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The festivities date back to the 19th century; they were originally thought to have first taken place in 1896 but a few years after the centenary celebrations in 1996, evidence was discovered that dated the possible origin of the festivities to the 1870s. Quite possibly the biggest attraction of the festivities is the "bous al mar" - the "bulls to the sea" version of the popular but controversial bull-running event that is omnipresent in just about every fiesta in Spain. A special arena is constructed on one of the harbour booms, surrounded on three sides by a large temporary stand and on the fourth by a fairly long drop into the waters of the harbour. Unlike normal bull-running events, the "bous al mar" provides an additional means of escape from several tons of oncoming horns; the sea. And the general idea is to try and encourage the bull to follow you into the water. They can swim - to a certain extent - and there is always a safety boat on hand which rushes to the animal's aid and ferries it back to land. It may not be the most ethical way to enjoy the festivities but it brings together the community for a few days, who may well gather around the large temporary bar to enjoy a few beers and some freshly cooked seafood, such as sardines and small crabs. Occasionally a small band will provide music and, as the sun sinks behind the inland mountains, everything feels good for a while as life's troubles are set aside for a few hours. However, the bulls are not the only attraction of the festival. Once the arena has been cleared, the youngsters come together to enjoy a few special games on the water's edge, such as the greasy pole, a horizontal beam which stretches away from the harbour wall requiring nerves of steel as one teeters a few metres above the water, trying desperately to keep balance on the slippery surface. In the main square, giant inflatables amuse the very young whilst a foam party covers everyone in cooling suds as the late summer sun beats down. Elsewhere, there is the meringue fight, a modest version of Buņol's 'Tomatina' with gooey meringue replacing the tomatoes. The sea off La Grava beach turns a strange shade of white as people take to the water to wash off the sticky covering and everyone is laughing. It's the ultimate feel-good experience! Throughout the fortnight, there are community dinners, live music and open-air discos, paella competitions, sports tournaments and the crazy "correfocs", in which masked rabble-rousers whip up a frenzy with music and drums - and incredibly let off fireworks in the street! Literally meaning "streets of fire", the event is something that has to be experienced, even just for the one time. Don't wear anything of which you have a particular fondness; the streets are filled with sparks and smoke which can seem to be completely out of control at first but one can only get as involved as one wants to be. Our tip: wear a diving mask and a bandana around the mouth! On the last night - September 8th - massive crowds will gather along the coast from the port and all way down towards the Arenal, packing the stone beaches with chairs, tables and barbecues as well as providing the beach bars with a very welcome end-of-season boost to the coffers. Don't bother trying to park down there; leave the car inland and walk down for there are few free spaces and it's a nightmare getting out at the end of the evening unless one has a particular liking for lengthy queues. Everyone has flocked to the coast for the massive firework display which explodes from the far boom of the harbour. It has a huge reputation and rarely fails to impress. Colour explodes in the night sky, forming distinct shapes, whilst other rockets bounce along the surface of the dark sea, seemingly exploding into life from under the water. |
| Updated: Saturday 23rd April 2011 |
