June is a month full of celebrations of light and colour: the magical night of San Juan, the carpets of flowers that fill up the streets during Corpus Christi, the spectacular blossoming of the Echium wildpretii… With the arrival of summer, the islands are pervaded with life and fiestas at the seaside.
Fiesta de San Juan
The summer solstice is also an intense experience on the Canary Islands. On this magical night there is no lack of bonfires on the beaches, street parties and fireworks in several places on Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where the flame of San Juan burns particularly bright.
This celebration also has a very special significance for the islanders of Gran Canaria, because every year on 24th June, on St. John’s Day, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria holds its Fiestas Fundacionales, the festival commemorating its official founding in 1478. The beautiful historical neighbourhood of Vegueta is transformed into the epicentre of countless cultural activities and open-air shows, rounded off by an impressive firework display set off on the beach of Las Canteras, and some very lively music.
Fiesta de San Juan
The summer solstice is also an intense experience on the Canary Islands. On this magical night there is no lack of bonfires on the beaches, street parties and fireworks in several places on Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where the flame of San Juan burns particularly bright.
This celebration also has a very special significance for the islanders of Gran Canaria, because every year on 24th June, on St. John’s Day, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria holds its Fiestas Fundacionales, the festival commemorating its official founding in 1478. The beautiful historical neighbourhood of Vegueta is transformed into the epicentre of countless cultural activities and open-air shows, rounded off by an impressive firework display set off on the beach of Las Canteras, and some very lively music.
The flower carpets of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi is an unmissable spectacle for anyone visiting the archipelago in June. The Thursday of Corpus Christi is celebrated in a very special way in the Canary Islands: by filling the streets and squares with artisanal carpets of flowers, coloured sand and seeds which turn the cold asphalt into a mantle of multicoloured tapestries spread out on the ground.
The old town of La Orotava, in Tenerife, is crammed with flowers and colour. These are authentic works of ephemeral art, created with petals and seeds of all hues, tiny heather leaves or tree bark. But the one that arouses genuine admiration covers the Ayuntamiento square – enormous and made with coloured volcanic sand brought in directly from the Teide National Park. Don’t miss out on going up onto the balcony of the town hall to contemplate this marvel, which made it into the Guiness Book of Records.
