The eve of San Juan is probably one of the most magical nights that one can live on the island of Tenerife, especially in te Puerto de la Cruz, where is tradition that many people from all parts of Tenerife attend the portuense city to enjoy this indescribable night.

Although describing the sensations that can live tonight is very difficult, we will try to summarize it in a few words so that you know what you can expect from the night of June 23.

What to expect from the eve of San Juan?

Primarily a festive atmosphere that floods the streets of Puerto de la Cruz. The whole island is filled with bonfires, symbolizing the purification of our soul in the flames, and a spiritual quest to eliminate bad moments experienced during the year and negative feelings. You can say it is an act of inner rebirth. In addition to eliminating the bad times and energies of our soul, is also the time to visualize our deepest desires and bring those positive energies we need to become a reality.

Although the entire island is full of these fires, in Puerto de la Cruz takes a special appearance because of its location in a coastal area, where the heat of the flames merges with the sea breeze. To complete the ritual, many people also take advantage of the proximity to the coast to take a night swim. First of all we recommend caution and waves and strong currents so characteristic of this area of the island.

On the eve of San Juan, thousands of people of Tenerife of all locations of the island tend to agglomerate along the long coastline covering Playa Garden, where many families and friends gather around bonfires with the intention of living a magical night, gather with loved ones and purify the soul. Many people burn fires in these papers where they write moments or bad feelings that have lived throughout the year, and it is customary for some to jump over them. In addition, in recent years in the Playa Garden, they have enabled stages where numerous musical along all night performances take place, after which you can enjoy a colorful fireworks display as the culmination of the show. The Barranco de San Felipe is another important point this evening because it is another area where numerous bonfires also converge.

In addition, it is also common that near the Castle of San Felipe various cultural events are performed. Public sources are sometimes decorated with flowers, fruits and vegetables.

The truth is that the festive and spiritual character of the festival, with thousands of people accompanied by their loved ones, gathered in an open and close to nature space trying to find the positive side of his own soul, has an internal effect, although the skeptics find it hard to believe it creates a special feeling of something intangible that is inside in people. A feeling that for whatever reason is very hidden or hard to find the rest of the year, it seems as if it was opened naturally creating a special energy that envelops the entire environment. Again, we encourage you to experience it yourself to feel what we are trying to explain.

Where does the festival of San Juan come from?

To know the origin of the festival of San Juan we move to remote times, an act linked to the arrival Midsummer in the northern hemisphere. The Guanches and aboriginals already celebrated as the beginning of a period where the energies were renewed, with a more open and cheerful spirit.

This way to celebrate the feast of San Juan is not exclusive to Tenerife, or the Canary Islands, but is also held in some European countries such as Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and the United Kingdom. Also in Latin American countries like Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

Some of the legends that surround the night of San Juan

As a curiosity, you might like to know some of the beliefs and legends that have been passed down over the centuries in the Canary Islands on the effects that can have this magical night if we perform various actions.

• According to some legends, those who bathed with the dew that falls during the night, will be protected throughout the year.
• Those singles, men and women, who start the day of San Juan with looking out of the window, then they get to know the love of their life.
• Some beliefs say that people who wake up early on the 24th, no longer will be sleepy until the night of San Juan the following year.
• On the other hand, it is said that if you drink water from a spring or stream at dawn on 24, you will be blessed with special powers that you can protect yourself and your loved ones.

As you can see, the night of San Juan is surrounded by a magical aura and legends and beliefs sometimes a little ridiculous. But what I can assure is that at least along tonight, wandering the festive and crowded streets of Puerto de la Cruz, and even more if you do it on the beach or near the sea, acquire energy especially within you that hard at other times of the year can feel.