If you're planning a trip to Spain this year, you may be wondering where you can watch the country's world-famous "bull runs," in which bulls charge through the streets of the city alongside thousands of daring runners.
Surprisingly, there are several places in Spain that have their own versions of bull runs, but only one city - Pamplona - that has the bull runs you've seen on TV. Nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains in northern Spain, the city of Pamplona hosts the Running of the Bulls festival each year between July 7th - July 14th.
Read on to learn more about the bull runs in Pamplona and to find out where else you can watch bull runs in Spain.
Bull Runs in Pamplona
If you've ever seen pictures or videos of bull runs online or on TV, they probably looked something like this:
In this iconic event, thousands of people take to the streets to run in front of a pack of six fully-grown fighting bulls and six steers. The runners wear white pants and a white shirt, as well as red handkerchiefs tied around their neck and red sashes tied around their waists. These are the bull runs of Pamplona, Spain, and they are the most famous bull runs in the world. If you'd like to see this event take place, plan a trip to Spain this July, and book with BullBalcony so that you can watch this event from a balcony overlooking the bull run.
Bull Runs Across Spain
Although the bull runs in Pamplona are by far the most famous, accessible, and regulated, there are bull runs in hundreds of other villages, or pueblos, across Spain. At different times throughout the year, various types of bull runs can be found across Spain in villages such as Cuellar, Ciudad Rodrigo, Medina del Campo, Molinicos, Medinaceli, Vallada, La Pobla de Fornals, Torija, Yebra, Villaseca de la Sagra, Puente de la Reina, Olite, San Sebastian de los Reyes, Aravaca-Pozuelo, Mataelpino, Castril, and dozens of other villages.
Most of these events roughly resemble the picture shown of the festival in Molinicos, a picturesque town in southern Spain with a population of roughly 1,250 people. In most of these village bull runs, fewer than 100 runners participate. The bulls are also usually much smaller than the bulls you'll see in Pamplona, and their horns are sometimes capped to prevent injuries.
While all bull runs in Spain are a celebration of the country's history and culture, we highly recommend that you plan a trip to Pamplona, Spain to truly experience this bucket-list event. Pamplona's Running of the Bulls festival is jam-packed with events such as bull runs and bullfights, as well as religious parades, nightly folk dances, parades of brass bands, and constant street-partying. Plan the trip of a lifetime, and reserve your experience now with BullBalcony.