The must see events in Spain
Spain is known for its outstanding fiestas and festivals. From the large cities to the smallest towns, every place in Spain has its own unique and wonderful celebration. With so many amazing events in Spain to choose from, it’s hard to know which ones to visit, and it’s even harder to know how to get there. Well, don’t worry, we will be your personal event coordinators so you don’t miss out on a single second of fun. These are the must see events in Spain and how to get there.
La Tomatina
If you Google events in Spain, your screen will be flooded of images of people covered in bright red goo and running through the streets soaking wet… that’s La Tomatina. Probably the most famous of all the events in Spain takes place in Buñol and is a tradition that started some 70 years ago. Basically, on the last Wednesday of August, people take to the streets to throw tomatoes at each other. Yep, you heard that right. La Tomatina marks the end of a week full of parades, fairs and bustling street markets, and is so unusually fun that people travel from all over the world just to take part. Tickets are limited to 20,000 participants and sell out fast, so be sure to but yours well in advance.
As the city of Buñol is extremely small, most people choose to stay in the neighboring city Valencia and travel in on the morning of La Tomatina. Getting to Buñol’s famous event from Valencia is easy as there are public trains, buses and easily navigated highways.
To reach La Tomatina by bus, you simply hop on the 265a from Angel Guimera straight into Buñol. The journey takes approximately 50 minutes, as there are 15 other stops along the way. Taking the train can be slightly faster, but you will need to make a change at the Valencia Metro stop ‘Sant Isidre’ to the Spanish Railway Cercanías Renfe, where you will take the C3 into Buñol. To drive to La Tomatina, you will need to take the A3 highway towards Madrid, and then take the 322 edit towards Buñol. The total distance is only 25 miles and the journey time is around 35 minutes.
Semana Santa
Holy Week or Semana Santa in Spanish is a traditional celebration that takes place during Easter all over Spain. However, nowhere celebrates this holy event quite like Seville. Even if you’re not religious, this stunning display of culture and creativity is one of the best events in Spain. Processions of huge statues representing patron saints, the Passion of Christ and religious symbols take to the streets, and family flood out to the sidewalk to watch with excitement. The brotherhoods of the most important churches in Seville spend months in preparation for Semana Santa, and the resulting display is out of this world.
Getting to Seville to see this magnificent event is easy, even if you’re traveling from overseas. From Seville Airport you can take the local bus straight to Plaza de Armas, a major square in the city where the parade passes through. The bus departs every 30 minutes, tickets cost only €4 and it takes only 30 minutes to reach the plaza. Alternatively, you can take a taxi into the city centre of Seville which costs a flat rate of €25. If you wish to miss the queues, and have a fully personalized airport pickup, then learn more about our amazing Welcome services here.
If you’re traveling in from Madrid or Barcelona, then you can take the super fast AVE train. Tickets cost €75.50 from Madrid and €116.60 from Barcelona, and the journey takes 2.5 and 5.5 hours respectively. You can save time and money by booking your tickets online in advance from the RENFE website.
The Festa Major de Gracia
During the summer months, the city of Barcelona comes alive with bustling streets and lively parties, however, none are quite as spectacular or creative as the Festa Major de Gracia in August. During this phenomenal event in Spain, the beautiful Gracia neighborhood is transformed into a fairytale forest of lights and color. Each street in the neighborhood competes to win first prize for their extravagant decorations, and the people of Gracia take it very seriously. Walking through the city streets during Festa Major de Gracia is an experience like no other in the world, every corner you turn you’re transported to a new magical world. If the decorations weren’t enough, then the firework displays, street musicians, acrobats and vibrant street markets definitely take this event in Spain over the top.
Finding the Gracia neighborhood in Barcelona couldn’t be easier. You can walk from the centre, up the Passeig de Gracia street to the beginning of The Festa Major de Gracia in around 15 minutes. You can take a taxi to the beginning of the event space in less than 10 minutes from anywhere in the centre of Barcelona. Alternatively, if you are outside of the central ring of Barcelona, then you can take the metro to the Gracia neighborhood. The green line will take you to either Fontana L3 or Diagonal L3, and the yellow line will take you to Joanic L4, all of which are extremely close to the festivities.
