Tomato fight in Spain - La Tomatina Adventure!

The biggest food fight in the world, La Tomatina is back. The Tomato fight 2019 is your time to be WILD!

Video preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0awM4Zhlqqg

In previous years, we've had an amazing time, with many participants describing it as possibly the best experience they've ever had. The after party was awesome too, we took the last bus home around 6 am and didn't stop dancing for the whole night.

One legend has it that La Tomatina saw its' beginning with a good old-fashioned “food fight” in the mid-1940s during a community parade; others believe that the tomato battle served as a re-enactment.

FOR DETAILED INFORMATION WITH PICTURES OF THE TRIP CLICK HERE

What's included:

2 nights’ accommodation- mixed dorms

Transport to and from the festival

Souvenir T-shirt

Sangria party before the fight

Spanish government tax (introduced last year)

Price: £199

Once the deposit of £100 + PayPal fees have been paid, you can transfer the remainder at your convenience but no later than a month before the trip.

If it`s more convenient for you, we also accept bank transfers. Our bank details are:

Kat`s Adventures Limited

account number: 41764527

sort code: 40-09-25

Itinerary

We haven't planned anything arrival day - with everyone coming at different times. We will sort out our tickets and will have them ready for you in your rooms by the evening. We will also book a restaurant so that we can have a meal together, but we will keep it short and sweet to preserve energy for the big day.

BIG DAY-28th of August

6:00 Taking a bus from Valencia to Buñol for our famous sangria party!

7:30 We arrive in Buñol and the SANGRIA PARTY BEGINS!!!

8:30 After an hour of drowning yourself in sangria we make our way to the festival to get ourselves a fantastic spot so we are truly in the heart of the action!

11:00 The fight begins! Just in case at this stage you aren’t aware the mission here is to smash as many people with as many tomatoes as possible for the next hour until the last truck has passed.

12:00 Well, the fight is over but there is still so much going on. At this stage the town starts pumping out drinks along with thumping music so while you are making your way to your bus you can grab an icy cold sangria or cerveza and dance your way back to your bus. Make sure to keep an eye out for the locals out the front of their houses who are waiting to hose you down so you are squeaky clean for your ride home.

14:00 BUSES DEPART!!! IF YOU ARE NOT ON IT, IT WILL LEAVE WITHOUT YOU! For those that don’t get carried away partying in town, at this stage you will most likely be on your air conditioned bus curled in a little ball and fast asleep.

15:00 Arrive in Valencia and time for you to hit the showers and most likely get some more rest from the most exhausting day of your life!

19:00 ITS PARTY TIME! Now we make our way to The Tomatina After Party and get ready to send this festival the only way we know how… MAKE IT EPIC!

We`re not planning anything for Tuesday or Thursday as we will all arriving and leaving at different times.

Thursday

We will book a place for us to have lunch, but many people will be traveling so we will play it by ear. We will also give you details of tours of Valencia that you could join if you happen to have any energy after the party.

Recommended flights*:

The flights* to Valencia are quite expensive, but you could fly to Alicante – 2.5 hours on the bus from Valencia or use that one chance to see Barcelona. Please note that this is only a suggestion and you can book any flights you want.

What Happens at La Tomatina

At around 11 am, the first event of the Tomatina begins. Many trucks haul the bounty of tomatoes into the center of the town, Plaza del Pueblo. The tomatoes come from Extremadura, where they are less expensive. Technically the festival does not begin until one brave soul has climbed to the top of a two-story high, greased-up wooden pole and reached the coveted ham at the top. In practice, this process takes a long time and the festival starts despite no one reaching the meaty prize. The signal for the beginning of the fight is firing of water cannons, and the chaos begins. Once it begins, the battle is generally every man for himself.

Those who partake in this event are strongly encouraged to wear protective safety goggles and gloves. In addition, they must squish the tomatoes before throwing for safety precautions. Another rule is that no one is allowed to bring into this fight anything that may provoke someone into a more serious brawl, such as a glass bottle. Although it is forbidden to tear someone else's clothing, the crowd tends to ignore this and invariably will rip the shirt of any clothed person, man or woman.

After exactly one hour, the fighting ends when the water cannons are fired once more to signal the end. At this point, no more tomatoes can be thrown. The cleaning process involves the use of fire trucks to spray down the streets, with water provided from a Roman aqueduct. The authorities seem more concerned with cleaning the town than cleaning the visitors, so some people find water at the Bunol River to wash themselves, although some kind residents will hose passers-by down. Once the tomato pulp is flushed, the ground is clean due to the acidity of the tomato.

The Rules of La Tomatina

Do not bring bottles or hard objects as they can cause accidents and hurt other participants

Do not rip other people’s T-shirts

You must squash the tomatoes before throwing them as this reduces the impact

Ensure you keep a safe distance from the lorries

As soon as you hear the second shot, you must stop throwing tomatoes

Useful Advice

Wear closed shoes that you don’t mind throwing away afterward. If you wear flip-flops, you may get hurt, or you could lose them easily during the battle

Wear old clothes, or clothes that you aren’t planning to wear again. They will most likely end up damaged from being ripped or incredibly dirty

You may find goggles useful. However, it is safer if you just ensure that you always have something clean to wipe your eyes with. The best thing is if you tuck your T-Shirt into your shorts to keep the bottom part of your T-shirt clean and dry

If you are planning to take pictures, bring a waterproof camera!

If you’re not from Buñol, and you want to stay overnight, don’t forget to look for and secure accommodation in advance

Do not miss the Palojabón – a soap-covered pole with a Spanish ham at the top: whoever can climb the pole and get the ham can keep it!

How did La Tomatina Start

The tomato fight has been a strong tradition in Bunol since 1944 or 1945. No one is completely certain how this event originated. Possible theories on how the Tomatina began to include a local food fight among friends, a juvenile class war, a volley of tomatoes from bystanders at a carnival parade, a practical joke on a bad musician, and the anarchic aftermath of an accidental lorry spillage.

One popular theory is that disgruntled townspeople attacked city councilmen with tomatoes during a town celebration. Whatever happened to begin the tradition, it was enjoyed so much that it was repeated the next year, and the year after that, and so on. The holiday was banned during the Spanish State period under Francisco Franco for having no religious significance but returned in the 1970s after his demise.

The festival is in honor of the town's patron saints, Luis Bertran and the Mare de Deu dels Desemparats (Mother of God of the Defenseless), a title of the Virgin Mary.

Bunol

Bunol is a town and municipality in the province of Valencia, Spain and is situated approximately 38 km west of the provincial and autonomous community capital city, Valencia.

Cancellations:

Please note that unless the trip is cancelled the payments are non-refundable as the costs need to be paid in advance. However, you may be able to sell your place to your friends or other group members.