The Spanish are wild for festivals. Look at their most insane one, Pamplona's Running of the Bulls. What a crazy thing to do! But don't belittle the bullfights to a Spaniard -- the bullfights are the country's finest art and the only time when punctuality matters in Spain.

Feb/March
Carnival:
- in Cadiz, and also Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands
- on Ash Wednesday
- the last festival before Lent, so everyone parties hardy, eating and consuming mass quantities of food and drink
- mood: reckless abandon, wild rhythms, vivid costumes

June
Haro, the Wine War:
- in La Rioja
- June
- Another messy battle - people use bota bags to squirt wine at each other, later they actually drink the famous Rioja wine

July
Running of the Bulls
- Pamplona
- July 6 -14
- Festivities for this San Fermin Festival include much drunken revelry. Why else would anyone want to run with the bulls. But even the experts advise: being drunk while running is a sure way to get trampled or gorged. It's a truly sobering experience.

August
Tomatina - Tomato Fight in the Town Square

Your interntaional cell phone rentals can help you keep track of these many festivals.