San Juan Bautista is Tenerife’s midsummer festival and bonfire night Saturday 23 June

[aspasia]

Tenerife has its own bonfire night, on the Eve of the annual midsummer fiesta of San Juan Bautista (St John the Baptist). On St John's Eve, 23 June, Tenerife is lit up with bonfires and fireworks, and many visitors often think that a summer fire has started early. It will be no different this year, so expect to see plenty of smoke swirling above the hills throughout today.

The celebrations are far from restricted to the inland villages, however, and very many places on the coast will have bonfires on the beaches and in the harbours. If you are near one, you might even see some people jumping over the flames three times. This is considered to be purifying and lucky, representing a burning away of their problems. The largest celebration of San Juan's Day itself is held in Puerto de la Cruz, and involves the Baño de Cabras (bathing of the goats), with goat keepers from the hills above the town bringing their flocks down to the coast to bathe them in the sea in the early morning of the 24th ... literally traditional scapegoats whose purification will bring good fortune on their keepers and the local community.

For more information in English see Don Quijote.org

JA

[Nova]

Wow, I can't believe it's that time again already!!  Here in LG it would be hard to find a spot on the beach between all the bonfires.  They bring big coolboxes full of drinks and food and barbecue in the flames of the bonfire.  The smell of the smoke fills my apartment.

Thank god it falls on a weekend this year, it's a pain when they're playing music and making a general racket into the early hours of the morning when I have to work the next day...   

[aspasia]

 Apart from the ever most popular bonfire and beach celebration in the fiesta's namesake beach, Playa San Juan, El Médano will be host to a full event to celebrate the night on the beach and in the plaza. Los Cristianos, too, is having a bonfire on the beach and a dance in the Playa de la Pescadora outside the Cultural Centre from 9.30pm. Wherever you celebrate La Noche de San Juan, I hope you have a great and safe time. JA

[Nova]

Did you mean Plaza de la Pescadora? 

[aspasia]

I certainly did!!! 

[aspasia]

In the Costa Adeje area, Fañabé Beach Club is hosting a BBQ, mojitos, cocktails, champagne and strawberries, balinese beds ... all with live music between 11pm and 3am.

[Nova]

Either they haven't started yet or this is the quietest Noche de San Juan ever.... I can't see any smoke on the beach, though I did smell a little earlier, and the only noise is coming from a bar downstairs 

[aspasia]

I was just thinking the same thing. I've just been outside to see the bonfires, and there aren't any! 

[Nova]

How strange... maybe all the revellers have been drawn to the bigger events mentioned here, but the beach is usually full of families    I guess it's La Crisis....

[Perikles]

I was just thinking the same thing. I've just been outside to see the bonfires, and there aren't any! 

I saw two just by sitting on the sofa and looking out of the window. Perhaps they were burning whilst you were hosing yourself down.

(Cryptic reference to having to clean the dog.....hilarious. Not)