The town of Bunol in Valencia is worth visiting if you are contemplating Spain holidays as although to outward appearances, it appears sleepy, it really gets quite interesting at this time of the year. Here on the last Wednesday of August every year, the celebration festival of La Tomatina is held, as hundreds of eager visitors and locals arrive to throw tons of tomatoes at each other on the cobbled streets.
The tradition of fruit-flinging has been in full swing in Buñol since the mid-forties, and since then it’s put the town firmly on the tourist map. This year, La Tomatina is set for the 31stt of August, and is the perfect centrepiece for any Costa Blanca holidays. There is plenty of excursions to do here during the day to get away from the crowds. A Spanish holiday doesn’t have to be soaking up the sun on a crowded beach as there are lots of historical sites, coastal walks and famous gardens to explore. The Huerta del Cura of Eiche is extremely interesting and a must –see if you are in the area. Being the only one of its kind in Europe, this thousand-year old Palm plantation is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It would be a good idea to combine the La Tomatina festival with relaxing Costa Dorada holidays, away from it all. The area has 240 kilometres of golden, sandy beaches, hence the name ‘The Golden Coast’ and experiences long hot summer days well into September. This area is worth discovering with its largely unspoilt landscape and typically sleepy Spanish villages along the coastline, with plenty of restaurants, tavernas and tapas bars to keep you refreshed. The PortAventura Theme Park is also just around the corner, packed with rollercoasters, amusements, rides and a twice-daily pirate show for the kids. Barcelona is an absolute must to visit with its many shops, architecture and historical sites and be sure to see Gaudi’s ‘Sagradi Familia’, a cathedral still being built nearly a hundred tears after Gaudi’s death.
So if getting your hands dirty at one of Europe’s most eccentric festivals sounds like the most memorable type of Spanish holiday, take a trip to Valencia, and see the variety, beauty and hospitality for yourself.
