Where are the Best Spanish Fiestas?
Where are the Best Spanish Fiestas?
Spain has festivals going on almost every day of the year. Some have a religious focus, some are for special interests, but the majority are just great big parties.
See also:
Even some of the festivals that originated as a religious event have descended into large amounts of drinking eating and dancing in the streets.
But it's important to know which ones - turn up at 3pm in Toledo during Semana Santa with a large Spanish gin and tonic in your hands and you'll be frowned at.
Over the next few pages you'll find my favorite parties in Spain. They're great for a stag do or hen party, lads' weekend away or a birthday party. Jump to the Spain party of your choice below or click 'Next' further down the page.
If you're traveling alone, there are tours available for many of these parties, to give you some ready-made friends for the event: Spain Party Tours
Best Parties in Spain: Las Fallas
Where? In Valencia.
When? March 15 to March 19, though there are smaller events from the start of the month.
What's Las Fallas all about?
Las Fallas is a giant fire-and-noise party that takes over all of Valencia for nearly a week.
Festivals in Spain often close down an entire city, but rarely does this happen in a city as big as Valencia (Spain's third biggest city).
The main attraction of Las Fallas is the giant sculptures (or 'fallas') - a bit like a nativity scene but ten times bigger and usually poking fun at celebrities and politicians.
Then there are the daily firework displays and 'mascletas', basically syncronised 'audio fireworks'. All of this takes place among street stalls selling food and alcohol.
Then at the end of the festival, all the 'fallas' are set on fire in a night of pyromania, music, drink and dancing in the streets.
But that's not all. Check out this list of Things to Do at Las Fallas
Las Fallas Tour
With so much going on at Las Fallas, having someone to help you get around the mammoth festival would help hugely. Busabout has a five-day Fallas tour which includes four nights of camping, trips to the 'audio fireworks', a welcome party and visits to the burnings on the final night.
Five-Day Fallas Festival Tour
What Else to Do in Valencia
Valencia is Spain's third biggest city, with plenty of museums and sights to keep you occupied, the most famous being the City of Art and Science, which combines art, a science museum, a dolphin show and a lot more on one site. Valencia also has a beach and is the birthplace of paella.
You won't get bored.
How to Get to Valencia
Valencia has an airport of its own, a high-speed train service from Madrid and good connections by train and bus to and from Barcelon and the Costa Blanca.
Best Accommodation for Las Fallas If you're not going the tour-and-camping route, check out these options:
Pamplona Running of the Bulls
Where? Pamplona is in Navarra, in the north of Spain. Close to Bilbao and San Sebastian. See below on how to get to Pamplona.
When? July 6 to July 14 each year. See also: What Happens When at the Pamplona Running of the Bulls
What's the Pamplona Running of the Bulls All About?
The Pamplona Running of the Bulls is the focal point of the San Fermin festival (or San Fermines). The brave, the drunk and/or the stupid from around the world converge on San Fermin for daily runs with a pack of angry bulls.
The night before, everyone parties in the street.
See some Pamplona Running of the Bulls Pictures
On July 6, the day before the first run, is the opening ceremony. Which is almost as chaotic (and a lot safer) then the bull runs themselves. See pictures from the Pamplona Running of the Bulls Opening Ceremony.
Pamplona Bull Run Tours The Pamplona Running of the Bulls appeals to all ages and walks of life and there are tours that cater for all of them.
If you want to party all night with people in their early twenties, the Busabout tours are probably your best bet. They have a number of different tours: Pamplona Tours with Busabout. You can choose between camping or hostel stays and they can even transport you from the UK and back by coach.
If you're a little older or prefer to travel in a little more luxury, you might prefer one of these tours:
See more: Pamplona Running of the Bull Tours
What Else to Do in Pamplona
Pamplona is a vibrant city, but nothing much happens during the festival apart from partying, running with the bulls and recovering the following day.
To get the most out of your time in this part of Spain, travel to (or base yourself in) San Sebastian or Bilbao.
How to Get to Pamplona
Read about How to Get to Pamplona.
