On the last Wednesday of every August, the sleepy town of Buñol erupts into a fiery blaze of red for the world famous food-fight, La Tomatina.   

Tens of thousands of tourists travel to Buñol for this legendary tomato-throwing fiesta, which coincides with the festival for the town's patron saint, San Luis Bertran.

The whole point of La Tomatina is a bit of mystery and nobody can quite agree on how it all began- although it is widely agreed that the tradition began in 1944.

Some say the festival was first started when locals began bombarding a less-than-divine musician with tomatoes. 

Others say the tradition was born out of an impromptu food fight among a group of friends and yet another theory suggests that La Tomatina started at an anti-Franco rally.

Perhaps the most believable account is that two groups got into a brawl during the San Fermin festival and began pelting each other with tomatoes from a nearby vegetable cart.

Whatever its origins, locals and foreigners alike have had a 'saucy time' pelting each other with tomatoes every August for the past 65 years.

The madness of La Tomatina officially begins when someone is drunk — or loco — enough to climb a greased pole and retrieve a smoked leg of ham that's speared on top of it.

Water cannons are then fired over the excited crowd before over 100 tonnes of overripe tomatoes is dumped on the streets then everyone proceeds to pelt each other with them.

If you're worried about getting pulp in your eyes, street vendors sell goggles and protective glasses and if you need a little encouragement they also sell large plastic cups of sangria.

A few words of advice, if you come to La Tomatina respect the rules: you have one hour for throwing tomatoes from the moment the cannon blast announces the beginning of the battle until the end, one hour later, when another cannon is set off.

After the last tomato has been thrown and the messy streets have been washed clean, tourists can take the opportunity to explore what else the town has to offer.

Travellers should definitely visit the beautiful San Luis Hermitage and the church of San Pedro Apóstol.
The fountain of San Luis also features picnic facilities and an auditorium where you can enjoy excellent concerts given by the two local bands: Los Litros (The Litres) y Los Feos (The Ugly ones).

Situated only 30 kilometers inland from the Mediterranean Sea, Buñol is well-connected by motorway and rail to both Valencia, home of the Paella and Madrid, so it makes for a great day trip.

Travellers who would like to stay in the tiny town of Buñol are advised to book their accommodation in advance, especially during La Tomatina.