During 4 days the revellers indulge in spirits and festive delicacies, and the culmination of the merriment takes place on the last day with a huge water battle. The ever religious Indians followed the recommendations of the Spanish by painting a mural of the Virgin Mary and worshiping her in a 3 day festival held the same dates as the Indigenous celebration of “Anata”.Since the miraculous event, Oruro Carnival has been observed in honour of the Virgen de la Candelaria or Virgen del Socavon (Virgin of the Mineshaft) and the Sanctuaria del Socavon (Church of the Mineshaft) is where the carnival’s most important events are held.The dances of Oruro Carnival are based on the legend of Virgin del Socavon, combined with the ancient Uru tale of Huari and the struggle of Archangel San Miguel against the Devil and the seven deadly sins.As voted the best way to travel around Bolivia and Peru, we highly recommend choosing Carnival sees a blending of Catholic and Indian rituals, mixing the Virgin and Devil teachings of the Catholic religion with the Indian ideas of Pachamama and Tio Supay.El Tio, the most recognised icon of Carnival, is a malevolent character who transforms into the Devil for Carnival. Once this is done, Pachamama emerges, however is set upon by the angels also. The groups all portray different aspects of life in the high Andes like silver mining, agricultural cycles, or pagan and catholic religious themes.The dance is a representation of the Indigenous People converting to Christianity. Each of the folkloric dance groups prepare months in advance, practicing their routines and getting fit for the 3 days of non stop drinking and dancing during Carnival.On May 18th 2001, UNESCO declared Oruro Carnival a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”.As voted the best way to travel around Bolivia and Peru, we highly recommend choosing Because carnival is timed to end exactly 40 days before Easter, the start date of the festival differs year to year.Oruro doesn’t have an airport, therefore the only way to get to Oruro Carnival is by bus. With the rise of socialism in the 1940s, the upper class came to see the Indigenous culture and lifestyle as the the ideal model for a well established society. Here is everything you need to know about attending carnival in Oruro, Bolivia.We can’t stress enough the importance of travel insurance! The most comfortable train is the Expreso del Sur which departs at 3:30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. Following San Miguel are the iconic devils and a host of bears, pumas, monkeys and condors; symbols of the Uru mythology. Originally an indigenous festival, the celebration later was transformed to incorporate a Christian ritual around the Virgin of Candelaria. Oruro Carnival is Bolivia’s top tourist attraction. The dance groups take turn dancing and singing, and everywhere you look people are socializing and in good spirits. Don’t learn the hard way about the importance of travel insurance. Due to the detailed work that goes into producing the elaborate handmade outfits, the costumes are expensive, retailing at several hundred dollars each.Accompanying La Diablada are other dance groups representing various events in Oruro’s history including the Caporales, the Llameradas, the Morenadas, the Tobas, the Phujllay and the Tinkus.Participating in Carnival is a huge honour to the Bolivian people.

At the end of the dance troop are the “seven deadly sins” pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth.Surrounding the devils are other dance groups portraying local worker unions, ancient Incas and the black slaves who were brought over by the Spaniards to work in the mines. Most international flights go to One of the most comfortable ways to travel to or from Oruro City is by train!. In the 18The festival has about 250,000 visitors who come to make offerings, promises, give thanks and pray to the With so many dance groups, the performances run for days, and are scheduled around the clock. Known as the Uncle or God of the mountains, indigenous miners believe El Tio is the owner of the mine’s minerals and the overseer of their safety. The unique festival features spectacular folk dances, extravagant costumes, beautiful crafts, lively music, and up to 20 hours of continuous partying.A party like no other, Oruro Carnival is Bolivia’s most sought after tourist attraction, drawing crowds of up to 400,000 people annually. Hotels near Carnaval de oruro: (0.33 km) Hotel Briggs (0.38 km) Flores Plaza Hotel (0.40 km) Hotel Eden By Bluebay (0.43 km) Hotel Sucre (0.61 km) Hotel Houston; View all hotels near Carnaval de oruro on Tripadvisor

Some of the most well-known groups are the Diablas, Kantus, Kullawada, Suri Sicuris, Potolo, Tinku, Tobas, Caporales, Llamerada, Morenada and Waca Waca. Boliviana de Aviacion flies daily to Cochambamba a 30 minute flight and then continues on to Santa Cruz 2.5 hours aww.

Contact one of our travel consultants for details. It is a sensory mosaic filled with lots of color, sound, energy and movement. There are two different trains that go from Oruro towards Uyuni, Atocha, Villazon and Tupiza. The Carnival of Oruro is a religious and cultural festival in Oruro, Bolivia. Carnaval de Oruro patrimonio oral e intangible de la humanidad . Whilst the festival is celebrated throughout most of the country, Oruro is without doubt the most popular, offering a memorable experience for all those involved.If you’re lucky enough to be in Bolivia at this time of year, Oruro Carnival is one fiesta not to be missed!Long before Spanish settlement, the ancient town of Uru Uru (the pre-hispanic name for Oruro) was a religious destination for the Aymara and Quechua people of the Andes.