Best Accommodation for Pamplona
Accommodation in Pamplona during the festival is really expensive. If you have access to a car, consider staying in San Sebastian and driving in. If you're on a budget, camping is a good option, in which case consider one of the tours above. If you're early enough, you may be able to book a youth hostel.
Tomatina Tomato Fight
Where? In Buñol, near Valencia.
When? Last Wednesday of August.
What's Tomatina All About?
Tomatina is the world's most famous food fight! Tonnes and tonnes of tomatoes are driving into Buñol for an hour's vegetable pelting. If you come down the night before, there's a party which lasts until morning.
Tomatina 2013 update From this year it will be necessary to get a ticket for the event. Read more about Tomatina Tickets.
Read more: Tomatina Tomato Fight Guide 2013
Tomatina Tomato Fight Tours
Busabout has several Tomatina tours, from one to five days in duration, and with a choice of hostel, hotel, camping or no accommodation.
Remember that Tomatina is in a small village outside Valencia, and you have to get there early. A tour is a great way to make the logistics of getting there a lot easier. Also, with the ticket requirement for 2013, taking a tour makes more sense than ever.
Check out the Busabout Tomatina Tours or check out other Tomatina Tours
What Else to Do in Valencia Valencia is Spain's third biggest city, so there is plenty to do. It is the birthplace of paella, so get the authentic dish here rather than one of the awful touristy paellas you might get elsewhere.
How to Get to Valencia
Best Accommodation for Tomatina
La Batalla del Vino
Where? Haro, in the La Rioja region.
When? June 29.
What's Batalla del Vino All About?
The Batalla del Vino translates as the 'Wine Battle'. Imagine a water fight, but with red wine instead!
This is wine country, so there's plenty of red wine to go around and bad wine to waste. So fill up your water pistol with the bad stuff and drink the good stuff after the party is over.
Batalla del Vino Tour
The only tour I've found for La Batalla del Vino is from Busabout.
The two-night programme includes accommodation, a pintxos (tapas) tour, breakfast and a guide to make sure you get to the wine battle on time!
Read more: Batalla del Vino Tour
What Else to Do in Haro
Haro is not a big place, so there's not a lot to do apart from sample the wine (the stuff they use in the battle is cheap, bad stuff - the stuff in the bars is also cheap - but it's good!).
La Batalla del Vino Guided Tour
How to Get to Haro
There are buses throughout the day from Bilbao, but nothing direct from Madrid, Barcelona or San Sebastian.
The town does have a train station, on the line which connects Bilbao to Barcelona, but the trains are infrequent. The bus is your best bet.
Best Accommodation for La Batalla del Vino Accommodation options in Haro are limited. It's a small town that pushes its prices up for the festival. The guided tour (above) is your best bet for cheap accommodation.
Summer in Ibiza
Where? Ibiza is an island off the coast of Spain.
When? Start of June until early October
What's Ibiza all about?
Ibiza is Spain's premier party island. There are superclubs that run seven days a week, throughout the long, long summer.
What Else to Do in Ibiza
See Things to Do in Ibiza
If all you want to do is party, party, party, then San Antonio is the best place to stay. Accommodation in the town center is more expensive, so why not stay across the bay, where there is a cheap ferry that can take you into town for your nights out?
Where? All over Spain, but particularly in the Chueca area of Madrid and Sitges, near Barcelona. See also: Best Cities for Carnival in Spain
If you decide to go to Sitges to party all night, you don't need to actually be staying in Sitges; a lot of people prefer to stay in Barcelona. It means that you won't be able to get the train back to your hostel until around 5.30am, but if you plan on partying with the Spanish, this is when you should be doing it!
When? Carnival varies from year to year, as it is the start of Lent, 40 days before Easter. See also: When Is Carnival in Spain?
What's Carnival in Spain all About?
Carnival in Spain in most cities is a lot like the famous Rio carnival or Mardi Gras (though admittedly less grand in most cases), but in other cities you'll get some unusual events. Check out my list of Carnival Cities in Spain.
