Midsummer Night — Quema de los Bigotes
On the night of 23 June, Estepona's neighbourhoods go down to the beach to burn piles of branches. Fire, sea and the most local tradition of the start of summer.
Midsummer Night in Estepona has its own version: the Quema de los Bigotes. On 23 June, as the sun sets, the city's neighbourhoods build piles of branches and wood on the beach and set them alight. The bonfires light up the coastline through the night.
The name 'bigotes' (moustaches) refers to the piles of dry branches that have been gathered for days before the burning. This is not a tourist tradition — it's something the neighbourhoods, families and long-standing groups of friends do together. Each neighbourhood has its own spot on the beach.
Joining in is easy: just head down to the beach that night. No ticket, no official programme, no fixed schedule. The whole city is on the beach and the atmosphere creates itself.
It's hard to photograph well because the light changes fast and the activity is scattered across the beach. But it's very easy to feel part of something real.
Before you go
23 June — Midsummer Night. Fixed date.
Where
Estepona beaches
The neighbourhoods go down to different points along the coastline
The year in Estepona
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