Tiny town’s 65m tree might be Spain’s tallest

As Christmas approaches, Cartes has constructed a towering 65m meter tree in a bid to put the Cantabrian town of just 6,000 on the map.

The tree’s official lighting will take place on December 5th with a corresponding celebration complete with pyrotechnics and caroling. Cartes’ mayor, Agustín Molleda, told EFE that the giant metallic structure was constructed with just 15,000 euros. Architect and Cartes resident Adrián Gómez insists that the structure complies with all safety regulations despite its low cost.

Each year, cities across Spain engage in an informal competition to erect the country’s tallest Christmas tree. This year’s contenders include Granada, with its 55m tree, Vigo, whose tree will top out at 40m, and Badalona, whose government announced its tree would surpass Vigo’s.

Cartes’ government saw the opportunity to make history and seized it, initially planning to construct a 45m tree in October, then revising it to 65m once Granada announced its plans to take the title.

Molleda urges visitors to look beyond the tree itself and instead see the spirit and ingenuity of the town’s residents. According to Molleda, the structure could easily surpass 100m, should they decide to expand it once finished.

“I think it’s difficult to find someone as crazy as us”, Molleda told EFE.