Every summer, tens of thousands of people gather in the Spanish Town of Buñol for a massive tomato fight. Held the last Wednesday of August, La Tomatina starts at 9 a.m. in the town square, where the most daring attendees attempt to scale a huge, soap-covered pole to reach a leg of ham at the top. Those watching are soaked by buckets of water chucked from the balconies around the square before a truck carrying tons of overripe tomatoes arrives and the crowd rushes to pick up the tomatoes and start throwing them at each other. More and more trucks follow, providing tons of tomatoes that turn into a passata covering everyone and everything in sight. If it sounds slightly unhinged, that’s because it is.

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Another odd thing about La Tomatina: No one really knows why it started. Its origins can be traced to a fight during a parade in 1945 when a vegetable stand was ransacked and people started throwing tomatoes at each other. The next year, people brought tomatoes from home for a pitched battle. In the following years, police would break up the nascent tradition, which was eventually banned in the early 1950s. But the denizens of Buñol were not easily dissuaded, and overcoming this and another attempt to ban the festivities, they made La Tomatina an officially recognized festival. In 2002 its popularity inspired Spain’s department of tourism to designate it a festivity of international tourist interest.

This year’s edition takes place Aug. 28, and it costs €10 ($10.70) to participate. You can buy a ticket in advance from the official La Tomatina website or join one of the many tour groups offering package trips including travel and accommodation. These tours offer a great way for solo travelers to meet people with whom to enjoy the festival as well as offering great convenience for those who prefer not to have to sort out the logistics themselves. Attendance is limited to 20,000 people for safety reasons, and it’s seen as good form to squash your tomatoes before you throw them in order to avoid injuring your target.

Buñol lies in eastern Spain, 25 miles west of Valencia, on the Mediterranean coast. The town has limited accommodation options, and they tend to get booked up, so most visitors travel in for the day from Valencia by train. Depart Valencia around 7 a.m., arriving in Buñol by 7:45 a.m., in good time for the start of the festival at 9 a.m. Accommodations in Valencia can prove hard to come by around these dates, so plan ahead. It’s also worth packing some swim goggles to protect your eyes from the tomatoes and wearing old clothes and shoes which you don’t mind staining red.

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Those traveling as a family might consider coming to town for Tomatina Kids, taking place on the last Saturday of August. Aimed at children aged 4–14, the kids’ version started up in 2013 and lasts for around 30 minutes. There is plenty to do in Buñol around this time, as the town’s festivities last for a week, and one may also visit the Tomatina Museum to learn more about the festival.

Outside Buñol, the Valencia region offers plenty of diversions for travelers. Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city, claims to be the home of traditional paella and other great food. Very walkable, it is known for its Turia Garden, a park that follows the former course of a river leading to the Mediterranean Sea. Along it you will find futuristic buildings designed by renowned local architect Santiago Calatrava as well as sports pitches and recreation areas. Valencia also boasts some great beaches, such as Playa de Las Arenas, near the center of town.

One can easily go further afield thanks to Spain’s good roads and high-speed rail network, so La Tomatina may be part of a trip that takes in multiple Spanish regions … and even Portugal or the south of France. The festival provides a window into the local culture you certainly won’t forget in a hurry, but make sure to book well in advance to avoid disappointment, as its popularity grows each year.

INFO TO GO
The closest airport to the town of Buñol is Valencia International Airport, welcoming direct flights from several Spanish cities as well as many European airports. Located about 5 miles from the city center, the airport offers several transit options: taxis, metro, bus and car rental. Travelers may also fly directly from several U.S. cities to Madrid–Barajas airport or Barcelona–El Prat airport. It is a four-hour drive from Barcelona to Buñol and a three-hour drive from the capital city to Buñol. High-speed rail (three hours from Barcelona and two hours from Madrid) and bus routes provide other options.

U.S. citizens may enter Spain for up to 90 days for tourism or business without a visa, and passports should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay.