In the Footsteps of Fire and Tradition. What Is San Juan Like in Torrevieja?
Out of editorial duty (and sheer curiosity!), we decided to see how the local community is preparing for one of Spain’s most spectacular festivals—the Night of San Juan. To do so, we went for a walk in search of the festival bonfires, known as hogueras.
The main venue for the festivities in Torrevieja is located at the corner of Calle San JosĂ© and Calle JoaquĂn Chapaprieta, right next to Plaza del Molino. It is there that the Foguera Molinos del Calvario association has set up a festival village. What did we find there?
The atmosphere of a real, neighborhood festival! A short stretch of road has been completely closed to traffic, making way for the bustling festivities. Visitors can enjoy a food court where they can buy drinks and local food, and for the little ones, there’s a candy stand and a huge inflatable slide. The heart of the town is the stage, where we enjoyed beautiful performances by young artists.
The Great Lion, Trump, and the Pharaoh: The Heart of San Juan
The most important and spectacular part, however, stood right in the middle of the intersection. I’m talking about the hogueras—intricately crafted figures made of cardboard, wood, and plastic that will soon be consumed by fire.
The centerpiece of the entire composition (the so-called hoguera mayor) is a majestic, gigantic lion’s head crowned with flowers. Around it, the artist has woven a multi-layered narrative: from small African vessels and sculptures, through sharp political satire featuring Donald Trump trapped in a hay basket, all the way to a gigantic, stylized pharaoh’s tomb. To the side, somewhat more subtly, stands a second, distinguished installation—the hoguera infantil, a smaller, charming children’s version dedicated to the youngest visitors, conveying a message of love and protection for the planet.
Why do figurines “speak” to us?
As we walked around the installation, we quickly noticed that each small scene (known as a ninot) has its own dedicated sign, called a cartela in Spanish. This is an extremely important, literary element of this festival. The creators of the figures (artistas foguerers) use them to explain the hidden message behind their works to viewers through poetry, rhymes, or witty humor. The festival jury evaluates not only the sculpture itself, but also the coherence and quality of these literary descriptions!
For example, beneath the figure of Donald Trump, the creators mercilessly mock his political decisions, writing on a sign:
“We expected only minor evolution from the troglodyte, but it is more surprising when someone, surrounded by information, continues to build walls based on Paleolithic ideas. Because some have left the cave... while others have simply redecorated it as the presidential office.”
Next to the mummy, we find a poetic reflection on the transience of life and the very idea of the festival: “The pharaoh created a sarcophagus so as not to disappear, and we light bonfires… just to watch them burn!”.
Our Verdict: Where to Go in San Juan?
To wrap up our reporting trip, we have one piece of advice for you. If you’re planning a special trip just to see the gigantic, spectacular sculptures—each over a dozen meters tall—you should definitely choose Alicante—the undisputed capital of this festival, where hundreds of monumental figures adorn nearly every neighborhood with great pomp and circumstance.
However, if you’re in Torrevieja and want to take your time experiencing the authentic atmosphere of this festival—unspoiled by mass tourism—and see how local artists and Spanish families celebrate, be sure to take a stroll here. Torrevieja’s intimate atmosphere has its own unique Spanish charm that’s worth experiencing firsthand.
So if you’d like to see these little works of art before their grand finale—hurry up. On June 24, it will be time for the cremá—the moment when the flames consume the hogueras prepared by the artists. That’s the magic of San Juan—creating for months just to let it all go up in flames in a single night.
