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We hope you’re as excited for La Tomatina as we are!
#stoketravel #getstoked #LaTomatina
Includes:
- Return coach transport between Valencia and Bunol for La Tomatina
- Free entry (until 9pm) to the official La Tomatina after Party
- Experienced Travel Guide to lead you into the chaos (but once you’re in, good luck)
- Official La Tomatina Ticket – Pick up at pop-up bar in Buñol, check-in opens from 8:30 am
- Free entry to pre-party pop-up bar in Buñol (La Tomatina site) from 8:30 am, with flowing drinks to prepare you for the fight, and wash away the taste of tomato afterwards
DON’T FORGET
- Cash
- When you arrive, follow the big logo to the Stoke Travel pop-up bar
- Your best party shirt
- A change of clothes for after the fight. You won’t be allowed on any busses/in any cars covered in tomatoes!
- A towel (we don’t sell or rent them on-site)
- Bring shoes that are either waterproof or that you can throw out after the fight because they will be destroyed by the end of it! White canvas shoes are a good choice, thongs (flip flops) will also work but prepare to have your toes stepped on.
- Goggles! Tomatoes in your eyes can really sting.
- Sunscreen! Looking like a lobster is only cute if you’re actually a lobster.
- A water bottle to fill up. You’ll be saving the environment and staying hydrated all at the same time! How good!
BE A GURU (Should knows)
*not applicable for the ticket only PACKAGE AS YOU WON’T BE GOING TO THE hotel
- Tomatina ticket (worth €25) included – SUPER IMPORTANT, YOU WON’T BE ALLOWED INTO THE FESTIVAL WITHOUT IT
- Official Tomatina after-party including return transportation – this is the official afterparty that all the other travel companies attend the night of the fight. Hosted in an open-air nightclub just outside of Valencia – €15 if you pre-purchase online, €20 at the hotel (Not applicable to the day trip package)
Facilities
*not applicable for the ticket-only PACKAGE AS YOU WON’T BE GOING TO THE hotel
- A pool
- A play ground
- A cafe/restaurant
- A little shop
- Hot showers
- Laundry area
- Parking
- Drinkable water
- Five-minute walk from the beach
*This list is specific to our La Tomatina hotel. If you have any specific questions regarding the facilities of the other locations, email us at info@stoketavel.com
STOKE TRAVEL’S COMMON SENSE GUIDE TO STAYING SAFE In the festival
Some of the festivals that we attend obviously come with some risks attached. Fear not though, we’re pretty much pro’s at this point. We’ve put together a list of our hot tips, follow them closely and in a perfect world, we all leave the festival unscathed.
- Wear closed toe shoes – The festival takes place in a tight, narrow street filled with thousands of people who are excited and probably drunk. Your feet will not be their top priority. Please protect your toes by wearing appropriate footwear. We recommend buying a cheap pair and then throwing them out afterwards.
- Crush whole tomatoes with your hands before you throw them – You may not have experienced it before, but being hit by a whole, sometimes not very ripe tomato, really hurts. We’re all here to have a good time and come away without a black eye so think of your fellow revellers and make sure you squish those bad boys before throwing.
- Invest in some goggles – Tomato in your eyes HURTS! If you value being able to see clearly and your eyes not stinging, goggles are the way to go. Protect your peepers!
- Only take what you need into the festival, leave the rest behind – Festivals like this are a goldmine for pick-pockets. While you’re busy throwing tomatoes, they’ll reach in and steal your phone from right under your nose. Keep your things in a waterproof bag around your neck if you can, and under your shirt when you’re not using them to avoid them being ripped off you. Be savvy and keep your wits about you and you’ll be fine. (keep in mind selfie sticks are not allowed)
- Keep an eye on your friends – It’s a big, big festival with looooots of people around. No one likes losing their friends and things like this are way more fun with people you like. When you enter, stick together and even choose a meeting point for after the fight if you get lost. There’s nothing worse than being lost in a crowd of thousands of people covered head to toe in red mush, when all you wanna do is find your pals.
- Don’t grab at peoples clothing – This is just generally not a nice thing to do, and even less nice when you’re squished in with hundreds of thousands of strangers. Personal boundaries are still a thing and we still need to respect them. Torn t-shirts aren’t cute, you wouldn’t like it if someone was grabbing at you willy-nilly, so don’t do it to anyone else.
- Take care of your wristband – You will be given your wristband at the hotel, make sure you keep it in pristine condition as you won’t be able to get in without it, and there is absolutely no chance at all that you’ll get a replacement.
STOKE TRAVEL’S COMMON SENSE GUIDE TO STAYING SAFE at the hotel
*If at any time you feel unsafe, please don’t hesitate to contact the onsite Noble Security team, or any member of the Stoke Travel crew who will radio for security.
As far as situations go, a Stoke Travel trip is amongst the safest. Unlike in the ‘real’ world, everybody here is intent on having a good time with new and old friends – your fellow Stokies are way more likely to hold your hair back while you puke than steal your wallet.
That being so, we’re more in danger of hurting ourselves while on a Stoke Travel trip than falling foul of our fellow travellers. Here’s a quick little guide to partying safe with Stoke Travel.
- Drink plenty of water.
You’re going to drink heaps of beer and sangria, and you’re going to have a plenty big hangover, but you can really limit it by smashing a few cups of water throughout the day and evening. - Remember to eat!
We’re going to hook you up with a hearty bottomless brunch breakfast buffet, and as the bare minimum that should keep your stomach lined and engine running. Do not skip these meals, even if you are suffering horrifically from one of the aforementioned hangovers. We also strongly advise getting a lunch and dinner in there too, maybe even every day. - Zip your tent up when you’re in it and when you leave it.
