Thinking about heading out to Spain for the usual 2.4 Costa del Holiday this summer? Considering the joys of a three hour wait in the concrete jungle that is Alicante airport, the luminescent gateway to Español? Instead, how about bypassing all the usual tourist traps and bright lights for a taste of the true Iberian Peninsula? Yes, rather than picking up your car hire and driving on down to the holidaymaker infested shores of Malaga or Tenerife, why not try and visit one out of three of Europe’s most celebrated cultural festivals.
Spain just wouldn’t be Spain without one of these three unique events: The Bull Run of Pamplona, the Festival de La Mercè in Barcelona and finally La Tomatina, held in Buñol near Valencia. This year pick up your car hire Spain and try something truly different for once, trust me you won’t regret it.
The Bull Run – Pamplona – July the 7th.
The Bull Run originally started as a simple cattle drive from corral to market. During the annual run, young men would employ various tactics to make the drive quicker, this soon turned into an exhibition where youngsters would vie with each other using increasingly more dangerous tactics. Acts of foolhardiness and bravado were celebrated and even encouraged, the run soon lost its traditional meaning and became much more of a competition.
The running starts at 7:30am on the 7th of July and lasts for a whole week. At 8am 6 bulls and two herds of bullocks are released, the race start is signalled by the firing of a single rocket. The run has become increasingly more popular over the years and tourists come from all over the world to witness the spectacle. Getting good seats can be hard and visitors are encouraged to go early if they wish to get a good view.
La Tomatina – Buñol – Last Wednesday in August.
Perhaps one of the most Bizarre festivals in Europe is the La Tomatina held in Buñol at the end of August. Thousands of people each year descend upon the town to engage in a chaotic 1hour food fight that involves over 100 metric tonnes of over ripe tomatoes.
The weeklong festival starts with music, parades, dancing and fireworks before ending with a blitz of tomatoes. Records suggest that the festival originated in the early 40’s when a group of disgruntled townspeople threw a selection of rotting vegetables at city officials. An estimated 20,000 – 50,000 travel to city every year to take part in the festivities. Accommodation is limited in Buñol, most participants prefer to travel the 38km from nearby Valencia.
The Festival de La Mercè – Barcelona – 24th September.
The festival de La Mercè is Barcelona’s largest annual festival and is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, the Virgin de La Mercè. The main day, or the feast day, is actually the 24th, but a number of festivities and special activities are held in the days before and after the 24th.
The festival comprises of over 500 activities including parades, concerts, firework displays, air shows, athletic displays and competitions. Three of the most celebrated events are the pyromusical, the giant papier-mâché parade and the castell competition, a kind of giant human pyramid extravaganza. As well as being one of the biggest festivals in Spain, Barcelona is also one of the most beautiful and interesting cities to visit in the whole of Europe, definitely worth a stop over.
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