03 Jul 2013

If you’ve ever felt the urge to get really, really, messy (both ways) but don’t fancy the prospect of clearing up then get yourself down to the east of Spain and all your wishes will be granted. La Tomatina is an awesome annual festival that takes place in the town of Bunol on the last weekend of August. It basically involves young men, a few “ballsy” women and about 150,000 hand-crushed tomatoes that have been trucked in from the west.

WTF?

The main event kick offs in the morning when a very tall pole is greased up and a large slab of ham is placed upon the top. Excited crowds watch as gallant individuals attempt to shimmy up the slippery ‘palo jamon’ with varying degrees of success. Once someone has actually secured the meat, a jet of water is cannoned into the air and participants make way for the tomato-laden trucks to roll into the town’s main square.

There follows an hour’s worth of tomato-related flinging, squashing and splatting, the likes of which evoke memories of the custard pie fight in Bugsy Malone.

Note: protective goggles and gloves are both highly recommended. So, if you’re looking to ‘tick off’ a thoroughly messy and extremely unique experience, La Tomatina is an amazing option and below are three more excuses why everybody has to try this bad boy out at least once in their lives.

Most male participants are bare-chested and jammed-full of more testosterone than is medically recommended for an adult bull. Numbers range from up to 50,000 and nationalities include: British, French, German and, of course, Spanish. Women are more than welcome to join in and if you fancy being covered in tomato juice and surrounded by half-naked males then this one’s for you. Note: Rules and reg’s state that ripping t-shirts and clothing isn’t allowed however, it does happen so be warned.

Party time

There’s a whole lot of singing and dancing going on and it’s difficult to not party when you’re completely coated in, what is essentially, fruit pulp. The town is totally geared up for the festival with events, such as: fireworks, parades and live music, taking place all week. Although Bunol is usually inhabited by some 9000 residents, the locals are quite friendly and welcome good-natured party goers who are in town to get messy and have fun. Don’t miss: On the eve of La Tomatina there’s a huge paella cook-off which is a delicious means of building up your strength in readiness for the big day.

Where to stay

As you’d imagine, accommodation does tend to be a little scarce in Bunol around the end of August but thankfully, just down the road, is the beautiful city of Valencia. Hotels and hostels can be found in abundance and a regular bus service will take you straight to the heart of the tomato chucking action. Aside from its proximity to Bunol, Valencia is packed-full of its own attractions, with: markets, cathedrals, museums and gardens, providing lots of sightseeing options after you’ve finally got those fuggen’ tomato pips out of your ears.