The following is taken mostly from Pamplona, Running the bulls, bars, and Barrios in Fiesta de San Fermin by Ray Mouton. You should buy this book.

This is one of the most dangerous and exhilarating rituals on planet earth. You should not run unless you understand the risks the intricacies of the event. There are injuries every year and while not common, deaths. In 1995 a young American runner was gored to death less than 30 seconds into his first encierro. Ignorance can get you hurt or killed. Click here and read this before you go.

Click here to see the route of the encierro.

The Corrida
Also known as The Bullfight

The Fiesta in Pamplona is known throughout Spain as Feria del Toro, the fair or fiesta of the bulls. While there are more important and prestigious bullfights, the bullfights in Pamplona are one the biggest in Spain .

The inclusion of the local Peñas in the Pamplona corrida are certainly a sight to behold—preferably from the opposite side of the arena. Each local Peña fills their section of the stands wearing there colors and singing along with their band. Often the different Peña bands “dual” for the attention of the others in the stands by playing louder and louder. It is not unusual to hear a traditional Pamplonesa song followed immediately by a Van Halen tune. Halfway through the corrida, the Peña members are covered in flour, eggs, sangria, and whatever else they have tossed at each other in a good natured food fight.

Regardless of the behavior of the Peñas, the bulls are the centerpiece of Fiesta in Pamplona . It is serious business for those who participate. Ernest Hemingway’s work, Death in the Afternoon, is considered a very good introduction to the ancient tradition of the bullfight.

It is important to understand the corrida del toros. This is not “sport”. The english word “bullfight” is a poor translation of the corrida del toros, which really translates to “running” not “combating” with the bulls. And these are not the bulls you see on the farm. As Hemingway stated, the toro bravo is as different from the domestic bull as a dog is from a wolf. The toro bravo is a descendent of a species of bull that once roamed the ancient forests of Europe . After being hunted your centuries, they were finally relegated to the Iberian Peninsula .

The corrida is not nor is it meant to be and “even match”. The corrida del toros has evolved from ancient primitive rites of ritual sacrifice of an animal-god dating back thousands of years.  Westerners cheering for the bull and booing the toreros are a sad image of not understanding this.

The corrida del toros is indeed tragic. The bull will die and the man will be exposed to mortal danger. But tragedy requires dignity and the toro bravo is an animal of great dignity and the toreros will perform with dignity.

The Sun Also Rises
by Ernest Hemingway

For most people Fiesta today bears only little resemblance to the Fiesta Hemingway writes about however this is the book that put Pamplona on the map and this is one of the greatest works of fiction by an American author.