Pamplona Bull Run
The Pamplona Bull Run (encierro) is the highlight of the spectacular Fiesta de San Fermín. Every morning, hundreds of intrepid locals and visitors risk their lives to outpace galloping bulls as they hurtle through the streets towards the bullring.
The event was brought to international renown by a man whose name has become a byword for machismo - Ernest Hemingway - in his 1927 novel Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises. Its roots, however, are deeply embedded in Spanish cultural history, with the first recorded instances of runners in the 1600s.
There are three parts to the run, which vary in difficulty. For those whose middle name is danger, Santo Domingo is a fast and furious challenge. Even dicier is the corner of Mercaderes. The rest take on Estafeta, the easier part of the treacherous course. A shorter run called the encierrillo takes place in poor lighting conditions at 11pm along the route that the bulls take before they fight the next day, but this one is exclusive and requires invitation from the town hall.
Only the brave and foolhardy choose to run in front of the bulls. This bull run in particular is now fiercely opposed by animal rights campaigners and both bulls and humans can end up injured. If you feel strongly opposed to the event, you could take part in the Running of the Nudes, an anti-bull run event that takes place a few days before the fiestas begin.
Related Information
Website: San Fermín Website
Website: Pamplona Town Hall Website
Website: Pamplona Bull Run Website
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Pamplona Bull Run |
| Email: | info@sanferminencierro.com |
| Phone: | +34 659 40 14 30 |
| Address: | Plaza del castillo 24, Pamplona, Navarra 31001, Spain |
| Town Information: | Pamplona |
| Full Name: | |
| Directions: | The capital of the northern Spanish region of Navarra. |
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Pamplona Bull Run |
| Email: | info@sanferminencierro.com |
| Phone: | +34 659 40 14 30 |
| Address: | Plaza del castillo 24, Pamplona, Navarra 31001, Spain |
| Name: | Pamplona Tourist Office |
| Location: | Navarra |
| Address: | c/Hilarion Eslava 1, corner of Plaza San Francisco, 31001, Pamplona. |
| Email: | oit.pamplona@navarra.es |
| Phone: | +34 848 42 04 20 |
| Fax: | +34 848 42 46 30 |
| Name: | Spanish National Tourist Office |
| Location: | Spain |
| Address: | José Lazaro Galdiano, 6, Madrid 28036 |
| Fax: | +34 913 43 35 00 |
| Name: | Spanish National Tourist Office (Turespaña) |
| Location: | Spain |
| Address: | Jose Lázaro Galdiano, 6, 28071 Madrid, Spain |
| Email: | infosmile@tourspain.es |
| Phone: | +34 913 43 35 00 |
| Name: | Spanish Tourist Board (London) |
| Location: | Spain |
| Address: | PO Box 4009, London, W1A 6NB |
| Email: | info.londres@tourspain.es |
| Phone: | +44 (0) 20 7486 8077 |
| Fax: | +44 (0) 20 7486 8034 |
