Carnaval in Peru
Photography, South America, Travel

Photo Essay: A Surprise Carnaval Celebration – Mancora, Peru

Carnaval in Mancora

Welcome to Photo Essay Week! While we have had many adventures, none can really be summed up as much as the pictures speak. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

While wandering the dusty streets of Mancora, Peru we noticed that there was quite the hubbub going on. If you weren’t staying in the non-touristy part of Mancora like us (being on a budget there is quite difficult), it was really easy to miss. Hidden in the down to earth neighborhoods of the locals, children were running everywhere with waterguns and foam, trees were decorated, and everyone seemed to be wearing green shirts for no reason…

We started having flashbacks of Cartagena

I finally got the balls to ask what on EARTH was going on in late January.

Carnaval in Peru of course!

There was no mention in the trusty Lonely Planet and scouring the internet basically came up with sparse mentions. We have hit the Carnival jackpot! It was all ours! YES!

And though it was small and quaint, the revelers were intense. Demon masks, dancing throughout the day and into the night, energetic kids, foam, water, smiles, laughter, and music took over the small side of the city.

Carnaval in Mancora

Carnaval in Peru

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Carnaval in Peru
Check out the creepy photo bomb behind the flag.

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Celebrations in Peru

Carnaval in Mancora Peru

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Shaun got attacked by a small boy who demanded he tie the Mancora bandana around his neck.

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16 thoughts on “Photo Essay: A Surprise Carnaval Celebration – Mancora, Peru”

  1. Y’all really make me want to change SEA for SOUTH AMERICA… at the end of my trip, but no I know in a few years I will make it there and spend a year seeing it all. I love these photo… looks like y’all had a great time and love that everyone is so happy.

  2. this is quite a picturesque way to celebrate carnival isn’t it ? i loved it , the colour , the people … is something that we don’t see around often… I usually do house swaps with a peruvian penpal in Lima , next time i’ll surely visit Mancora in the carnival time , seems pure fun!

  3. @Jaime: HAHA! It sounds like you’re going to continue even after your 2 years?! Jaime, you would LOVE it here. So different than Central. I love it MORE.

  4. @Lucy: Seriously! The colors and the energy that people have made me fall in love with South America as a whole. LOVE IT.

  5. @Stephanie: That is why we were so weirded out that we bumped into something like it so early in the season. We asked around and all they kept saying was “Carnaval”.

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