Sitges near Barcelona is a 'traditional' event with processions, people dressed in costume and lots of drinking in the street.
What Else to Do in Barcelona It's pretty much impossible to run out of things to do in Barcelona. If you do run out, see this list of 100 Things to Do in Barcelona
Best Accommodation in Barcelona for Carnival in Sitges With direct trains from Passeig de Gracia to Sitges, this central location is probably your best place to stay for carnival.
Where?
Primavera Sound takes place at the Parc Forum in Barcelona and in Porto in Portugal.
When?
Last week of May.
What's Primavera Sound all about?
Primavera Sound is one of Europe's biggest and best alternative music festivals. By 'alternative', we're talking the kind of music that Pitchfork writes about.
In 2013, Primavera Sound will be headlined by Blur, The Postal Service, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and My Bloody Valentine.
What Else to Do in Barcelona
Everything! Barcelona is Spain's most popular city for visitors. Check out my list of 100 Things to Do in Barcelona.
Best Accommodation for Primavera Sound As this festival takes place largely at night, choosing where the bed you'll crawl back to will be is an important decision. Check out my recommendations for Primavera Sound Accommodation.
Spain has festivals going on almost every day of the year. Some have a religious focus, some are for special interests, but the majority are just great big parties.
See also:
- Throwing Festivals in Spain Tomatoes, wine, water... but what else do the Spanish throw at some of their festivals?
- Bizarre Festivals in Spain
Even some of the festivals that originated as a religious event have descended into large amounts of drinking eating and dancing in the streets.
But it's important to know which ones - turn up at 3pm in Toledo during Semana Santa with a large Spanish gin and tonic in your hands and you'll be frowned at.
Over the next few pages you'll find my favorite parties in Spain. They're great for a stag do or hen party, lads' weekend away or a birthday party. Jump to the Spain party of your choice below or click 'Next' further down the page.
Best Parties in Spain
- Las Fallas
- Running of the Bulls
- Tomatina Tomato Fight
- Batalla del Vino (Wine Fight)
- Summer in Ibiza
- Carnival in Spain
- Primavera Sound Music Festival in Barcelona
If you're traveling alone, there are tours available for many of these parties, to give you some ready-made friends for the event: Spain Party Tours
Best Parties in Spain: Las Fallas
Where? In Valencia.
When? March 15 to March 19, though there are smaller events from the start of the month.
What's Las Fallas all about?
Las Fallas is a giant fire-and-noise party that takes over all of Valencia for nearly a week.
Festivals in Spain often close down an entire city, but rarely does this happen in a city as big as Valencia (Spain's third biggest city).
The main attraction of Las Fallas is the giant sculptures (or 'fallas') - a bit like a nativity scene but ten times bigger and usually poking fun at celebrities and politicians.
Then there are the daily firework displays and 'mascletas', basically syncronised 'audio fireworks'. All of this takes place among street stalls selling food and alcohol.
Then at the end of the festival, all the 'fallas' are set on fire in a night of pyromania, music, drink and dancing in the streets.
But that's not all. Check out this list of Things to Do at Las Fallas
Las Fallas Tour
With so much going on at Las Fallas, having someone to help you get around the mammoth festival would help hugely. Busabout has a five-day Fallas tour which includes four nights of camping, trips to the 'audio fireworks', a welcome party and visits to the burnings on the final night.
Five-Day Fallas Festival Tour
What Else to Do in Valencia
Valencia is Spain's third biggest city, with plenty of museums and sights to keep you occupied, the most famous being the City of Art and Science, which combines art, a science museum, a dolphin show and a lot more on one site. Valencia also has a beach and is the birthplace of paella.
You won't get bored.
How to Get to Valencia
Valencia has an airport of its own, a high-speed train service from Madrid and good connections by train and bus to and from Barcelon and the Costa Blanca.
