Celebrate Carnival in Montevideo
Join in the festivities at Latin America’s Mardi Gras street carnival in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Think Carnival in Latin America and Brazil immediately springs to mind. But its tiny neighbour Uruguay celebrates what is perhaps the longest carnival in the world – over a month of festivities. The celebrations there have evolved from the one day off which the 18th century wealthy residents of Montevideo granted their African slaves. A drum-based musical form from that era, candombe, rapidly merged with other Uruguayan music to create the current rhythms. Nowadays Carnival features street parades with outlandish costumes, including samba school competitions; and theatrical events with song and poetry, many occurring in different residential zones in the capital. The action intensifies over the official Mardi Gras weekend which ends on Ash Wednesday.
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Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Rosie embarked on a year-long backpacking trip across Latin America. She is excited to share her knowledge and experiences with others.
Finn discovered his passion for travel on an extensive 18-month trip to Latin America, experiencing the vibrant Carnaval in Rio, the end-of-the-world city of Ushuaia, trekking the Andes and volunteering on the Galápagos Islands.
Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.
Gary discovered what he had been missing with his first foray into the wilds of Latin America. In his role as Product Manager, he combines this personal obsession with years of industry experience to help ensure that travellers will fall for the region every bit as much as he has.
