Intrepid’s Ultimate Guide to La Tomatina

La Tomatina usually happens on the last Wednesday of August. This year it will take place on Wednesday 28 August.

Ticket prices vary depending on whether you want just a ticket (€12), or a ticket with a locker, official event t-shirt, goggles and afterparty which range from €12 to €40.

To buy tickets, visit the official La Tomatina website. 

La Tomatina was banned in the early 1950s by the Franco government because it didn’t have religious ties. The people of Buñol accepted this at first, but protests soon began to resume the festivities – but it wasn’t your typical protest! Carrying a coffin with a giant tomato inside, the residents of Buñol marched down the street to sombre music and staged their very own tomato burial. This ingenious protest was a great success and La Tomatina continued once again.

La Tomatina originally had no religious ties and was purely for fun – that’s if your idea of fun involves getting drenched in tomato juice! However, the festival is now held in honour of the town’s patron saint, St. Louis Bertrand, and the Mare de Deu dels Desemparats (Mother of God of the Defenceless).

There’s one golden nugget of advice when it comes to packing for La Tomatina: don’t pack anything you don’t want to get ruined. You’ll be covered head to toe in tomato juice so old t-shirts and shorts that you don’t mind throwing out are ideal. We recommend wearing a pair of trainers as the ground can get very slippery (flip-flops will slide off) and a pair of goggles to protect your eyes. You’ll also need some fresh clothes to wear after the tomato fight. To carry your phone and money, it’s best to leave them at your hotel or wear a money belt. You might want to consider a waterproof case for your phone if you want to take photos.

August is the height of summer in Spain so it’s hot, dry and sunny in most parts of the country, however temperatures tend to be a bit cooler in the north. Average daytime highs vary slightly throughout the country but linger around 28°C (82°F), and evenings are balmy with average lows of 21C (70F). August is one of the driest months with very little or no chance of rainfall.

Travellers from Australia, the USA, New Zealand, Brazil, Japan and more can visit Spain for 90 days in a six-month period with no visa, as long as they have no plans to work. Citizens of the European Union and Iceland, Norway and Switzerland are not required to obtain a visa but must abide by local residency requirements if they plan to stay for more than 90 days.

Travellers visiting from Cambodia, Ecuador, India, Nepal and various other countries must obtain a visa from the Spanish consulate or embassy in their region – allow at least two weeks for it to be issued. Check your visa requirements with your local embassy or consulate before travelling. 

Overall, Spain is a welcoming and safe destination for LGBTQIA+ travellers. Same-sex marriage is legal, and laws exist to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals to live free from discrimination (though employment discrimination laws do not yet protect transgender individuals). 

Public opinion on LGBTQIA+ individuals is relatively positive. Though LGBTQIA+ travellers may encounter more conservative views in rural areas and small towns, the risk of experiencing overt discrimination in Spain is very low for travellers. Transgender individuals and gender non-conforming folks are widely accepted in Spain, though gender identity-based discrimination still occurs.

For more detailed and up-to-date advice, we recommend visiting Equaldex or ILGA before you travel.

Intrepid is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. That’s why we do our best to help as many people see the world as possible, regardless of any physical or mental limitations they might have. We’re always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them towards the most suitable itinerary for their needs and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.

Spain is a mixed bag when it comes to access for travellers with disabilities. While some regions like Catalonia are proactively working to meet the needs of travellers with disabilities, others may prove challenging for travellers with mobility and/or visual impairments.  

Barcelona is notable as one of the most wheelchair-friendly cities in Europe. All of Barcelona’s major sights are accessible for wheelchair users, and some beaches have all-terrain wheelchairs for free hire as well as boardwalks that extend to the water. The vast majority of metro stations and all buses are accessible to folks with reduced mobility. Many train stations in Barcelona have tactile strips to direct folks with vision impairments to platforms, ticket machines and elevators. Ticket machines and elevators have speech options in a variety of languages. 

Madrid is also a city committed to accessible travel, with metro and bus systems that can be used by people with mobility and visual impairments, and many accessible monuments.

Spain’s national parks are somewhat accessible, as they are commonly outfitted with accessible interpretation centres and viewpoints. The trails of the Picos de Europa are well-maintained and non-reflective, so may be accessible to people with visual impairments (depending on the severity of the impairment).

Travellers who use battery-operated hearing aids should familiarise themselves with the Spanish equivalent of the batteries their devices need.

If you do live with a visual, hearing or other impairment, let your booking agent or group leader know early on so they’re aware and suitable arrangements can be made. As a general rule, knowing some common words in the local language, carrying a written itinerary with you and taking to the streets in a group, rather than solo, can help make your travel experience the best it can be.

Learn more about Accessible Travel with Intrepid

Trips on or before 31 December 2022

If your Intrepid trip starts on or before 31 December 2022, you must provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.

If you are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons, you may apply for an exemption. Exemptions will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. To apply, you must provide a medical certificate from a medical professional. 

Children under 18 are exempt. Children aged between 5 and 17 years old must provide proof of either vaccination, recovery or a negative COVID-19 test.

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Learn more about Intrepid’s COVID-19 policy