La Tomatina Festival
Wednesday 28 August 2019
The festival of La Tomatina is held every year in the town of Buñol just a short journey from the city of Valencia.
La Tomatina is held on the last Wednesday in August and starts at 11.00am and many people start arriving at 8.00am
Try to wear something old or bring a change of clothes and a pair of goggles so you can have more fun and not get spattered with tomatoes.
- The days events begin with a whole ham being tied to a greased pole and you guessed it… before the event begins, someone must climb up the pole and get the ham.
- This is followed by absolute mayhem as millions of tons of tomatoes are released from the backs of trucks.
- What follows is an absolute orgy of tomato, water and shirt fights – all in good fun!
People flock from all over the world to enjoy this annual festival of slush and fun.
Tip! – There are a few safe-guards which all participants must respect and abide by.
For example the tomatoes must be crushed before being thrown so they won’t hurt anyone.
Getting Here…
The town of Buñol is easily reached from Estación del Norte in the center of Valencia in about 45 minutes.
It’s a good idea to get there as early as possible so as to miss the queues and not miss the fun. Trains can get very crowded and run approximately every hour to Buñol. If you need any more information on trains check out the Renfe Website.
For an enjoyable account of the festival read Louis de Bernières short story in ‘Travelers’ Tales SPAIN’, appropriately named ‘Seeing Red’ – See Books on Valencia
Book early as hotels and apartments in Valencia fill up very quickly during August.
History of La Tomatina
The origin of this fun-filled event began during a festival in 1945 in the town square of Buñol.
Many of the young people tried to join those at the head of the procession and in their haste someone fell. The scuffles that followed spilled over into an enormous brawl and an open crate of tomatoes (which just ‘happened’ to be there) proved too tempting – the rest is history!
The town of Buñol is now well and truly on the map, this amazing festival attracts thousands of visitors year after year – so if you want to come this year… book well in advance. Enjoy!
Festivals in Valencia
10 Best Things To Do In Valencia
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