The XXV Regatta of Achipencos of Puerto del Rosario's Carnival gathers more than 7 000 people

On February 19th, more than 7 000 people gathered for the most emblematic event of Puerto del Rosario's Carnival: the unique Regatta of Achipencos, which was back on the beach of the island's capital, for the year 2023, to throw into the water and to their luck, the 42 ingenious “Carnival Hydrodynamic Contraptions, Propelled with Non-Polluting Energies, Obviously” (Achipencos), whose crew and pilots provided the public with a good dose of humour and entertainment during that day, which was animated in music by a marathon of various orchestras, music groups and singers from the Day Carnival. The XXV Regatta of Achipencos is an original idea from the collective called “Así andamos” and organised by Puerto del Rosario's Ayuntamiento. It is still one of the main attractions of the Carnival and the only regatta with those characteristics in Spain and in the Archipelago of the Canaries. Hundreds of regatta crew members were anxiously waiting to get to the beach to have fun and entertain the public with their original ideas, fighting to ensure that their contraptions would not sink, and arrive safe and sound on the beach of Los Pozos. Once the 42 participating achipencos managed the crossing to the beach of Los Pozos, the councillor for Festivities, David Perdomo, and the councillors for Staff and Tourism, Peña Armas and Sonia Álamo, presented the different prizes to the winners. The prize for the best presentation went to “El barco vikingo”, the prize for the achipenco with the best propulsion went to “Mi caballo camina pa’ delante mi caballo camina para atrás” and the best individual costume went to “La veneno”. The Ayuntamiento saluted and thanked the collective “Así andamos” for having promoted the event for the past 25 years, and for the work carried out all those years for Puerto del Rosario's Carnival.

Pure entertainment and a large public for Antigua's Carnival

The launch of Antigua's Carnival was fabulous, with the public that escorted the artists, who gave their very best, from the Batucada (percussion group) Bloco Da Ilha, to the rondalla (chord orchestra) of Antigua's Elders, guest murgas, drags, chirigota (comic band), tightrope walkers and presenters. The spectacular shows were applauded at length, in honour of the recently deceased humorist, Manolo Vieira, who was mentioned twice by the presenter Roberto Herrera and the chirigota from Cadiz “La Guasa”. Antigua woke up with music and cheers from the Carnival Bus, which travelled in the main streets of the municipality from 10 am, inviting the population to participate in the Carnival Coso that took place in the afternoon. Antigua's Carnival Coso started at 6 pm from the football ground, with comparsas (dance groups) from the Caribbean, of which a Brazilian dance group, the batucadas Sambukka and Bloco da Ilha, Caribbean floats with the Carnival Queens and Carnival groups that paraded until the fairground on the Ayuntamiento's Square. After the Carnival Coso, the Orchestra marathon started on the carnival stage with the orchestras of Kandela, Wamampy de La Gomera, Grupo Bomba, Grupo N-Klave and to end the night, the musical fusion of DJ Clandestina. Antigua's Carnival ended with the youngest ones who paraded in the Children's Carnival of Little Masks, animated with the music of the children's murgas Chiki-Rompis, Los Gambusitos and Tic Tac Titos, in addition to the show from the clowns Fede y Leandro, and chocolates for everyone.