46360 Буньоль
Валенсия
Испания
The La Tomatina Festival is held in the Valencia suburb of Buñol (Spain) in the last week of August. At this time, in this small city with a population of only 6 thousand people, various competitions, fairs, parades, musician performances, and fireworks are held. But the most important event that attracts tourists from all over the world is the famous tomato fight.
The tradition of throwing tomatoes at each other was first founded in 1945. Since then, the “tomato fight” has been the main highlight of the festival; tens of thousands of people take part in it.
On the appointed day at 10 am, trucks loaded with tomatoes (about 145 tons in total) enter the central square of the city of Plaza del Pueblo. Owners of various establishments in the city center are beginning to urgently close their stores and storefronts, protecting glass display cases with special plastic shields. After a special signal (a shot from a water cannon), the battle begins, which lasts exactly an hour. According to the rules, before throwing a tomato, you must crush it in your hand so as not to injure other people. Also, everyone participates in the battle for themselves. There are no commands. At the end of the battle, the tomato mess in the central square reaches up to the ankles, and all the people and the walls of buildings are covered in red.
Buñol is 38 km away. from the large Spanish city of Valencia. Most tourists stay in Valencia, arriving in Tomatina by taxi or public transport.