Every day, the Voladores de Papantla perform their traditional ritual in Playa del Carmen, captivating tourists, locals, and curious onlookers. As January 2025 comes to a close, the air still carries the nostalgia of the December holidays and renewed hopes for the new year.
In front of the Portal Maya, an ancestral magic unfolds with the Caribbean Sea as a backdrop. The Voladores de Papantla rise to the skies throughout the day, performing a ritual that seems to defy time and gravity.
Tourists focus their attention on this free show, accompanied by the sound of drums and flutes skillfully played from above. The audience, including locals, curious onlookers, and merchants, forms a semicircle around the imposing wooden totem, symbolizing the connection between man, earth, and the divine.
As the sun filters through the clouds, the dancers, dressed in traditional costumes, shine like mythological birds ready for flight. Spectators describe the performance as a poem in motion, with four flyers climbing the mast while a fifth remains at the top, playing melodies that tell stories of mother earth and her eternal cycles.
From above, the dancers launch themselves into the void with perfect synchronicity, slowly turning as their suspended bodies dance in the air, tied only by ropes that support their courage. This ritual, originating in Veracruz, has found a new home in Playa del Carmen, amidst the hustle and bustle of Fifth Avenue and the serenity of the ocean.
When the last turn concludes and the flyers’ feet touch the ground again, spontaneous applause breaks out among the attendees. Regardless of nationality or language, everyone shares the same emotion: a mixture of amazement, respect, and gratitude for witnessing an art that has stood the test of time.
Source: Infobae
