Cheap Flights For La Tomatina Festival
La Tomatina Festival, commonly referred to as the Tomato Festival, attracts visitors from around the world each year. The tomato throwing festival is held in the town of Bunol, Valencia each year and it has gained a steady following amongst European travelers. The Tomatina Festival is always held on the last Wednesday of August of each year as part of a week-long celebration that includes music, dancing, parades and fireworks. The area sees a huge influx of travelers looking to participate in the harmless battle of throwing tomatoes at strangers and friends. Over 100 metric tons of ripe tomatoes are used during the festival and no one walks away without dripping in tomato pulp.
La Tomatina history is often disputed as there is no clear answer to the origins of the festival. The famous annual tomato fight is said to have begun in 1944 or 1945 and is speculated that residents of Bunol threw tomatoes at city councilors during a celebration to show their frustration. Residents had such a good time participating in the tomato throwing that they decided to continue the harmless tradition the next year and it developed into a festival accompanied by various events. The only period of time that La Tomatina has not taken place since its inception was during the Spanish State period under Francisco Franco as the festival had no religious significance.
There are plenty of interesting La Tomatina Festival facts that visitors should brush up on before making the trek to Bunol. Each year, approximately 30,000 people descend on the small town of Bunol to take part in the week-long festivities. The most anticipated event is clearly the tomato fight that takes place on Wednesday. Around 11AM on that day, a ham is placed at the top of a pole that is covered in grease. Once the ham is retrieved and brought down, a cannon fires and the fight begins. The huge quantity of tomatoes from Extremadura is delivered to Plaza de Pueblo, the main square of Bunol, and this is where the chaos begins. Participants are encouraged to wear goggles and gloves to protect themselves and they also must follow a few simple rules. Only tomatoes are allowed to be thrown and they must be squished before they are thrown to avoid injuries.
Due to the popularity of La Tomatina and the fact that the weather in this region is beautiful during the month of August, cheap flights to Valencia can often be hard to come by if not purchased in advance. Visitors who are looking to fly directly to the area should look at airfares through the Valencia Airport, also known as the Manises Airport. Travelers can then take a bus to Bunol and the surrounding area if they wish. However, since Bunol is a small town, most visitors opt to stay in Valencia and commute to the festivities as there are more accommodation options there. Booking in advance is absolutely necessary if you wish to stay in the heart of the action in Bunol.
Another option is to search for cheap tickets to Madrid as it is well-connected with Valencia. Madrid is serviced by all major airlines and a variety of budget airlines from around Europe have regular flights landing there. Visitors who choose this option will be able to find more affordable airline tickets and have the luxury of being able to see Madrid in addition to Valencia. Travelers can then take the train or bus to reach their final destination and take part in the La Tomatina Festival. Another good option for affordable travel options is to look for flights to either Alicante or Barcelona and take public transportation from there.