Top 5

  1. Other carnivals in Brazil
Rio is far from the only Brazilian city to host a world-class party. The country's less famous carnivals each have their own charms, as Journey Latin America staff can attest. Megan says, "Known as the people’s carnival, Olinda offers a much more intimate experience with bands marching down the streets rather than on huge trucks with the bands playing on top, as in Salvador. Everyone goes in fancy dress and it almost feels like partying with thousands of friends!" 

Jon also went to carnival in Olinda, as well as in nearby Recife, and tells us, "What’s great about this is that you can stay in Recife and combine two very different carnivals over the three days: Recife and Oinda are just a 20-minute drive apart over a bridge. Recife’s Carnival is mainly concentrated in the historical centre, and the participants have brightly coloured open umbrellas that they spin around, dancing crazily. Anybody can just tag along and walk or dance with the procession. It's great for families, while Olinda's is more spirited."

  2. Carnival in Santiago de Cuba
Unlike the other fiestas in this list, the carnival of Cuba's second city, Santiago, has nothing to do with Easter and is instead centred around the summer festival of St James, the city's namesake. Unlike the others, too, it lasts a whopping ten days! Carnival bands make use of whatever instruments are to hand to fill the streets with Cuba's signature salsa soundtrack as dance troupes party the days and nights away amongst colourful floats. Perhaps the most unique element of the carnival is its conga parade, which takes place on the first day of the celebrations (July 18). In street after street, the whole community turns up to conga around with their neighbours, some still in their pyjamas!

  3. Las Tablas Carnival, Panama
Every year the otherwise sleepy town of Las Tablas erupts into a riot of merry-making, as two rival factions – Calle Arriba (uptown) and Calle Abajo (downtown) – compete in a truly epic dance-off. Parades, fireworks and music bring the party to life while the carnival queens in their astonishing costumes fight it out to be crowned the most beautiful. At the same time, water is sprayed over the crowd in a tradition known as the mojadera.

  4. Oruro Carnival, Bolivia
Visitors to Bolivia in the days preceding Ash Wednesday will encounter an altogether different affair to the more famous Brazilian carnival, but one that's no less traditional or colourful. The most important of the Bolivian carnivals occurs in Oruro, central Bolivia, and is characterised by a dance style known as La Diablada that roughly translates as the Dance of the Devil. Parades of men dressed in impressive demonical costumes whirl through the streets as crowds of onlookers celebrate in the stands, but this being Bolivia, there are also plenty of rustic touches, as Isabelle recalls: "One minute you'll see a troupe of dancing girls in costumes they've saved up all year to buy, and the next you might spot a man proudly parading his llama along the carnival route – it's all archetypally Bolivian and great fun!" 

  5. Carnival del País, Argentina
With Brazil for a neighbour, it's little wonder Argentina feels the need to compete. It doesn't disappoint, with carnivals taking over major towns across the country - particularly in the states of Entre Ríos and Corrientes, where they are Brazilian in style with elaborate feathered costumes and enormous parades. The largest of these is in the near-unpronouncable town of Gualeguaychú and is known as the Carnival del País, or carnival of the nation.