Best Accommodation for Las Fallas If you're not going the tour-and-camping route, check out these options:
- Apartment for Four People in Central Valencia (book direct)
- Three-Bedroom Apartment in Central Valencia (book direct)
- Youth Hostels in Valencia (book direct)
Pamplona Running of the Bulls
Where? Pamplona is in Navarra, in the north of Spain. Close to Bilbao and San Sebastian. See below on how to get to Pamplona.
When? July 6 to July 14 each year. See also: What Happens When at the Pamplona Running of the Bulls
What's the Pamplona Running of the Bulls All About?
The Pamplona Running of the Bulls is the focal point of the San Fermin festival (or San Fermines). The brave, the drunk and/or the stupid from around the world converge on San Fermin for daily runs with a pack of angry bulls.
The night before, everyone parties in the street.
See some Pamplona Running of the Bulls Pictures
On July 6, the day before the first run, is the opening ceremony. Which is almost as chaotic (and a lot safer) then the bull runs themselves. See pictures from the Pamplona Running of the Bulls Opening Ceremony.
Pamplona Bull Run Tours The Pamplona Running of the Bulls appeals to all ages and walks of life and there are tours that cater for all of them.
If you want to party all night with people in their early twenties, the Busabout tours are probably your best bet. They have a number of different tours: Pamplona Tours with Busabout. You can choose between camping or hostel stays and they can even transport you from the UK and back by coach.
If you're a little older or prefer to travel in a little more luxury, you might prefer one of these tours:
See more: Pamplona Running of the Bull Tours
What Else to Do in Pamplona
Pamplona is a vibrant city, but nothing much happens during the festival apart from partying, running with the bulls and recovering the following day.
To get the most out of your time in this part of Spain, travel to (or base yourself in) San Sebastian or Bilbao.
How to Get to Pamplona
Read about How to Get to Pamplona.
Best Accommodation for Pamplona
Accommodation in Pamplona during the festival is really expensive. If you have access to a car, consider staying in San Sebastian and driving in. If you're on a budget, camping is a good option, in which case consider one of the tours above. If you're early enough, you may be able to book a youth hostel.
Tomatina Tomato Fight
Where? In Buñol, near Valencia.
When? Last Wednesday of August.
What's Tomatina All About?
Tomatina is the world's most famous food fight! Tonnes and tonnes of tomatoes are driving into Buñol for an hour's vegetable pelting. If you come down the night before, there's a party which lasts until morning.
Tomatina 2013 update From this year it will be necessary to get a ticket for the event. Read more about Tomatina Tickets.
Read more: Tomatina Tomato Fight Guide 2013
Tomatina Tomato Fight Tours
Busabout has several Tomatina tours, from one to five days in duration, and with a choice of hostel, hotel, camping or no accommodation.
Remember that Tomatina is in a small village outside Valencia, and you have to get there early. A tour is a great way to make the logistics of getting there a lot easier. Also, with the ticket requirement for 2013, taking a tour makes more sense than ever.
Check out the Busabout Tomatina Tours or check out other Tomatina Tours
What Else to Do in Valencia Valencia is Spain's third biggest city, so there is plenty to do. It is the birthplace of paella, so get the authentic dish here rather than one of the awful touristy paellas you might get elsewhere.
How to Get to Valencia
- How to get from Barcelona to Valencia
- How to get from Madrid to Valencia
- How to Get from City to City in Spain
Best Accommodation for Tomatina
- Apartment for Four People in Central Valencia (book direct)
- Three-Bedroom Apartment in Central Valencia (book direct)
- Youth Hostels in Valencia (book direct)
La Batalla del Vino
Where? Haro, in the La Rioja region.
When? June 29.
What's Batalla del Vino All About?
The Batalla del Vino translates as the 'Wine Battle'. Imagine a water fight, but with red wine instead!
This is wine country, so there's plenty of red wine to go around and bad wine to waste. So fill up your water pistol with the bad stuff and drink the good stuff after the party is over.
Batalla del Vino Tour
The only tour I've found for La Batalla del Vino is from Busabout.
The two-night programme includes accommodation, a pintxos (tapas) tour, breakfast and a guide to make sure you get to the wine battle on time!
