Possibly Spain’s most infamous annual event, La Tomatina is a tomato throwing festival that occurs in Bunol, a small town to the west of Valencia in Spain. Bunol is home to only 9000 residents, making this the most crowded and popular time for visiting the town. La Tomatina is one of the world’s biggest food fights and occurs on the last Wednesday of every August.
With accommodation being limited in Bunol, many tourists attending La Tomatina opt to stay in nearby Valencia and take a bus to the small town on the morning of the event. Being in such a close vicinity to Bunol, this event also becomes one of the biggest Valencia Attractions in the calendar year. If you are participating in La Tomatina, make sure you come prepared; your clothes will be ruined, so wear something that is not valuable and where possible, bring goggles to stop the tomatoes from getting into your eyes. There are a number of tours that include the famous tomato throwing festival along the way, so if you are travelling around Europe during the month of August, be sure to go to La Tomatina for some guaranteed fun.
The tradition of La Tomatina began in 1944 or 1945, but it is debatable as to where the tradition originated from. There is no particular reason for this event, no religious beliefs or cultural meanings, just simply a tradition that started purely for fun! If you are looking for some great holiday fun with a bit of a twist, and don’t mind getting messy in the process, La Tomatina is a Spanish event that should not be missed.
