FORGET CUPID! IT'S CARNIVALE
Skip the roses. This month is for rhythm, rebellion and kid-inclusive culture.
photo created with AI assistance for The Earth & Flame
February is predominantly been about politics and heart candies. Between political stances and romantic get aways for two, February has not had the greatest reputation for including all aspects of a person’s life. Work. Kids. Partners. ...Culture? But if you are not in the States there are many countries that do celebrate February as more than just these commercialized points of view. Most of the Latin cultures especially celebrate Carnivale.
Not Carnival like you think of in New Orleans with the beads and the party scene that you’d want to hide your children from. Carnivale where you and your children get to taste foods from other cultures, hear and learn languages of tradition, native dances and costumes. And all while your children get to join in because these cultures don’t just welcome your children they pull them into the festivals and traditions.
Below is a curated selection of the best places to experience Carnivale without the noise of mass tourism. These are the towns, villages and island corners where Carnivale remains rooted in culture, not costuming. Where families participate. Children are expected. And travel meets rhythm, not performance.
Dominican Republic
Forget Santo Domingo and Santiago. The true family Carnavales live in:
Punta Cana (off-resort) – Local street processions, open markets and schools parading in homemade costumes
Las Terrenas – A French-Creole blend of island celebration with multilingual traditions and real community
Jarabacoa – Highland culture meets colourful parade tradition with music rooted in rural Dominican heritage
These aren’t festivals for onlookers. They’re festivals for neighbours. And if you’re respectful, you’re treated like one.
Colombia
Three of the most immersive and child-inclusive Carnavales:
Barranquilla – Folkloric, musical, full of dance troupes trained months in advance
Pasto – Carnaval de Negros y Blancos, a powerful inversion festival with paint, unity and child-friendly chaos
Riosucio – Known for its masked devil and satirical performances, with schoolchildren deeply involved
Brazil
Beyond Rio’s glare:
Olinda – Boneco puppets and frevo music pouring from colonial streets
Recife – Afro-Brazilian drums, community rehearsal, samba that teaches history
Paraty – A coastal town with layered traditions and smaller parades fit for families
Bolivia
Oruro – UNESCO-listed for a reason, with children dancing in mirrored devil masks and ancestral processions
Tarija – Wine country Carnavales where music and spiritual processions are shared across generations
Caribbean Carnivale Hotspots
Not every island does Carnivale in February. But these do.
Trinidad & Tobago – Junior Mas and children’s steelpan are cultural rites, not stage shows
Dominica – Mas Dominik, known as The Real Mas, is raw, local and inclusive
Guadeloupe – Gwo Ka drumming, Creole street chants and rural parades
Martinique – Full-on community satire, carnival queens and food stalls with authentic Creole fare
Aruba – Children’s Carnival events, long season from January to early March
Curaçao – Dutch Caribbean meets Afro-Caribbean vibrance; kids participate in uniformed bands
Bonaire – The Rincon Carnival is deeply local, with folkloric costumes and an intimate rhythm
St. Croix (USVI) – Though technically post-Christmas, its carnival rolls into February with family-friendly programming
Puerto Rico (Ponce) – Local masks, bomba music and satirical floats during pre-Lenten season
Note: Barbados, Grenada, and Antigua hold their Carnivals in summer, tied to harvest and emancipation, not February’s traditional rhythm.
Turks and Caicos, Bermuda and Costa Rica don’t traditionally celebrate February Carnivale.
Europe’s Carnivale Regions
Spain
Cádiz gets the spotlight, but Spain’s true Carnavales are widespread:
Cádiz – Sharp satire, chirigotas, massive local pride
Santa Cruz de Tenerife – Canarian brilliance with family processions and pageants
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – Long celebrations, less tourist-heavy than Tenerife
Verín (Galicia) – Medieval masks, ancestral processions
Badajoz (Extremadura) – Sardine burials, comparsas and musical rivalries
Vinaròs (Valencia) – Coastal Valencian celebration with deep community roots
Laza, Palamós, Solsona – Town-based festivals with deep regional characters and children marching in folklore
Águilas (Murcia) – Night-time parades and satire, but also massive children’s parades
Italy
Venice is cinematic. But the heart of Carnivale lives in these spots:
Viareggio – Satirical floats on the sea, less formal and more joyful
Ivrea – The Battle of the Oranges turns the streets into an historic food fight
Putignano (Puglia) – Italy’s oldest Carnival with four centuries of regional theatre
Fano (Marche) – The sweetest Carnivale, literally, where candy rains from the sky
Mediterranean Islands
Small island Carnavales. Big ancestral energy.
Malta & Gozo (Nadur) – Village satire, costumes and performances driven by locals
Sardinia (Oristano) – Sa Sartiglia, a medieval horseback competition and full dress ritual
Sicily (Acireale, Sciacca) – Baroque floats, citrus-covered carts and street performances
Menorca & Mallorca – Small-town parades and Catalan-style satire with strong family participation
Corsica – Especially in Ajaccio, a mix of French and Mediterranean influence, with local children in procession
Cyprus (Limassol) – Ten-day celebration with parades and children’s masquerade balls
Final Note
Carnivale is not about leaving your children behind or with the resort’s day care. It’s about sharing the world with them. It’s not an Instagram set up or a couples only escape. It’s about teaching your children about music, history, rebellion and the wonder of travel and experiencing other cultures in a way that is enjoyable for both adults and children.
Travelling with children doesn’t mean shrinking your experience. It just means choosing cities that refuse to split joy into age brackets.
These destinations make space for all of it. Lanterns and music. Festivals and family dinners. Culture without compromise.
For those navigating the world as single parents or entrepreneurial travellers, I’ve begun mapping itineraries, guides and curated lists that lean into calm, curated, luxury experiences. You can find them in the Shoppe or by following the link to the website.
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