There were fires on the beach for St. John's Eve celebrations in Valencia, last night. The eve of St. John's Day is widely celebrated in Spain where it is known as the night of San Juan.
Coincidentally, it is also the night before Midsummer's Day, or the Summer Solstice, which also falls on 24 June.
In Valencia, friends gather around fires on the urban beaches singing and performing rituals as a part of this magical night.
If you join the party, here are some tips to make the most of the celebrations:
- Cycle or use public transport, which has extra services available late into the night.
- If driving, be prepared for streets to be closed and diversions in place.
- Wood for bonfires is available at official distribution points.
- Only have fires in designated zones.
- No bonfires are allowed on the beaches in the zones of Albufera Natural Park.
- Drink sensibly and don't take any glass onto the beach, only plastic cups and bottles are allowed.
- Dispose of litter in bins and keep the beach tidy.
- In case of an emergency dial 112 or first aid posts are also available along the city beaches.
- The beaches close at 4am for cleaning, so you must leave by this time.
If you missed it this time round, check out more great Valencia beach activities for any time of the year.