The world famous tomato fight festival is scheduled for August 27, 2008 (the last Wednesday in August) in Bunol, Spain and is already attracting global travelers who want to experience this Spanish tradition firsthand.  The tradition started over 61 years ago in the small town of Bunol, a traditionally quiet town located just a short drive from Valencia.  The fight itself is one of the most chaotic summer festivals in Spain’s history, and typically runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with other special events and performances held afterwards.

The event begins with the Gigantes y Cabezudos procession, a carnival-style parade of characters and figures with oversized heads and colorful costumes.  The procession starts slowly, but begins to speed up to a near running pace as more people join the march down the streets of Bunol.  Crates of tomatoes are then added – and spilled – to the crowds, resulting in a giant battle of tomatoes and food fight like no other.  Tomatoes are thrown on buildings and on people, but the rules are simple; ‘tomatoes must be crushed before being thrown so they do not hurt anybody.’

Travelers who want to join the festivities can choose to stay in the village of Bunol, or stay in an adjacent village or city and take the train to the Estacio del Nord in the centre of Valencia.  Trains run every hour to Bunol from here, and offer travelers from around the region a chance to take par tin the fun.

The La Tomatina festival attracts thousands upon thousands of people to the small village of Bunol who want to experience the festival, and almost all of the hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels and other accommodation venues are booked solid for the months prior to the festival.  Still, there are options to stay in hostels and smaller hotels throughout Valencia; Hotel urbem Opera Valencia, Hotel Vincci Lys and Hotel Husa Reina Victoria are just a few hotels located in the main commercial areas of Valencia, and offer easy access to Bunol and surrounding areas.