The Canary Islands are rich in history, culture, traditions and feature some time-honoured sports that have been practiced for centuries.
The most popular of them is lucha canaria (Canarian wrestling), which is enthusiastically watched by thousands of Lanzarote residents and is a great show for holidaymakers looking for a taste of a genuine sport.
Many of the villages and towns around the island have their own teams, which compete against each other. Two wrestlers face each other in the ring and grapple for points. The aim is to force your opponent to the ground and there are many specialised wrestling moves to do this. It is great fun to watch these types of competitions. There is often a lucha Canaria contest held during local fiestas.
Other traditional island sports are juego del palo where challengers fight each other with a long slender stick and salto del pastor (also known as salto con garrocha), a type of pole vaulting event.
