La Vará del Pescao (Sardine Festival, Arinaga)

Arinaga is a working fishing town, and on the last Friday of August it throws a party that puts the sea front and centre. From about seven in the evening, a row of small wooden boats leads a procession down Avenida de los Pescadores while volunteers hand out grilled sardines from stalls along the way. They get through well over a tonne of fish, so come hungry and don't expect to pay for it.

Get there earlier and you'll catch the folk groups and live music warming things up from late afternoon. After dark the plaza fills for a verbena with a couple of bands, and around eleven the fireworks go up over the pier and bounce off the water. It runs on well past midnight if you've the legs for it. No need to speak Spanish to join in.