The Cabalgata del Fuego and Fireworks at the Puerta del Mar
As the sun sets on March 19th, the last day of Fallas, you start picking up a certain energy filling the air. Mostly, it’s a steady build-up of excitement and anxiousness, but there’s also a fair amount of sadness mixed in. We found ourselves at the Puerta del Mar at 7pm for the Cabalgata del Fuego, and understood that the beginning of this fire parade heralds the end of Fallas. From here on out, things are going to get unimaginably crazy, before the fiesta finally fizzles out.
The Cabalgata started off with marching bands playing traditional, Valencian folklore music. Behind them was the court of the Falleras Mayores, and off in the distance we could spot the first firework sparks. It didn’t take long for the fire demons, devils and monsters to arrive, turning Calle Colón into a colorful, scary, thrilling depiction of hell.
As they come closer and closer, and the ringing and whistling of their fireworks gets louder and louder, pure anticipation boils up inside. The moment they arrive and you find yourself covered in a shower of sparks, it feels as though you’ve entered another world. By the point, I was in total “photo mode”, not thinking about my own safety — during the Cabalgata del Fuego, time seems to stand still, and I was ready to capture everything with my camera.
“Chaos” is definitely the right word to describe this parade. In one glimpse, you might spot a devil spitting fire, a bull shooting fireworks, a man with a serial killer mask walking slowly down the street, and even dragons exploding in sparks and fire.
If you’re not afraid of possibly getting singed, this parade is great fun. To top it off, the Cabalgata de Fuego finishes with an impressive firework shot from the Puerta del Mar gate. Wow — following this sensory onslaught, it’d be nice to have some time to catch your breath. But the last final acts of Fallas begin the moment this parade ends. As we were walking away from the gate, we could already see the first smoke towers rising into the sky, indicating that the Cremà of the Falla Infantil had already begun.
From our Fireworks Festivals Blog.
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Wauw Wauw Wauw, it's so cool to see this! I had so much bad luck in the starting of my trip that I didn't make it to be there on-time! But next year I definitely will go there in March. Can you walk freely in between the firework people? I also want to take picture like this!
Oh no .. that's a shame but I still hope you had a great time during your trip. But yeah, you need to come back for Fallas. And if you can, book accommodation now ... It can get super expensive otherwise. You need to have press access in order to freely walk around during this parade BUT there is a Correfoc (similar to this parade) in July where there are no restrictions.
I have my own accommodation with me! My little camper van, but in summer it's way to hot for me! I have no air conditioning in my van! :p That press acces sounds nice!
Ah right ... and yes in the summer inside a camper without AC would be rough! Right now the temps are still very pleasant but that's not every year.
Your photos were amazing, I would definitely love to live something like this, the adrenaline of the place must be unique and I think it was captured in every photo you have shared with all of us.
Hey there .. thank you so much for stopping by and for your kind words! And yes ... this parade gives you a perfect rush, hehe!
Hiya, @choogirl here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honourable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #1891.
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