Los Carochos, the Masquerade of Riofrío de Aliste

Riofrío de Aliste welcomes the new year with a street tradition, Los Carochos or the masquerade where eleven young people dress up in bright costumes and go through the streets with their dances, songs and smoke.

What are the Carochos and how is this festival celebrated in Riofrío de Aliste?

This traditional representation of Riofrío de Aliste is celebrated on the 1st of January with the launching of a rocket. It is the signal for everyone to go out to the streets towards the centre of the village, and be part of this exciting and funny representation.

Eleven characters, each with a very particular image that includes masks, tongs and capes, among other elements.

On the one hand, there are the devils or carochos, who are the carocho grande and the carocho chiquito, who come out in black attire and enveloped in smoke, with a loud noise of cowbells. The big carocho has a pair of tongs, with which he scares everyone, while the little carocho asks those present for their aguinaldo.

Then, the other characters appear, the handsome ones who are made up of the gallant, the madam, the one with the tambourine and the one with the cerrón. And the blind men, who are the molacillo, the blind man in the back, the filandorra, the gypsy and the linen man.

Afterwards, they all go to the priest's house, to proceed to the christening of the Madama's son, to continue with this very special mixture of races, fights between characters, dances and much more.

Los Carochos de Riofrío de Aliste, is a representation that has dialogues in which humour is the key. Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to welcome the new year, an experience that deserves to be enjoyed to the fullest.

Origin of the Carochos of Riofrío de Aliste

The origin of this celebration is unknown, but there are records that refer to the loss of this tradition in the sixties.

Later, in 1973, a group of young people decided to recover the traditions of the locality, for this reason, on the 1st of January 1974, Los Carochos, the Mascarada de Riofrío de Aliste was celebrated, an exciting tradition that has been maintained until the present day, offering fun to both inhabitants and visitors.

What else to see in Riofrío de Aliste?

Riofrío de Aliste is a town that offers, apart from celebrations such as Los Carochos, special places that you can visit during your visit, such as the ones we highlight below:

• Ruta de los molinos: a route that offers a beautiful and relaxing landscape, with the presence of several mills in the stream path. This is the perfect place if you want to get in touch with nature.
• Playa Fluvial de los Molinos: this is the beach of Villardeciervos, which, apart from a spectacular view and the opportunity to go trout fishing, has a jetty and some picnic areas.
• Casa de los Carochos: this is the local museum, a building that was inaugurated in 2015, and houses valuable elements of the history of Riofrío de Aliste. A space full of culture and tradition that you deserve to know.

Gastronomy in Riofrío de Aliste

What better way to start the new year than tasting exquisite food? That is why we invite you to taste these dishes that Riofrío de Aliste offers, considered, for many, delicacies worthy of the gods.

• Veal from Aliste: if you ask locals and foreigners, what is the best quality gastronomic product in Riofrío de Aliste, almost all of them will answer in unison that it is veal. For this reason, one of the products that you must try is the veal of Aliste, a delicious meat that you can find in different presentations, baked, stewed with mushrooms, steak, and many other variations.
• Bollo marimón: a delicious sponge cake in the shape of a doughnut, also known as bollo maimón. They have a variation, when the buns are syrupy and covered with cinnamon, they are called borrachos.