Carnival of Herencia

Every year this small town in Castilla-La Mancha organises one of the most popular festivals in the Autonomous Community, the Carnival of Herencia.

The Carnival of Herencia in Ciudad Real does not have a fixed date as it depends on the lunar calendar which also determines the dates of Easter Week and Lent. The colourful and vibrant festivities last two weeks and fill the town with costume contests and pasacalles parades. The carnival features several main characters. First, there are the jinetas, couples that represent the different guilds such as bakers, farmers and gardeners, who parade with the head jineta of each guild. Then, there are the giants and big-heads. Finally, there is the Perlé, who provides this carnival with its unique identity, chasing children around with a whip and mocking the order in the different pasacalles parades.