What if I were to tell you that tomatoes aren’t just food but a bunch of projectiles thrown into other people? Well, as you can see, La Tomatina is devastating for the clothes and even for the identity of those who are caught in the middle of the action.
La Tomatina tomato fight in Buñol, near Valencia, happens every year on the last Wednesday in August though the partying starts earlier in the week. The highlight of the festival is the tomato fight which takes place between 11am and 1pm on that day. The event has become one of the highlights on Spain’s summer festivals calendar with thousands of people flocking to the little Valencian town for this chaotic event.
La Tomatina has been a strong tradition in Buñol since 1944 or 1945. The festival is in honor of the town’s patron saints, St. Louis Bertrand (San Luis Bertràn) and the Mare de Déu dels Desemparats (Mother of God of the Defenseless), a title of the Virgin Mary.
How can you get there?
On the morning of the festival there are trains from Valencia Central Station, which is about 40 km away, at eight minutes past the hour. There is no need to book tickets in advance and the journey takes 50 minutes. So the 8.08am, 9.08am or 10.08 trains will get you there in plenty of time. The earlier the better as the trains do get full. Alternatively, you can arrive by local bus or rent a car though this might not be a great idea considering the mess you’re likely to be in after the tomato battle. (more you will find here)
