Gualeguaychú Carnival in Entre Ríos, Argentina

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What is the Carnival of Gualeguaychú?

 

The Gualeguaychú Carnival, also known as the Carnival of the Country is one of the most important celebrations in Argentina, especially an open-air show. The carnival is held between January and February; however, parades are only held on Saturdays of both months and on carnival holidays. The festivities are held at the facility called Corsódromo, a facility that built specifically for the festivities.

The carnivals feature 5 comparsas of different groups, associations and sports clubs of the city. These comparsas compete among themselves, but only 3 of them compete in the same year. The comparsas parade through the corsódromo, with participants wearing bright, colorful and dressed costumes. Athey are also accompanied by imposing floats of 17 meters long, 8 meters wide and 17 meters high.

 

 

Carnivals in the Country have a long tradition of events, as it is a celebration that has been taking place for 180 years. Today it has reached a great popularity, counting with30,000 spectators per night, most of them being national tourists, but there is also the presence of international spectators.

 

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When is the Gualeguaychú Carnival?

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The Gualeguaychú Carnival takes place the first days of January until Shrove Monday.

 

 

History of the Carnivals of Gualeguaychú

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The carnivals of Gualeguaychú have a fairly long history. In Argentina, especially in the Río de la Plata and Gualeguaychú, carnivals have been celebrated since the colonial years. However, Gualeguaychú received the authorization to celebrate carnivals in 1840. In spite of this, 8 years later they were prohibited.

In 1876, the commission was created for the first time to carry out the so-called “corsos” and be celebrated in the main streets and were mainly composed of floats and groups. From 1880, the use of dresses was authorized only if they had permission to do so. The parades, floats and comparsas continued to be held as was customary on these dates.

Once electricity arrived in the city in the twentieth century, lights and lamps began to be implemented in the elements of the carnival. In addition, it was customary to throw confeti and flowers from the carriages. The groups began to become popular and become part of the celebrations of the carnival.

At the beginning of 1940, the corsos began to lose luster and the carnivals took spaces in the clubs. Political conflicts and the economic conditions of the country caused the carnivals to fall. Despite this, in the late 1970s, local organizations and society cooperated and what would become the beginnings of the modern carnival of Gualeguaychú emerged.

In the 80’s the comparsas began to take spaces again and events were organized to integrate elements of visual arts. In 1997, the corsódromo, was inaugurated, giving more appropriate spaces to the floats. Today, the carnivals are made up of diverse groups, floats and colorful parades that attract and congregate thousands of people during Saturdays in January and February.

 

Where is the Gualeguaychú Carnival

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The Gualeguaychú carnivals are held at the Gualeguaychú corsódromo, in the province of Entre Ríos..

 

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How is the Gualeguaychú Carnival celebrated?

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The carnivals of Gualeguaychú are celebrated in the best style of Rio de Janeiro. 3 comparsas, and a total of 12 large floats parade through the corsódromo on Saturday nights in January and carnival days in February. Participants parade in large suits of rhinestones, feathers, sequins and multiple colors. At the same time, they dance to the rhythm of the samba. All this with the aim of taking thetitle of winners of the carnivals.

If you want to know more about tourism in this country, I recommend this guide:

 

Tips for going to the Gualeguaychú Carnivals

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If you decide to spend your carnival in Gualeguaychú, we recommend you to plan your trip in advance. Also, make a travel itinerary and make reservations at your hotel or inn of choice.

Remember also that the entrance to the corsódromo is paid, the prices range between 350 and 450 Argentine pesos, that is to say from 3 to 6 dollars. The carnival has its website where you can book or buy your tickets.

 

Events in Gualeguaychú Carnival

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The events take place only on Saturdays in January and February, in addition to the carnival days. The days on which the comparsas and parades will take place would be:

 

January

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Saturdays: 9, 16, 23 and 30.

 

 

February

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Saturdays: 6, 13, 20 and 27.

Carnival days: 13, 14 and 15.

