Mourners celebrating the 'Burning of the Anchovy'

We joined the masses of ,local people on the beach at el Palo, on the outskirts of Malaga at lunchtime to eat a huge fish luncheon. K. and D. had luckily booked a table and as part of the meal I has a delightful fish soup and we shared plates of salad, fried calamari and 'boquerone a limon' aka anchovies cooked in lemon.

This was timely without our knowing it as we soon found out. We promenaded towards the centre of Malaga for a while and then picked up a bus. Where it dropped us there was a mass of people all waiting on either side of the road and we soon found out that the carnival procession was expected imminently.

We made our way around the crowds to the end of the procession where many differing groups of revellers were dancing in the parade in their varied costumes. We saw an enormous float close by waiting to be dragged through the streets and realised this was the effigy of the ‘Entierro del Boquerón’ (Burial of the Anchovy) Procession.

Near the rear of the procession this group dressed in black were dancing  behind the Anchovy and their joyful expressions belied the serious nature of the procession. I loved the way they danced on the street.

We left them to it as they wound their way towards the beach for the finale and we wandered back to the Plaza de Constitución to drink coffee in Cafe Malaga, a wonderful old and traditional coffee shop. 


A local website had this description of the event:
Burial of the Anchovy, Carnival of Málaga 2019
Every year, after choosing the gods of the carnival and having enjoyed a great parade of disguises in the streets of Malaga it’s time to give a heartfelt farewell to the 2019 Carnival of Malaga. However this farewell is done in a very special and joyful way. We invite you to discover the Burial of the Anchovy  or “El entierro del Boquerón”.
One of the great traditions of the Málaga carnival is the farewell of it. Each year a giant anchovy is carried in procession from the Plaza de la Constitución to the beach of La Malagueta accompanied by a funeral procession whose destination is to burn the anchovy on the beach, on the shores of the Alboran Sea.

The anchovy is designed in giant dimensions and is usually inspired by some relevant event that occurred in the city during the previous year.
This is a very beloved festival for carnival enthusiasts who each year leave in the spirit of returning even better the following year.