Read more: Batalla del Vino Tour
What Else to Do in Haro
Haro is not a big place, so there's not a lot to do apart from sample the wine (the stuff they use in the battle is cheap, bad stuff - the stuff in the bars is also cheap - but it's good!).
La Batalla del Vino Guided Tour
How to Get to Haro
There are buses throughout the day from Bilbao, but nothing direct from Madrid, Barcelona or San Sebastian.
The town does have a train station, on the line which connects Bilbao to Barcelona, but the trains are infrequent. The bus is your best bet.
Best Accommodation for La Batalla del Vino Accommodation options in Haro are limited. It's a small town that pushes its prices up for the festival. The guided tour (above) is your best bet for cheap accommodation.
Summer in Ibiza
Where? Ibiza is an island off the coast of Spain.
When? Start of June until early October
What's Ibiza all about?
Ibiza is Spain's premier party island. There are superclubs that run seven days a week, throughout the long, long summer.
Ibiza Party Tours
Ibiza's party cities are best enjoyed in a large group. If you don't have a big group of buddies to book with, check out one of these party tours:- Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca Island Hopper (book direct)
- Four-Day Ibiza Blast Tour (book direct) Start or end in Valencia immediately before or after the Tomatina Tomato Fight.
What Else to Do in Ibiza
See Things to Do in Ibiza
How to Get to Ibiza
There are flights directly to Ibiza. You also take a ferry from various islands or from the mainland (the tours above include a ferry from or to Valencia).Best Accommodation for Ibiza
If all you want to do is party, party, party, then San Antonio is the best place to stay. Accommodation in the town center is more expensive, so why not stay across the bay, where there is a cheap ferry that can take you into town for your nights out?
- Marina Playa Apartment Hotel across the bay in San Antonio
- Hotel Hawaii A little more luxury, also across the bay.
- Hotel Es Pla In Central Antonio
Where? All over Spain, but particularly in the Chueca area of Madrid and Sitges, near Barcelona. See also: Best Cities for Carnival in Spain
If you decide to go to Sitges to party all night, you don't need to actually be staying in Sitges; a lot of people prefer to stay in Barcelona. It means that you won't be able to get the train back to your hostel until around 5.30am, but if you plan on partying with the Spanish, this is when you should be doing it!
When? Carnival varies from year to year, as it is the start of Lent, 40 days before Easter. See also: When Is Carnival in Spain?
What's Carnival in Spain all About?
Carnival in Spain in most cities is a lot like the famous Rio carnival or Mardi Gras (though admittedly less grand in most cases), but in other cities you'll get some unusual events. Check out my list of Carnival Cities in Spain.
Sitges near Barcelona is a 'traditional' event with processions, people dressed in costume and lots of drinking in the street.
What Else to Do in Barcelona It's pretty much impossible to run out of things to do in Barcelona. If you do run out, see this list of 100 Things to Do in Barcelona
Best Accommodation in Barcelona for Carnival in Sitges With direct trains from Passeig de Gracia to Sitges, this central location is probably your best place to stay for carnival.
- Apartment Close to Passeig de Gracia (Sleeps Four)
- Equity Point Centric Hostel on Hostelworld Barcelona's biggest party hostel, right next to Passeig de Gracia station.
Where?
Primavera Sound takes place at the Parc Forum in Barcelona and in Porto in Portugal.
When?
Last week of May.
What's Primavera Sound all about?
Primavera Sound is one of Europe's biggest and best alternative music festivals. By 'alternative', we're talking the kind of music that Pitchfork writes about.
In 2013, Primavera Sound will be headlined by Blur, The Postal Service, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and My Bloody Valentine.
What Else to Do in Barcelona
Everything! Barcelona is Spain's most popular city for visitors. Check out my list of 100 Things to Do in Barcelona.
Best Accommodation for Primavera Sound As this festival takes place largely at night, choosing where the bed you'll crawl back to will be is an important decision. Check out my recommendations for Primavera Sound Accommodation.
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