Puerto de la Cruz Hosts 14th Periplo International Travel and Adventure Literature Festival

The 14th edition of the Periplo International Travel and Adventure Literature Festival is now underway in Puerto de la Cruz. Running until Sunday, the festival has established itself as a key space for discussing today’s complex global issues, blending non-fiction storytelling with modern social challenges.

The event opened at the Sala Lido in Lago Martiánez with a powerful focus on social issues: the exhibition and photobook Travesías. Menores migrantes, el largo viaje (Journeys: Migrant Minors, the Long Voyage). Created by José Naranjo and Juan Luis Rod, the project shares the stories of thirteen young people who traveled from countries like Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, and Morocco to reach the Canary Islands. During the presentation, moderated by Ebbaba Hameida, speakers emphasized how literature and photojournalism can give a human face to migration, moving beyond the cold statistics often seen in the news.

This year’s program is ambitious, ranging from journalistic reports to political commentary. Correspondent Javier Brandoli introduced his book Carbonara con nata (Viajes al pasado, 2026), which uses his own field reporting to examine global problems like inequality, the rise of populism, climate change, and religious conflict. Additionally, Mexican author Jorge Volpi discussed his latest novel, La República, a dystopian story set in a future United States where democracy has been replaced by artificial intelligence and algorithms—a premise that sparks important questions about the ethics of technology in government.

Supported by the Puerto de la Cruz City Council, the Periplo Command, and the Tenerife Island Council, the festival continues with a busy schedule. Tuesday’s events feature authors Alejandro de Ara, Loreto Gutiérrez Prats, José Ignacio Carnero, and Margaryta Yakovenko, who will discuss their latest work. For the full schedule and more information on how the festival connects human experiences through literature, visit the official website.