El Castillo San Miguel - step back into medieval times

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El Castillo. If you're ever up in the area of Aldea Blanca, San Miguel, you just might find yourself passing what looks like an authentic medieval castle.

This is El Castillo San Miguel and it is the venue for the famous medieval nights, featuring feasting and much drinking of wine, whilst watching a group of Knights on horseback jousting and engaging in swordfights.

The castle is a structure covering some 6,000 square meters, made of fine Canarian stone. Three evenings a week (or four, in summer) there is a tournament staged, for the benefit of the lucky people who attend.

Should you decide to go on this trip, you arrive at the castle, which you'll find decked out impressively with suits of armour, swords and other weapons, to be greeted by the Count, Don Rodrigo, and his daughter, who will take you through to the Tournament Hall.

This is the most impressive chamber in the castle, which accomodates 1100 people. You sit in a sort of grandstand arrangement at long tables, where everyone has a good view of the tournament area in the centre, where all the action takes place.

The Count and Countess take their places in the royal box and the games begin. During the show, you are served with a meal of soup (which you have to drink, there being no cutlery), followed by a main course of a whole chickeneach, with pork ribs in a barbecue sauce plus baked potatoes - which you eat the medieval way - by hand! Dessert of ice cream finishes the meal.

There is a vegetarian option of lasagne.

White or red wine flows incessantly throughout your meal, with each emptied bottle being swiftly replaced. Mineral water and fizzy orange is also available.

While you are eating, the Tournament begins. Each section of the audience is encouraged to cheer on one particular knight and rivalry between audience groups is encouraged. The Castle staff even hand out popcorn which the different factions usually end up throwing at each other! Much medieval fighting and games and horsemanship takes place, all the knights being expert stuntmen.

This part of the evening is concluded with a display by the Brasilian acrobatic team, "Capoeira".

Subsequently, the Count and Countess lead everyone through to another large hall, the "Ballroom", which has a stage and there is the opportunity to dance the rest of the night away, usually to live music.