Video of St.John's bonfire night traditions...

...taken for/by the Canarian government's heritage teaching programme in Vallehermoso in La Gomera's north-west on Monday night, 23rd of June 2025. Note the massive bonfires all around the valley. 

There are lots of huge bonfires in every town and village all over the island on the same night with parties, music and dancing. In the video you can see ancient aboriginal traditions like the music, chants and dancing mixed with newer Christian traditions that arrived with the Spanish conquest. More about the bonfires HERE...

And then there was light...

 ...and not only at the end of the tunnel.

For many years the demand for lighting of the two tunnels below Arure down into Valle Gran Rey had been vociferous, not least after a serious accident involving a cyclist in the 625 metres long tunnel of Yorima. 

As I reported in 2020 the Canarian government had allocated substantial funds for the installation of illumination in both tunnels, but it took another few years for works to be completed, and some time ago the light came on, which I failed to report up to now. 

Many years ago when newly arrived in Valle Gran Rey, I once naively walked down from Arure to La Calera through both dark tunnels at night, trying to hitch a lift down. Nobody stopped for me as they probably thought they saw a ghost. A very scary experience for me and one to be avoided even now that the tunnels are lit, as the bit of pavement on both sides is too narrow to walk on safely, and only serves for standing on, back tightly pressed against the wall, when a car or truck thunders through the tunnel.