Periplo Festival Explores Globalization's Impact, Afghan Women's Stories

The International Travel and Adventure Literature Festival, Periplo, kicks off its 13th year this Monday, October 20, in Puerto de la Cruz. This year's festival explores cultures that are standing strong against globalization, shares the stories of Afghan women who have been silenced, and takes a journey through the worlds of journalism and literature.

Running until next Sunday, the festival starts with talks from Aníbal Bueno, Khadija Amin, and Juan Cruz tomorrow at Lago Martiánez.

Aníbal Bueno, a scientist and photographer, has spent over a decade traveling to the most remote places on Earth. He connects with small communities that still hold onto their traditional ways of life. Khadija Amin, a journalist and refugee now living in Spain, will share her experiences to shed light on the situation for women in Afghanistan today and discuss the international community's role in protecting human rights. Juan Cruz Ruiz, a writer and journalist from Puerto de la Cruz, will discuss his book "Secreto y pasión de la literatura" ("Secret and Passion of Literature"). The book features interviews, portraits, and stories from some of the most important writers in both Spanish and international literature.

Besides the events at the Costa Martiánez Tourist Complex, you can also visit the Castillo de San Felipe Cultural Space tomorrow. There, you'll find the exhibition "Cumbres a la vista. Miradas desde la montaña" ("Summits in Sight: Views from the Mountain") by the Island Mountaineering Federation of Tenerife (FIMT), opening at 4:30 PM.

Alongside journalist José Naranjo, Aníbal Bueno will give a talk at 6:00 PM called "Los últimos lugares del planeta" ("The Last Places on the Planet"). He'll discuss his travels through over 110 countries, using only his camera and his desire to learn about and document the lives of small communities that maintain their traditions despite the pressures of globalization. He will also give a presentation called "Rincones olvidados del planeta" ("Forgotten Corners of the Planet") as part of Periplo Formación, a program that introduces students in Tenerife to different realities. This presentation will be in the morning at 12:00 PM.

Khadija Amin was forced to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15, 2021. As a journalist, she has become a key voice in raising awareness about the rights of Afghan women and speaking out against the violations of their freedoms.

With journalist Nicolás Castellano, Amin will share her story at 7:15 PM in a talk called "Voces apagadas: el borrado de las mujeres en Afganistán" ("Silenced Voices: The Erasure of Women in Afghanistan"). She will talk about her experiences as a survivor of forced marriage and gender-based violence, as well as her work as a presenter and reporter for Afghan National Television, a position she had to leave in 2021.

As part of Periplo Formación, Khadija Amin will also give a presentation to students at 10:00 AM called "Afganistán, un país que borra a las mujeres" ("Afghanistan, a Country That Erases Women").

The first day of the festival will conclude with Juan Cruz at 8:30 PM. Together with journalist Saray Encinoso, he will present his book "Secreto y pasión de la literatura" (Tusquets, 2025). The book features conversations with important figures in Hispanic American and international literature, from writers like Borges, García Márquez, and Vargas Llosa to Almudena Grandes, Leonardo Padura, and Günter Grass.

Comando Periplo, created in 2015, is a platform for participation. It's a volunteer network made up of associations, companies, institutions, and local residents who contribute their experience, creativity, and effort to ensure the quality and sustainability of Periplo. Working with the Puerto de la Cruz City Council, its members suggest ideas and actively participate in organizing the festival.

Periplo is also supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Cabildo de Tenerife, the Costa Martiánez Tourist Complex, Casa África, the Tomás de Iriarte Municipal Public Library, and Skoda.