best kept secret - maybe even the best kept secret on the entire continent of South America. So now that you're in the know, plan your next springtime vacation over to Buenos Aires, grab the bus up, and drink in the bodies, color, and light that is The best Carnaval in the country of Argentina: Carnaval del Pais, Gualeguaychu!