Lanjaron is located in the south of Spain in Andalusia. The nearest city is Granada famous for the Alhambra palace which is about an hour bus ride from this tiny hillside community. Lanjaron is famous for their natural springs water.
If you have travelled around Spain and bought some bottled water, you may have seen their bottles.
Lanjaron has several different springs located around the town. These fountains are pouring out water year round.The community knows each spring holds special powers. They believe one is for health, so if they are sick they drink from that spring. Another one may have fertility powers, and another one is the secret ingredient in making a batch of paella. So they celebrate these springs each year.
Every June the Midsummer’s Eve, the streets of this small town run with water and the community swells with people from nearby towns and cities. They gather in the city center at midnight on June 23rd for a water fight of epic proportions. It is to honor Saint John the Baptist and him baptizing Christ with water.
The clock strikes midnight and fireworks blast into the night sky starting the water war. Water guns, hoses, buckets, anything goes if it can soak someone.
The only safe place in the small town is inside the bar. If you are not inside the bar at midnight, you won’t be able to get in. They lock all the doors to every house and store. There is no place to hide. If you decide to go into the bar, you cannot leave and participate in the battle.
The springs are the main places of battle. Everyone gathers there for ammunition. Water falls from overhead as elderly women hide up there and dump buckets of water on the helpless victims below. No place is safe, be prepared to get soaked.
The war ends after an hour at 1 am with no winners. Then everyone dries and changes clothes followed by beer and free tapas.
If you have the chance, this festival is a blast to participate in. The locals are great and friendly,
