The magical night of San Juan

This year I decided that I really try to experience as much of the Spanish culture as I could.  

Its a culture so rich, unique, and exciting id really be crazy not too. 

I was incredibly lucky to be invited to celebrate La magica de la noche de San Juan by the utterly fabulous and oh so gorgeous The Marbella Club hotel   

 The marbella club hotel is of my favorite hotels in Spain, with interiors and style to dye for... and a glamorous history which only adds to its decedent vibe

La magica de la noche de San Juan or "the magic of the night of San Juan" is a festival that seems to embody life in Spain.

​Its all about having a good time in the company of friends and loved ones.  Typically held on the beach with roaring bonfires, drink, food, and friends and some very unique traditions,  

 It is a memorable, almost surreal occasion that needs to be experienced to be appreciated. 

​As legend states, everything begins again on the night of San Juan. It is an opportunity to burn unwanted memories and purify the soul through a ritual dip in the sea at midnight.

But before we went running into the sea we started the night with a new drink to me... refreshing Sau Sau, kind of like a Mojito but vodka based. Amazing! 

So more about those rituals. After midnight, it is tradition to go into the sea and jump back over the waves 9 times to be blessed with fertility and well being. We had such fun with this after a few sau saus...

After this its customary to wash your face with sea water to ensure beauty and health for the year ahead. The sight of hundreds of people wandering into the water after midnight with the haze of bonfires everywhere is something I will never forget

And lastly, we were given a bunch of verbena to hang over our door to receive a blessing 

We took a seat at our table for the evening, right on the beach, with the waves crashing around  us

Blue accents everywhere, coordinating perfectly with the sea, while glimmering candles flickered all around  

 San Juan is all about changes. It is about night and day; fire and water. Fire purifies and water recuperates, refreshes, and rejuvenates.

And just in case we weren't entertained enough, we were treated to the most spectacular fireworks display from the pier 

As is tradition. we wrote down anything we wished to forget on a piece of paper and threw them into the fire...ready for a new beginning and the start of summer

All along the coast of marbella, fires after fire dotted the coastline. It really was quite the spectacle. The smell of smoke in the air, music playing and a feeling of camaraderie that crossed age, culture, and background. It really is a magical night 

Thank you so much to The Marbella Club hotel for inviting me as a guest... I couldn't think of a more beautiful place to experience my first San Juan 

Xoxo
Belle  

For more Spanish adventures see here and here