A night of fire, jumps, sand, a night swim, meeting friends, revelry, fireworks.. The people of Tenerife are getting ready to purify themselves by a bonfire and bid adieu to all bad memories which are thrown into the flames this Sunday night. Even though this celebration is called San Juan, it has a pagan origin long before Christianity. Since ancient times, bonfires were lit on the nights following the arrival of the summer solstice to give strength to the sun, ward off evil spirits, and attract good luck.
There will be plenty of opportunity for celebration as always but with more caution than ever. The risk of fires has led authorities to be increasingly cautious. Throughout Tenerife, it is prohibited to have bonfires between this Sunday and Friday in all wildfire risk areas, that is, mountains, midlands, and rural parks of Teno and Anaga. All due to the Cabildo de Tenerife declaring a forest fire alert on the island from June 3rd to November 3rd.
Special operation by the Consortium of Firefighters. The Tenerife Firefighters Consortium will deploy a special operation in these days as this traditional celebration can cause problems: bonfires that get out of control and unauthorized can spark fires. Moreover, in areas outside the wildfire risk zones, where municipalities have jurisdiction, bonfires can only be made with authorization and under specific conditions.
One of the councils that has taken extreme precautionary measures from this Sunday to next Friday is that of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Bonfires and fires will not be allowed in public thoroughfares or spaces, nor in parks, gardens, ravines, or beaches. Likewise, citizens wanting to light a bonfire, provided it is in an allowed location, must notify the City Council in advance through the municipal website.
In the decree, the City Council also warns that, to ensure safety, bonfires must be located at least 20 meters away from buildings, roads, or electrical and telephone lines, as well as parked vehicles. “It is also recommended that there be about 50 meters of distance between bonfires. In the proximity of facilities at risk of fire, such as gas stations, industrial warehouses, or paper stockpiles, that distance should be doubled,” the decree clarifies. Additionally, the maximum height of the bonfire is set at three meters, with a maximum diameter of five meters. Moreover, inflam […]
I leap over a bonfire. / E. D.
The councils set limitations. Most councils have adopted similar measures. This is the case, for example, in Adeje, where individuals interested in having bonfires in private areas downhill from the highway must expressly notify municipal authorities by submitting a form. In the case of areas uphill from the highway, prior authorization from the Cabildo de Tenerife will be required, which due to the high risk of wildfire spread will determine if they can be conducted and the specific safety measures for the outlined activities.
The Adeje City Council appeals “to the solidarity, responsibility, and civility of citizens” to ensure that the festivities take place “in an atmosphere of healthy coexistence and respect for the environment”.
For a safe night. The requirements include locating bonfires in places easily accessible to emergency services, away from inflammable vegetation and structures; the area around the fire must be clear of vegetation and flammable materials, the stack of materials must not exceed two meters in height or three meters in diameter, and precautions must be taken, such as having water or fire extinguishers nearby, and monitoring the area until the fire is completely extinguished.
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In the beaches of Los Guanches and El Charquito, Playa del Pozo, Playa de Olegario, Playa del Alcalde, Playa de La Viuda, Playa de Chovito, Playa de Samarines.
The beaches where bonfires are held will remain closed until the necessary cleaning is done to ensure their safety and cleanliness. Regarding the middle areas, it is reminded that bonfires are prohibited in high-risk forest fire areas.
Main festive programmes. The highest concentration of people for Sunday night is expected at Playa Jardín, in Puerto de la Cruz. It is one of the municipalities that experiences this celebration most intensely. Everything will start this Saturday with the Enrame de Chorros, a celebration with many links to the city’s history. Fruits and flowers will be the main protagonists of the 8 jets: Cuaco, Cupido, Las Cabezas, El Durazno, La Calle Mequinez, Las Maretas, the jet of the historic fishing pier and finally that of Punta Brava. They will be the focal points of a unique celebration on this weekend of traditions.
