One of the most well-known events, throughout all of the world, the Pamplona Running of the Bulls is a Spanish event that takes part in the annual San Fermin Festival in Pamplona. The opening ceremony for the festival is where all of the excitement takes place, as thousands of locals and foreigners take to the streets in the annual running of the bulls. The opening ceremony, more commonly known as the Chupinazo, takes place over the course of the entire first day, taking over the main streets of Pamplona. The days of the festival that follow the opening ceremony are relatively similar, with celebrations involving much music and dancing.
Apart from the running of the bulls, another main Spain attraction, most commonly seen during the San Fermin Festival, is bullfighting; a Spanish tradition dating back thousands of years. During the festival, the bullfighting takes place in the bullring, located in the city centre, and involves the bulls from the run that took earlier that day. If you aren’t keen on getting amongst the mayhem that takes place on the city streets, you can always view the action, safely, from the balconies of surrounding buildings.
Many tour companies offer a range of packages for those wishing to travel to Spain during the San Fermin Festival. While Pamplona is most commonly a quiet city, the streets become hectic during the festival, and so having a local tour guide can often lead to a more pleasant experience. Your travel agent can often organise a package that includes everything you need for the day, most importantly accommodation, which can often become scarce during the weeks of the festival.
Whether you choose to be a spectator, or get amongst the action and run with the bulls, the San Fermin Festival is one of the most remarkable Spain attractions, not to be missed.
