- Every year, the festival brings together thousands of visitors for a unique celebration linked to water and the Night of San Juan.
- This designation recognises over forty years of history and community involvement in one of the country’s most distinctive celebrations.
- Water, tradition and community participation define a festival that has become a symbol of identity for Lanjarón.
The Ministry of Industry and Tourism, through the State Secretariat for Tourism, has declared the ‘Carrera del Agua’ in Lanjarón, Granada, a Festival of National Tourist Interest, in recognition of the uniqueness of a celebration that combines festive, ethnological and symbolic elements linked to water, purification and the popular traditions of the Night of San Juan.
The Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez, has approved the award of this distinction, highlighting the participation and involvement of local residents in “transforming their streets into a vast festive stage where residents and visitors use water as a symbol of coexistence, identity and renewal, whilst also maintaining a close connection with the municipality’s historical and natural heritage, historically renowned for the quality of its waters”.
With this designation, the ‘Carrera del Agua’ becomes the thirteenth Festival of National Tourist Interest in Andalusia, and the 163rd in the country as a whole.
The festival is one of the most significant events in the municipality of Granada, attracting more national and international visitors every year, evolving from a local tradition to establish itself as a benchmark on the national festival scene. It takes place on the night of San Juan, and its origins date back to 1980, when the residents of Lanjarón sought a unique way to commemorate this date through the festive use of water.
The main event is the ‘Water Race’, which takes place at midnight on the night of 23–24 June. For an hour, all participants splash water at one another using buckets, hoses, bottles or balloons in a festive, peaceful and convivial atmosphere
The festival is rounded off with tastings of Alpujarra ham, local wines and traditional local cuisine, live music performances, and the traditional bonfires and rituals associated with the night of San Juan.
Source: MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TOURISM