La Tomatina – Travel Series By NirmalGyan.org
Wednesday 31st August 2022
La Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Bunol, in the east of Spain 30 kilometers from the Mediterranean, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in a tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes.
La Tomatina Festival started the last Wednesday of August in 1945 when some young people spent time in the town square to attend the Giants and Big-Heads figures parade. The young people decided to take part in a parade with musicians, Giants and Big-Heads figures. One participant’s Big-head fell off, as a result of the festivities.
10 tips for visiting the craziest festival in Spain: La Tomatina
Almost all of us have seen pictures and videos of this crazy festival. Of course, I had too, and like everyone else, wanted to witness it in person. As a matter of fact, it is actually very easy to participate in the festival if you have a plan. So, in this blog, I would like to share 10 tips for visiting the craziest festival in Spain: La Tomatina, which I would have personally wished to have known before my visit.
About the La Tomatina Festival
The La Tomatina Festival happens once a year on the last Wednesday of August. In fact, 160 tons of tomatoes are thrown at each other by 20,000 people during the biggest food fight of the world. It happens in a tiny village called Bunol in the Valencia province of Spain. To sum up, it is one of the craziest and messiest festivals in the world, but also one of the most fun.
Getting to the La Tomatina Festival
The easiest and most fun way to visit the festival is to book an organized trip, which are not very expensive. Alternatively, you can also visit on the morning of the festival on a train from Barcelona or Valencia but arrive at least 2 hours before the festival to avoid extremely crowded trains.
There are different kind of organized trip packages. Some of the added advantages of the organized trips are that they are inclusive of a before and after party as well as free sangria and paella. However, to save money we booked the package that included a bus ride to and fro Barcelona and we bought the festival tickets after getting there.
Tip: An organized trip is advantageous for various reasons. For instance, you get to leave all your belongings safely in the bus during the festival time. Another option is to leave them at a local store for a fee but it is definitely not safe.
10 Tips for visiting La Tomatina
1. Carry waterproof cover for your phone if you want to take pictures. You can also buy a phone cover and goggles at the venue, but they could be very pricey.
2. Do not wear expensive sunglasses or shoes if you don’t want to ruin them.
3. Carry a change of clothes and shoes.
4. Wear something comfortable and something you can throw away after the festival.
5. Do not wear flip flops because you may slip or break them. Wear an old but sturdy shoe that you can throw away after the festival.
6. Do not carry much luggage in case you are not visiting with an organized trip planner.
7. If you wear lenses, carry your glasses and lens case. Alternatively, if you wear glasses, do cover them with swimming goggles or snorkeling gear or you will not be able to see anything.
8. Carry some dry food and water.
9. Do not carry cash or anything valuable in the festival area.
10. Lastly, abide by the rules of the festival or you could be disallowed.