Puerto de la Cruz Periplo Festival Concludes with Focus on Journalism and Migration

The Periplo International Travel and Adventure Literature Festival in Puerto de la Cruz is heading into its final weekend. Now in its fourteenth year, the festival has cemented its reputation as a vital space for discussing human movement and journalistic storytelling. This year’s closing program focuses on historical memory, investigative reporting, and the realities of migration.

Saturday’s events at the Martiánez Tent bridge the gap between non-fiction writing and social issues. The morning features Jesús Giráldez discussing his book El emperador del Sáhara (The Emperor of the Sahara), followed by Eduardo García Rojas, who will present the final installment of his Canarian historical trilogy, La viuda (The Widow). Later, veteran journalist Rosa María Calaf will join Elena Ortega to discuss her book, Ruta 61. Un viaje sonoro siguiendo el Misisipi (Route 61: A Sonic Journey Following the Mississippi).

The afternoon shifts toward journalism and science. Astrophysicist Antonia Varela from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands will explore the connection between the cosmos and geography, while correspondents Javier Espinosa and Mónica García Prieto will lead a session on the ethics of reporting. The day concludes with filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves and René Araneda discussing how film can capture the nature of coexistence, followed by the nighttime Periplo Secreto session.

The festival wraps up on Sunday with two deeply personal and social events. First, Binta Claire will share her story of migrating to the islands alone—a journey documented in her book La hija del viento. Mi voz, mi historia, mi lucha (Daughter of the Wind: My Voice, My Story, My Struggle)—in a conversation moderated by José Naranjo. The festival will then conclude with a roundtable discussion, "Peace Reporting: Journalism and Cooperation Against Oblivion," featuring Rosa María Calaf, Nicolás Castellano, and representatives from the Vicente Ferrer Foundation.

In today’s climate, literary gatherings like Periplo are more important than ever. They serve as hubs for critical thinking, where travel literature goes beyond simple geography to become a tool for analyzing and highlighting modern humanitarian crises. This year’s program highlights the essential role of the correspondent in preserving our collective memory in an era often defined by fast-paced news and short-lived attention spans.