La Tomatina Spain

La Tomatina is a food fight festival held on a the last Wednesday of August each year in the town of Buñol in the Valencia region in Spain. Tens of thousands of participants come from all over the world to fight in a harmless battle where more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets.

Approximately 30,000 tourists come to the tomato fight, multiplying by several times Buñol's normal population of 9,000. There is limited accommodation for people who come to La Tomatina, and thus many participants stay in Valencia and travel by bus or train to Buñol, about 38 km outside the city. In preparation for the dirty mess that will ensue, shopkeepers use huge plastic covers on their storefronts in order to protect them from the carnage.

La Tomatina Spain : What to Wear & Bring

• Old clothes that you don't mind getting damaged.
• You must be wearing a t-shirt to get back on the train.
• Full-body swimming costumes for girls.
• Flip flops or loose sandals are a big no. Open-toed sandals with straps are the best if you want to wash them and wear them again, but you're going to want protection against stamping feet! Buy a cheap pair of shoes or wear an old pair you are going to throw away.
• No jewelry, hats, sunglasses, keys, cell phones, etc.
• Getting a cold shower from one of the many residents who spray their hoses onto the tomato-soaked revelers is enough to get you clean enough to board the train and the warm Valencia sun will dry you off quickly.
• Return ticket to Valencia.
• Enough money to buy a replacement ticket to Valencia in case you lose the first one.
• Carry your money and ticket in separate plastic bags and try to bring coins rather than bills, as coins don't dissolve in tomato!
• Tissues for the bathroom.
• Waterproof camera..
• Money for non-essentials. Here are some ideas of some of the costs you can expect at Tomatina.

La Tomatina Spain : How to fight..

Whilst there are very few rules in La Tomatina Spain it's important to follow the following rules outlined by the city council so the event runs smoothly without incident, as it has done to date.

• It is compulsory to squash the tomatoes before throwing them.
• This is a tomato lover's festival so strictly no other projectiles are allowed to be taken in
• Be careful with the Lorries going through the village
• You must not rip t-shirts
• Tomatoes must stop being thrown once the second incendiary device is fired.