Today’s post is written by guest bloggers Stephanie and Taylor Babb, travel bloggers for Vagabonds and Company.
What’s better than visiting a beautiful Spanish city? Running down crowded streets with large, dangerous animals while you’re there! That’s right, we’re talking about the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. If you wanted adventure, this is it.
Pamplona, Spain, is a relatively quiet town for most of the year, save July, when it comes alive for the San Fermin Festival and the famous Running of the Bulls. Here are the details you need to know for visiting during the festival or running with the bulls. Also check out our City Guide to Pamplona for the top places to see while you’re there.
The San Fermin Festival
The San Fermin festival runs from July 6-July 14 every year. You can imagine that Pamplona is a pretty quiet city for most of the year, but it is quite the opposite during the festival. Everywhere you look there are people drinking sangria, beer, or kalimotxo and talking and dancing. People party all day and all night.
Everywhere in Pamplona you’ll see people dressed in the traditional outfit for the San Fermin festival, which is a white shirt, white pants, red scarf and belt. If you’re not wearing white and red, you’ll appear out of place!
The Running of the Bulls
The Encierro, or Running of the Bulls, originally started because the bulls needed to be moved from the bullpen to the arena for the bullfight. Some people begin getting into the street to try run with the bulls and escape uninjured and so the tradition began.
The Running happens every morning at 8:00 during San Fermin. The entire Running is approximately a half mile and takes only about 2-3 minutes from start to finish. If you would like to be a spectator at the Running, be sure to arrive about two hours early for a prime seat or or pay for a spot to watch from a balcony.
How to Participate in the Running of the Bulls
• First, get the traditional outfit; some hotels provide a free red scarf. To save money, bring your own white t-shirt and white pants. Buying the entire ensemble in Pamplona will cost between 20 to 30 euros.
• Make friends! It’s more fun and safer to run with a friend.
• Decide on a starting point.
◦ Meet at Plaza del Ayuntamiento around 6:00 to 6:30 a.m., the city hall on Mercaderes Street is the best spot. Do not be on Estafeta Street! Sometime between 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. the police will remove everyone on Estafeta to reduce the size of the crowd.
• Around 7:45 a.m. you will have a chance to move around the course and get into position. The end is more densely packed with runners than the beginning. It’s best for your first run to be after a spot called Dead Man’s Curve, about half way to the arena.
• Wait for the first rocket to fire. The first shot signals that the gates have been opened and the first group of bulls is out. The second shot tells you that the last of this group has left the corral. People will start to run, but just wait, it will take the bulls about 45 seconds to reach you. Staying to the righthand side of the street may provide protection. If you get to the bullfight arena before the bulls, you will be laughed at by the spectators.
• There will be six bulls with six steers initially, and then two more steers (at least that was my experience). There will be a third and fourth rocket letting you know the last two to three steers have been released to catch any bull or steer separated from the first group. The last steers usually catch the runners off guard.
• If you want to run into the arena, you have to stay relatively close to the bulls or steers. After the steers pass through the streets, areas behind them are closed off quickly by police.
• Once you get in they will close off the arena and release a steer one at a time on the unsuspecting runners. If you were looking for a time to test your courage and lack of care for your physical well being, this it it. The tickets to watch runners dare steers to chase them are fairly cheap and it makes for a great spectacle.
• The Running of the Bulls is extremely dangerous with a history of fatalities and many serious injuries. Do your homework and run at your own risk. Try to watch previous events and at least watch one in person prior to running to get a feel for it. It was quite a rush and I would definitely do it again.
Also check out our City Guide to Pamplona for more details on what to see in the city!
Taylor and Stephanie Babb recently quit their jobs and left home to travel across the world. They are in search of adventure, personal growth and experiences that require stepping outside of their comfort zone. You can find more information and tips for travel on their website, Vagabonds and Company.
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