San Fermin

San Fermin runs from noon on 6 July, when a rocket is fired from the town hall balcony, to midnight on the 14th, and it is a nine-day festival of processions, music, giants, fireworks and near-continuous drinking, of which the encierro is one part: each morning at eight, six fighting bulls and steers are released to run 875 metres through the old town to the bullring, with participants running ahead of them. Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises made it internationally known in 1926 and the crowds have grown ever since. The bulls run to the ring, where they are fought and killed that evening. Injuries in the run are frequent and deaths have occurred, most recently in 2009.

What you actually see

• The encierro - a bull run through the old town each morning at eight.
• The chupinazo - the opening rocket at noon on 6 July.
• The giants and processions - parades of figures through the streets daily.
• The white and red - the near-universal festival dress with a red neckerchief.

When to go

6 to 14 July, fixed dates; accommodation is booked a year ahead and prices multiply. Balcony spots along the run and bullring seats are sold through agencies at high prices.

Honest expectations

The run is dangerous, with dozens gored or trampled most years and fifteen deaths recorded since 1910; participants must be sober, and the drunk are removed. Bullfighting follows every run and is a serious ethical objection for many visitors. The city is extremely crowded and sanitation strained.

Nearby

Pamplona's old town and citadel are the setting; the Camino Frances passes through.