San Juan & San Pedro Summer Fiestas

Oropesa del Mar sees in summer the way much of the Spanish coast does: with fire on the sand. On the eve of San Juan, the 23rd, bonfires go up along the beach, fireworks crack over the water and the whole town spills out for a long, easygoing night of music and street parties. There's no ticket and no fuss. You just wander down and join in, ideally with something cold in hand.

The fires keep going right through to San Pedro's eve on the 28th, when locals hand round Coca de San Pedro, a soft local sweet, with glasses of muscatel wine, and a band plays on into the small hours. It's free, friendly, and a good excuse to stay up far too late by the sea.