Running of the Bulls in Arcos

 

When my family came to visit during Easter week, I asked them if they wanted to experience any Spanish cultural events, such as the Running of the Bulls. They were very excited, and my brother-in-law even decided that it would be the highlight of his trip to run with them!

The most famous running of the bulls event in in Northern Spain, in Pamplona, in the month of July. However, there are a few smaller events in our area. On Easter Sunday, the towns of Arcos and Vejer de la Frontera each release a bull into the streets, and brave drunken men take the opportunity to run from it! 

Andrew's view inside the gates!

In Arcos, they release two separate bulls: the first at Noon, the next at 3 PM. For each event, spectators gather at least an hour ahead of time. You have 2 options for parking. There is an underground parking garage near the festivities, for those who arrive early enough in the day. It is located at GPS Coordinates: 36°45'03.7"N 5°48'48.5"W. However, that garage would be difficult to get out of at teh end of the day, because the street party happens all around it. (More about that in a moment). So I recommend parkingin the dirt lot at the bottom of the city, located at: GPS coordinates: 36°44'59.8"N 5°48'54.0"W. Beware--Spanish drivers will park all over the place, making it difficult to get out of the lot, so be sure to leave yourself enough room to get out of your spot, and try to ensure you have access to an exit from the lot. Whether you park at the dirt lot or the parking garage, you will walk uphill to the part of the city with all the festivities. Let the music and the crowds guide you. It is one huge street party! All restaurants are standing room only, and booths are set up along the road offering 1 Euro beers and cheap sangria. Enjoy the festive environment!

The city puts up bright red metal fences that line the entire road where the bull will run. It is easy to find a spot along this fence 1 hour ahead of time, but as release time approaches, the crowd climbs on the fences, nearby balconies, roofs--anywhere to get a good view! There are multiple cannon shots: I think every day minutes in the hour leading up to the event. Then a truck drives the bull up to the top of the street. (In typical Spanish fashion, the release does not happen precisely on the hour. In our case, it was almost a half hour later than scheduled!) Finally, the bull is released and charges downhill! But at the bottom of the hill, another fence stops it, so it turns around and runs back up the hill! Be prepared for it to come by a few times! If you are one of the crazy people running with it, look for the tall narrow loops in the fence, which are designed for men to escape. (Note: active duty military cannot run with the bull, but anyone else who wants to simply goes into the fence ahead of time.)

All day, but particularly after the runnings, there is a city-wide block party. The entire city turns out to dance (and drink) in the streets. The crowds are thick, and can stretch for several blocks at a time. My relatives were really impressed by this: it was a great environment, fun music, cheap drinks, and everyone was enjoying themselves without being publicly drunk or stupid. Feel free to stay as long as you want: the merriment probably last all night. Of course, be responsible and have a designated driver, since Arcos is over 1 hour from base.

With that said, one final note is important: This event is NOT kid-friendly! Typically, the Spanish will bring children to every public celebration, but this was the one time in Spain that we did not see children participating. Why? Well, it's just a little dangerous. I kept my children a few feet away from the red fence, so the bull's horns couldn't touch them even if he did approach the edge. The Spanish people around us allowed my niece and nephew (ages 10 and 14) to approach the fence, but there were about 4 different Spanish women with hands on my 10-year-old niece, ready to push her away in case of danger.  Also, there are a lot of pressing crowds that are not stroller-friendly. And there is a lot of time standing around waiting (and drinking) which kids do not enjoy. So was it a fun event? Yes. But I would go without kids if at all possible!