Festivity, excitement, games, shows…Minorca! The Sant Joan festival is an unforgettable experience for anyone who has planned a break to Minorca to attend a highly-anticipated magical event for all ages. The arrival of summer means it is time for Sant Joan and for you to discover our hotels in Ciutadella, which offer lots of amenities and services for you to enjoy on your holiday to Minorca whilst you discover the fascinating culture of this little piece of heaven
Are you ready for the Sant Joan festivities? Not many people know the origin of this celebration. It actually started as a religious celebration during the 14th century, where lots of different social groups from all over the island came together to honour this saint every year. In fact, one of the things that makes this celebration unique is that the social status’ of this period are represented by four “Caixers”, or social representatives, divided up between Caixer Senyor, the noble; Caixer Capellà, the clergy; Caixers Pagesos, the farmers and Caixers Menestrals, the artists and craftsmen. These figures arrive on horseback and stay side by side throughout the whole celebration.
Ciutadella transforms itself from 17th to 24 June. The markets, traditional workshops and, above all, the horse exhibitions found all over the city welcome endless visitors during the celebration. Some of the most highlighted and must-see events are Día des Be, considered the start of the festival where a figure representing Sant Joan walks barefoot through the city with a lamb around his shoulders; and Caragol des Born, probably the most well-known part of the celebration. During this event, riders on horseback arrive to Plaza del Born where they will perform a show in time with music for the general public.
Els Jons des Pla is the star of the show and it is, without a doubt, the most popular. Here you will find two very fun medieval-themed games. The first is Carotades, in which riders gallop parallely- one of them holding a mask whilst the other tries to break it with a ‘lladriola’, a handmade object made from mud. The other, given the name Ensortilla, requires a lot of precision and concentration. During this, riders will ride with a spear in hand and try to throw it in a small hoop located at the other end. If the rider gets it in, they will win a silver spoon.
Discover the magic of Sant Joan during your holiday and stay at the HYB Eurocalas and at the Marinda Garden Aparthotel, two all-inclusive hotels in Minorca located just a few metres away from the symbolic Ciutadella. La Revetlla awaits you!
Discover Sant Joan with Garden Hotels
