End Google Tag Manager -->
GLOBAL SHORT RENTALS
Take a bath in ‘Tomatina’ juice in 2013

Take a bath in ‘Tomatina’ juice in 2013

Mónica Boixeda

The town of Buñol in the province of Valencia has reinvented itself thanks to the Tomatina. It´s the most popular festival not only on a regional scale but also on a Spanish and worldwide scale, being declared a festival of National Tourist Interest. It¡s a war of tomatoes where there´s also no lack of food nor drink. You will bathe in tomato juice in a battle in which the only weapon is this vegetable. It´s a great plan to blow off some steam and get rid of the stress you accumulate all year long. Photo: flydime The festival takes place on the last Wednesday in August (this year it´s the 28th. Its origins and deeply-rooted tradition means that it´s impossible not to relate the town of Buñol with the smell of tomato. La Tomatina is the most popular festival in this town of 10,000 people that, nearing the date of the festival, triplicates its number of inhabitants. It all began with a parade of giants and big-headed figures during a festival that was a tribute to the town´s patron saint in the summer of 1944. That was when there was an uprising of those who were not allowed to participate and they began to chuck vegetables at the parade. It was a truly spectacular event. The battle was repeated the following year and, after it being banned many times, it was instated as an official festival of Buñol in 1959. It was a public outcry. For it, they need around 100,000 kg of tomatoes, although they are mostly from low-quality crops, since the times aren´t all that in order...

Las Fallas in Valencia

Mónica Boixeda

Las Fallas in Valencia are known around the world. They say goodbye to winter, on St Joseph´s day, with the bonfires of the ´ninots´.

Bioparc Valencia

Mónica Boixeda

Bioparc in Valencia isn´t a traditional zoo. The animals there are semi-free and enjoy recreation in their natural habitat.