Knight’s Castle of San Miguel in Tenerife

In the small town of Aldea Blanca, there’s a castle called San Miguel (Castillo de San Miguel) that looks just like a medieval fortress. It’s a huge building made of rough stone with round towers, embrasures, massive arched gates, crenellated walls, a drawbridge, and a real defensive moat. But San Miguel isn’t an ancient citadel – it’s a modern art center, created as a backdrop for knightly performances.

I parked the car in front of the castle. People were already waiting for it to open. Two riders in black stood at the entrance. Everyone was taking photos with them.

They say there used to be an old fortress on this spot. The current San Miguel is its exact replica. In the evenings, knightly “tournaments of six” are held in the castle. Guests are greeted by a menacing guard, but the guards are polite and friendly: they answer questions and give the audience colored capes in 6 colors (one for each knight). The color of the cloak indicates which knight’s “team” you belong to and should cheer for.

At the entrance, they exchanged our e-ticket for a black cape, while others got yellow ones. The color determines which team of knights you should root for.

In the throne room, we were greeted by a black dwarf and a duke. We spent some more time in the lobby. The bar offered beer and popcorn for an additional fee. The rooms are styled like an ancient castle, although you can tell it’s not a real one.

Around 8 pm, we were called into the hall. They seated us very slowly and absolutely refused to let me sit where I wanted to. But we got good seats in the front row anyway.

The show started with an introduction of the knights. The duke and duchess welcomed everyone and then the carnage began. The show was like wrestling at times, but it was fun.

Check out the video:

Riders gallop across the arena, torches burn, horse hooves churn up the sand. Hunting dogs and falcons take part in the performance. The dark-skinned dwarf, a “fire eater”, entertains the audience. Lances whistle through the air as the knights on horseback precisely hit their targets. The audience determines the winner, who in turn chooses a lady of the heart to be invited to the castle owners’ box.

During the show, we were served vegetable soup, then chicken breast with fried potatoes and carrots. For dessert, we got ice cream with chocolate and caramel. Everything was tasty, except for the drinks. On the table were bottles of indecently cheap white and red wine for 80 cents and a 1.5 liter fake Fanta from Lidl. The wine and soda are drunk from large metal mugs, which everyone also used as drums when cheering for the knights.

After dinner comes the climax of the tournament – the “survival” duels. Brave knights clash in desperate battles, sparks flying from their swords. The spectators in multicolored capes are excited, each team actively supporting their hero. Noise is allowed and encouraged: you can stomp, shout, whistle, applaud. We kept banging spoons on the metal plates and mugs. The fired-up audience resembles a seething volcano, and the ubiquitous photographers take reportage photos (you can buy these at the exit). They even offered to sell us a DVD! But no one knows where to insert those DVDs these days, it would be better if they emailed a YouTube link.

As the tournament concludes, only one knight “survives” and everyone honors the winner. Then guests are invited to a ball, where they’re treated to a lively performance by dancers in Spanish costumes to the sounds of live music and castanets. Actually, it’s not a ball, but just a photo session with the performers.

The show at the knight’s castle takes place on Saturdays and Thursdays at 7 pm. Transfer options from your hotel are available.

How to Get Discounted Tickets to San Miguel Castle?

If you buy tickets to the show online in advance, it’s easy to get a 10% discount:

To buy a ticket, follow the link to their website.