Running of the Bulls

Are they definitely running the bulls when you’re there? It will be contained in a specific area so you may be able to avoid it in a place the size of Pamplona. Also it tends to take place late at night so again, possible to avoid.

We stayed in a house near Valencia where the bull running and fighting was happening literally right outside the front gate (didn’t know in advance) and it wasn’t my idea of entertainment. Apart from the suffering of the bulls you see men being gored and taken away in ambulances. Someone died there the following week. It’s incredibly noisy (crowds, firecrackers) and doesn’t finish until 3am!

Thank you for your replies! Yes, we plan to be from July 8 to July 11.

We would be flying from Chicago on July 6 most likely to Barcelona, then taking a train to Pomplona. (We’d spend day or two in Barcelona) . We are pretty open after the event in Pomplona. . Was thinking Madrid, but part of me thinks it’s simply another big city. Thoughts on San Sebastian? Bilbao? ? or, could go to Madrid before San Sebastian or after. Thoughts? Thinking of flying home on July 15, but we are open. Would be using public transportation.

I can tell you there were MANY children watching the events I saw. It was very much a family atmosphere, taking place in the town square.

A "Running of the Bulls" or Encierro as we call it, is not some Disney Land ride, it can be quite dangerous and people train all year for these kinds of things. It's not for the faint of heart.

The Fiesta de San Fermín, known outside of the Spain as "The Running of the Bulls" encompasses much more that just the Encierro (the actual running). The week long festival has pyrotechnics and fireworks displays, processions, music/dancing, partying, Giants parades, Jai alai tournaments, and daily afternoon bull fights.

Personally I don't think it's a very family friendly event, especially at night when there's a lot of drinking and horsing around by foreigners who come to get drunk and have a good time.

I'd say that if you're only spending one or two days in Barcelona that seems to be where you should spend more time, the city needs at least four nights to be able to see something.

I'd say skip it unless you're very invested in going. Whatever you choose chances are your kids won't remember anything so it's really on you guys and what you want to see.

Just read History Traveler's post and I agree 100%, you may want to take this as an opportunity to step back and really think about why you want to visit Spain or even San Fermin in the first place.

I agree with the others wouldn’t go there with young children.

Heck, I wouldn’t even want to pay the hotel prices during the event. They’re 3X or more above the off festival price. Back in late May 2017 we paid €99 a night at the Pamplona Cathedral Hotel. During the San Fermín festival, the same room was going for €500.

The OP, in my opinion, is right in not wanting to go to the running of the bulls and, more importantly, not wanting to expose their children to such cruelty.

There's so much more to enjoy in Spain than animal cruelty, what are your interests?

Personally I wouldn't participate in the Running of the Bulls, and I would encourage you to look at your other choices. I am totally against this particular event, as well as bullfighting in general. I believe both events constitute cruelty and abuse, and not a tradition to be venerated. Of course this is a personal decision, and I know that for some people running with (or rather in front of) the bulls is a life list experience. Animal welfare-wise though, I would not be for it. Better that you participate in the Tomatina, and throw tomatoes at other human beings. We deserve it.

The origin of the so called "Running of the bulls", knows as the "Encierro", is the crossing of the bulls from their pastures through the city of Iruña-Pamplona when they were taken to the bullring in the center of the city. There are other "encierros" in Spain and it´s proven to be a centuries-old tradition, as shows with bulls have always been popular. The encierro of San Fermin (8am for 6 days during the San Fermín festivals) is subject to very strict rules, that every runner must follow: no harming the bulls, no touching them, no mobiles, no photos during the race, no funny clothes and absolutely no drunkards. The police controls most of the runners to get them out of the itinerary if they do not follow the rules. It´s also important to point out that of the 12 running bulls, 6 of them are tame and 6 are toros bravos, wild bulls specially bred for bullfights. Bulls are kept in an outdoor barn right before the running start and nobody can touch them except the shepherds, that run alongside them during the "race". It normally lasts around 3min in a bit over half a mile (you will really just see just a big bunch of people running in front of some bulls, for seconds), running slightly uphill. The running of the bulls finally ends in the bullring, they normally cross it quickly and are taken to their barns for the late afternoon bullfight. When the bulls leave the bullring after the encierro, there are small cows, called "vaquillas", and there´s playing and running with them in the bullring, they are not killed or mistreated (not allowed) during this time. Families, kids, grandparents...all meet to watch this tradition, considered family-friendly in Spain. And a very different thing is the bullfight that takes place later: 6 bulls are "bullfighted" following very strict rules and as a general rule, they are all killed by the "torero" (sometimes it´s the bullfighter who gets killed). Kids are forbidden to enter the bullring in many places.

I do not pretend in any case to arise any kind of discussion on what people think about the running of the bulls or the bullfight, just to show the real facts so people can decide. Another fact is that young people show nowadays very little interest in bullfighting, but the "encierros" are quite popular.

Sorry Bill. I am wrong about that. As I said, it went on incredibly late at the one I saw. It was probably just finishing up at 8am.

Helen, what you saw could not possibly be, in any way, an "Encierro" or a "running of the bulls". It only (and only) takes place at 8am and takes around 3 minutes to finish. It had to be another thing.

Helen, what you saw could not possibly be, in any way, an "Encierro" or a "running of the bulls". It only (and only) takes place at 8am and takes around 3 minutes to finish. It had to be another thing.

I'm sure Helen knows what she witnessed and her reference to the other, later events were exactly that.....later events.

Irrespective of what she experienced it does not detract from the fact that neither the sadistic treatment of the bulls OR the celebrations going long into the evening are suitable for children particularly very young childen such as the OP's.

Just to clarify: Helen says that the encierro tends to take place late at night, and that´s a misleading information, as the running of the bulls actually takes place at 0800 every morning for 6 days during the festivals. Also, it seems that there´s a misunderstanding between what is an actual running of the bulls, a bullfight and a vaquillas festival. Very different things, celebrated in different ways in different places. And you will see plenty of families with very young kids enjoying the festivities, which for the enormous most part do not involve any bulls or animals, there are dozens of kid-friendly activities in Pamplona during the San Fermín festivals and it´s not rare to see lots of families with their kids until well past midnight during this time of the year (also, in most festivals in Spain. It´s just another way of life). I believe the OP needs to have all the info before taking a decision. Pamplona, as they´ve said before, like most Spanish towns in festivals, offers lots of family-friendly activities during the festivals and the running of the bulls take just 3min of the day.

I think the massive crowds and the massive amounts of drinking would put me off going there with small kids. Having been there for the mini San Fermin without the bulls, I could not believe how loud and full the city could be. Have no desire to ever be in Pamplona for one of those festivals again. Nice city, but not during San Fermin.