Noche de San Juan — Fuengirola

Every year on the night of 23 June, Fuengirola's beaches light up for one of the most magical evenings on the Costa del Sol — the Noche de San Juan. It's the Spanish midsummer bonfire night, and Fuengirola celebrates it on the beach with the same exuberance as anywhere in Andalusia.

The focus is Playa de San Francisco, where bonfires are lit along the shoreline from early evening and the atmosphere builds steadily through the night. Live music gets underway from around 9:30 pm, and the crowd swells as midnight approaches. At the stroke of twelve, the famous júas are burned — effigies stuffed with sawdust and paper that symbolise the troubles of the past year going up in smoke — and a fireworks display lights up the sky above the sea.

The traditions include writing wishes on paper to throw into the flames, and wading into the sea barefoot at midnight — part of the official celebration organised by the Ayuntamiento. You'll also see the age-old practice of hoguera jumping taking place around the bonfires, one of many midsummer rituals observed on the night.