Saint John's Night (Bonfires on the Beach)

The shortest night of the year is a big deal up and down the Spanish coast, and Torrenostra does it the old way: down on the sand. Through the evening the seafront fills up with local drum and dolçaina (a reedy Valencian pipe) groups, their procession clattering along the promenade before the bonfires are lit. Families haul out tables and turn dinner into a street-long affair, with music carrying on long after dark.

The tradition is to leap the flames for luck, then wade into the sea at midnight to wash off the old year. Bring a towel and a change of clothes if you fancy joining in. It runs through the night of 23 to 24 June and costs nothing. Turn up, find a fire, and stay as late as you like.