This enrame will give way on Sunday to the feast of San Juan, where thousands of locals and visitors will gather on the beaches and coastal areas of Puerto de la Cruz to ward off all evils with fire and water and thus welcome summer, in a ritual that dates back at least to the 18th century as already described in the writings of one of the fathers of modern geography, the German naturalist and historian Alexander Von Humboldt. After the Enramed de Chorros, the ritual to complete a day full of traditions will continue at the Market, to accompany San Juanito’s journey to Playa Jardín with a batucada rhythm, where a fire will be lit, as a prelude to bonfires that will once again be massive.
The main event in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, organized by the City Council, will take place at Los Charcos de Valleseco. There will be no bonfire for safety reasons but there will be a night swim. The Anaga District has organized a musical programme for this Sunday, on the eve of San Juan’s Day. From 16:00 hours, there will be ambient music, while from 18:00 hours, DJ Franklin will bring urban rhythms. Later, at 20:00 hours, the Latin rhythms group Clave de Son will perform. Finally, at 22:00 hours, the party will end with the Saocco Orchestra. The day will culminate at 12:00 midnight with the traditional sea swim.
In the bathing area, there will also be two foodtrucks offering various food and drink options: Ukelele Foodtruck and La Trottola. For this event, the Charcos de Valleseco area, which normally closes at 23:00 hours, will extend its hours until 00:00 hours for this celebration.
There will also be events in other areas of the Tenerife coast. For example, the Municipality of Granadilla de Abona has organised a festive programme on the beaches of El Médano and Los Abrigos. There will be parades, music, and the final performance in the main square of El Médano with Miss Band.
There will also be fun on Puerto Santiago Beach, in the municipality of Santiago del Teide. From 21:00 hours on this Sunday, there will be a bachata masterclass. Subsequently, different DJs will provide the musical touch until 01:00 hours, marking the most special night of the year. Finally, at 22:00 hours, the traditional bonfire burning will begin, accompanied by a fireworks show.
In Los Cristianos, a municipality in Arona, musical actions by the group Aparrandados, DJ Carlos Delgado and the group Una Hora Menos, will take place this Sunday from 19:00 to 01:00 hours in the Plaza de la Pescadora. Additionally, starting from 20:00 hours, the Pasacalle de San Juanito will be celebrated, with a route from Avenida de Los Playeros (Kiosk Pepón) to Plaza de la Pescadora. In Tabaiba (El Rosario), there won’t be a floating bonfire this year due to ongoing works on the promenade.
Buses reinforce their service
Titsa’s public buses will reinforce the service on the Night of San Juan this Sunday to Monday, with additional trips on a dozen routes. This means that travellers choosing to celebrate this summer kickoff festivity will have extra trips on route 910 at 22:15, 22:45, and 23:15 from the Interchange and from Las Teresitas at 22:45, 23:15, and 23:45 hours. Route 970 (Interchange Santa Cruz de Tenerife-San Andrés) will have departures every approximately 15 minutes from the capital interchange starting at 23:45 until 05:30 hours and, from 00:15 hours to 06:00 hours, on the return trip from Las Teresitas. Additionally, route 138 will extend its service and have return trips to Santa Cruz de Tenerife from Radazul at 22:40, 23:40, 01:00, and 02:00 hours. The transport company will also reinforce the usual departures of routes 104 (Santa Cruz – Puerto de La Cruz via Tacoronte), 122 (Santa Cruz – Las Caletillas – Candelaria), 352 (Circuit Puerto de la Cruz-La Orotava-Los Realejos), 353 (Circuit Puerto de la Cruz-Los Realejos-La Orotava), 363 (Puerto de la Cruz-Buenavista del Norte via Icod de los Vinos), 390 (Puerto de la Cruz-Las Arenas-La Vera-La Montaña-Los Realejos), and 408 (Granadilla-San Isidro-El Médano). All schedules can be checked on the website www.titsa.com, on Titsa’s customer service telephone 922.53.13.00, and through the company’s social media. | E.D.
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