What to expect
The Nit de Sant Joan is the shortest night of the year and, on Mallorca, the night of fire. Celebrations run from the evening of 23 June into the early hours of 24 June, St John's Day. In Palma the Parc de la Mar below the cathedral is the centre: the city organises a programme there with concerts, fire shows and a Correfoc, in which groups dressed as demons (dimonis) move through the crowd with spark-spraying fireworks. Those who dare dance under the rain of sparks, everyone else watches from a safe distance.
At the same time the beaches fill up. At Can Pere Antoni, Ciutat Jardí and along the Playa de Palma, families and groups of friends light small bonfires, barbecue, jump over the flames three times as tradition dictates and run into the sea at midnight. The midnight swim is said to bring luck for the coming year and is the emotional highlight of the night. And the celebrations are not confined to Palma: fires also burn that night in towns such as Sóller, Alcúdia, Manacor and Ciutadella on Menorca; midsummer night is an island-wide festival.
24 June is a public holiday in Palma (the city's patron saint), and many shops stay closed. The night before is loud, exuberant and, for many, lasts until sunrise.
Practical tips
- Getting there: Leave the car at home. The EMT buses run special timetables that night, and taxis are hard to come by around midnight. If you live in Palma, walk or take the bike.
- Crowds: The Parc de la Mar and the beaches are full from about 10 pm. For the Correfoc: cotton clothing with long sleeves, headwear and closed shoes if you want to get close.
- Costs: Everything is free. Bring your own food, drinks and a blanket, the beach kiosks are overrun early.
- With children: The early evening on the beach works well; the Correfoc is only suitable for older children because of the noise and sparks. Ear protection helps.
- Afterwards: The morning of 24 June is the quietest moment of the year on the beach, but there is a lot of rubbish. The city cleaning crews clear up from early morning.