Tomatina Festival in Spain
The tomato fight has been a strong tradition in Bunol since 1944 or 1945. No one is completely certain how this event originated. Possible theories on how the Tomatina began include a local food fight among friends, a juvenile class war, a volley of tomatoes from bystanders at a carnival parade, a practical joke on a bad musician, and the anarchic aftermath of an accidental lorry spillage.
Although we are not sure why Spaniards love to throw tomatoes at each other, we surely enjoy this delicious madness as much as they do.
We’ve put together a few highlights to help you in anticipation of the exciting adventure you’re hopefully about to embark on.
La Tomatina 2018 is taking place on Wednesday, 29 August this year. You can book your tickets online. But be sure to get in soon, tickets sell out quickly!
Buñol is a relatively small town in the province of Valencia, Spain. Every year upwards of 40,000 people gather in the town to throw over 115,000 kilograms of tomatoes at each other. The rest of the time, this is an ordinary Spanish town that isn’t visited that often by tomato loving travellers.
Buñol itself contains its own riches worth discovering. For example, Cueva Turche is a gorgeous hiking area with breath taking waterfalls and caves. Absolutely stunning!
But of course, this is not the focus of this gallery today. Let’s dive into the Spanish tomato madness.
Australia is known for its Big Prawn, Big Banana, Big Trout and a whole bunch of other large items across the country. Maybe it’s time for a Big Tomato!?
If you decide to go to La Tomatina this year, make sure you brush up on your swimming skills!
During the week leading up to this epic battle, the 9000 inhabitants of Buñol watch as their town doubles in size. The night before La Tomatina, the narrow streets beneath the town’s medieval bell tower begin to fill with the smell of tomatoes. Excitement is in the air!
The city council provides a short list of instructions to ensure the safety of the participants and the festival. Let’s go through them:
- Do not throw bottles or hard objects.
- Do not tear or throw tee-shirts.
- Squash tomatoes before throwing them to avoid hurting others.
- Keep a safe distance from trucks.
- Stop throwing tomatoes after the second starter pistol shot.
- Follow directions from the staff.
And if you need to take a break from all this veggie swimming, you can always find a chess partner in the crowd.
One thing is certain, if you enjoy tomatoes in your diet, you are going to have a blast.
Smiles and giggles are guaranteed!
And it’ll definitely be messy!
If you’d like more travel information, please don’t hesitate to contact our team on 1800 242 353.