During these dates, the groups perform the shows with decorated and thematic floats, dance samba and dazzle all spectators with their large and colorful carnival costumes.

The groups parade through the corsodrome, which is 500 meters long, a 10 meter wide runway with a capacity to hold 35,000 people per show.

 

 

Gualeguaychú Carnival Parades

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The parades take place in the corsódromo. Lthe groupings take the building’s runway and try to impress the judges with a generous amount of cultural displays. The three groups give everything they have, show off their costumes and perform their choreographies to get the best possible score, acquire the title of winner and pay tribute to the history of carnival in the city.

 

Parade route

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The corsódromo is 500 meters long and 10 meters wide. It also has an access on the south and north side respectively. Finally, it has the chairs on the upper sides of the establishment.

 

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What to eat at the Gualeguaychú Carnival[/h2>.

One of the typical foods of the region is the alfajor entrerriano, an alfajor from the area that is made with beer. We also have the chupín de pescado, a dish that is also consumed in Uruguay. The dish is composed of a fish and vegetable stew.

The town also offers you some options for eating out such as Dacal Restaurante, Terraza and La Paisanita..

 

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Travel Insurance

 

From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurances. Read more information about all insurance offers here:

 

 

What to see and do inside the Gualeguaychú Carnival

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During the carnivals you have the opportunity tosee the parades that take place on Saturdays in January and February. You will not regret it, as many people compare the carnivals of Gualeguaychú with those of Rio de Janeiro..

If you don’t want to complicate things, here you can book interesting excursions in Spanish in this city:.

 

What to see and do outside of the Gualeguaychú Carnivals

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The city offers you some tourist attractions such as:

 

Solar del Este

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It is a recreational area near the river where you can go to party with friends. In the atmosphere there is music and small locals around it.

 

Nandubaysal Spa

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It is a spa that has umbrellas and chairs. The water is clear, low and calm and the surroundings are always clean.

 

San José Cathedral

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It is a religious temple located in the city. The building dates from 1890. It was elevated to cathedral on June 29, 1957.

Also, if you want to visit museums and important buildings in this city we recommend that you book your ticket in advance through Tiquets: .

 

Safety at the Gualeguaychú Carnival

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Gualeguaychú is a safe city, however, we recommend you use the same precautionary measures you take in your city.

Pay attention to your surroundings and keep your items in a safe place and with that you will be fine during the holidays. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your items safe:

 

 

Weather at the Gualeguaychú Carnival

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The weather in Gualeguaychú during the festivities is quite friendly. The temperature ranges between 32 and 19 degrees Celsius.

 

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How to get to the Gualeguaychú Carnivals

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How to get there by plane

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The most comfortable way to get to Gualeguaychú is departing from Buenos Aires. You can get to Minister Pistarini International Airport and from there, have the different means to get to Gualeguaychú..

We recommend buying airline tickets through Kiwi.com or Skyscanner where they are usually cheaper. More information on this link to review Kiwi.com..

 

How to get there by bus

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From the airport, take a bus and head to Aeroparque using the Aeroparque route. Make a transfer and take a bus on Avenida Costanera to Ramos Mejía José María using lines 45ª, 33B, 33C or 33ª. Once there, transfer again at Retiro and take the bus to Gualeguaychú.

 

How to get there by car

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From the airport take the RN9 and RN12 roads to Gualeguaychú. The drive is 3 hours.

 

Where to stay at the Gualeguaychú Carnival

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Booking.com

 

Hotel Berlin

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Hotel 450 meters from the center. Rooms have TV and private bathroom. Facilities include bar and free internet.

 

Hostería de Campo Valdemoro

2 stars hotel 4.6 km from the center. The rooms have a view of the garden. Facilities offer private parking, free internet and swimming pool.

 

Hotel Viedma

2-star hotel 350 meters from the center. Rooms have cable TV and private bathrooms. The hotel has free parking and free wifi.

We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.

 

Thank you for reading

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