Seems basic, but you’d be surprised how often drunk us forgets to do this. When you get in your tent at night make sure you zip it up to prevent unexpected rain showers from disturbing your slumber. Same goes for when you leave your tent. It’ll take two seconds to zip it up, but that’ll save you from wet clothes, chafe, and maybe even pneumonia. If you also brought your favourite pair of socks and want to make sure they’re safe, you can purchase a lock from the guru tent for only €5. - Don’t be a creep.
Like, seriously, has that ever worked out for you? Similarly, if you see somebody being a creep and making people uncomfortable let us know and we’ll have a friendly word to them. Sometimes they just don’t realise how gross they are. - No means no, consent matters.
At a very basic level if you hit on somebody and they say no then you’ve just got to cop that. They’re just not that into you. It sucks for about three seconds, but you’re literally surrounded by hundreds of young, like-minded travellers. Suck it up and move on. When you do find somebody who’s into you and you want to move through the bases, make sure you get consent. It really, really, really, really, really does matter. - If you see somebody having a bad time, make sure they’re ok.
We are all brothers and sisters and gender non-specific relations out here. If you see somebody struggling in any way, check on them, grab a Stoke staff member and just do what any decent human being would do.
Staying safe at Stoke Travel is super easy, but sometimes we get a little out of control and forget the basics. If you ever find yourself in any kind of situation do not hesitate to contact Stoke staff, or security, and we’ll sort you out immediately. We’re here to help – help you have the best time possible. Mwah.
WHAT TO BRING
- Cash. There’s no ATM’s on site so you won’t be able to get cash out until you’re in the city centre
- Your passport for check in
- Your white outfit for the fight. THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT! You can add a top on to your booking before you arrive, or buy one at the hotel for €15
- A change of clothes for after the fight. You won’t be allowed on any busses covered in tomatoes!
- Your best party shirt
- Warm clothes (it can get a bit chilly at night)
- A towel (we don’t sell or rent them on site)
- Portable phone charger
- A pillow if your backpack won’t do
- Swimmers for the post tomato fight pool party!
- Condoms (better safe than sorry, right?)
- Bring shoes that are either waterproof or that you can throw out after the fight because they will be destroyed by the end of it! White canvas shoes are a good choice, thongs (flip flops) will also work, but prepare to have your toes stepped on
- Goggles! Tomatoes in your eyes can really sting.
- Sunscreen! Looking like a lobster is only cute if you’re actually a lobster.
- A water bottle to fill up. You’ll be saving the environment and staying hydrated all at the same time! How good!
Guides Guide
We probably don’t even need to be telling you this, but La Tomatina is Spain’s famous tomato fight and the world’s biggest food fight.
The history is a lil hazy when it comes to it’s humble beginnings, but the most generally accepted theory is that a spontaneous food fight broke out back in 1945, when a local man became super mad after being pushed over in the street. He retaliated by grabbing market tomatoes to hurl at everybody in sight. The following year, the local youngens turned up on the same day, prepared for the battle with tomatoes in tow of course. In the 1950s authorities banned La Tomatina, so it took on more of a rebellious vibe, with some seeing it as a way to act against the Spanish dictatorship. In 1957 authorities gave in, realised how much fun could be had, and La Tomatina became the official party we all know and love!
The fight is held every year on the morning of the last Wednesday in August, in Buñol, a little town west of Valencia. More than 40,000 people get in on the madness, from all over the world, ready to throw more than 15 tonnes of tomatoes.
From 8am on the day of La Tomatina, a big slippery ham is hung on the top of a greased up pole in the packed town square. The aim of the game is to be the first person to climb up the slippery pole and grab the ham, with the crowd yelling and screaming (all the while being drenched with water from hoses, because a tomato hitting a wet person hurts way less than a dry person ). They have from 10am – 11am, and the moment the ham is grabbed, a pistol goes off, the tomato trucks appear, and it’s go time. If no one reaches the ham by 11am, the fight will begin.
As seems to be Spanish tradition, everyone wears white, probably to see exactly how much of a mess tomatoes can really make on white clothes. In saying that, you’ll see plenty of Spanish men chucking tomatoes at each other in their undies, while heaps of people wear goggles or snorkelling gear to keep the mush out of their eyes and nose.
6 trucks filled with tomatoes will move through the streets over the course of an hour, leaving everyman for himself behind them. The fight is officially over at 1pm, but the masses of crazy tomato covered people will often hang around a little bit longer and throw some more, take pics for the gram, and splash around a bit before they head out. On the way out, locals will be standing on the street with their hoses ready to spray you down, usually for a €1 donation. If you’re savvy, there’s also a little river on the way out that you can stop at to rinse off in.
Itinerary
ITINERARY
Please make a note of the following times so you don’t miss out on the madness!
August 28
IT’S FIGHT DAY!
- 6:00am: Meet us at our pick-up destination to pile on the bus from Valencia to Buñol
- 8:30am: Meet us at the pop-up bar for some pre-fight booze and to meet your fellow fighters
- 8:30am-9:30am: Make use of the pop-up bar before the fight!
- 10am: The crowd scrambles to reach a leg of ham balanced on a 5m high wooden pole. When (if) someone reaches this ham, the tomato fight officially begins!
- 11am: If no one reaches the ham before 11 am a shot is fired and trucks carrying tonnes and tonnes of tomatoes are dumped throughout the street. Prepare yourself for about an hour of absolute carnage of throwing fleshy fruit at strangers, friends, family, locals and tourists alike. Following the fight, we’ll head back towards the buses. You can stop off to be rinsed for a coin donation by locals with their garden hoses. Remember to bring a spare change of clothes!
- 2pm: Fight is officially over
- AFTER: Join us at the official La Tomatina Afterparty!