Noche de San Juan Photos: Puerto Rico Rings in Summer With an All-day Beach Party and Midnight Swim

"During Noche de San Juan this popular Carolina shoreline turns into a day‑long beach party where families and friends set up barbecues, play dominoes and beach sports, bring dogs, and dance to loud salsa, merengue and reggaeton while sipping Medalla beer. Celebrants camp out for cookouts and music, and many stay until midnight to perform the cleansing ritual of three (and sometimes seven or twelve) backward plunges to wash away bad energy and invite good luck, ending the long day with splashing in the ocean under the moon. A photographer documented crowds along roughly 6.5 miles of coastline as the festivities unfolded." - Mariah Tyler Mariah Tyler Mariah Tyler is Travel + Leisure's associate visuals director. She is a photographer and writer who covers Texas, Mexico, desert and city destinations, and design-forward hotels. She also commissions photo essays that highlight diverse voices in travel and unique cultural experiences. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines