Bullring Cut into the Rock

Bocairent's bullring opened on 20 July 1844 and is the oldest in the Comunitat Valenciana. What makes it unique is that it is cut for the most part into the living rock of the hillside. You visit it in half an hour, with guided slots at set times, for €3.

History

According to the Tourist Info, in the 17th and 18th centuries bulls were run through the town's streets, and from at least 1832 a temporary wooden ring was set up every year, from April to October. The stone ring did not come from a single cause: the assembly and safety problems of the wooden one, the town's good economic run, the Municipal Hospital's interest in having a fixed income and the support of local businessmen and professionals all weighed. There is also a popular story, which the town council tells as a romantic legend, about textile workers who swapped the shuttle for the pick and shovel to carve it.

It was built by a society of 77 shareholders, who built it and then managed it. Work began in 1843 and it opened the following year with nine tiers; in the next two years it was extended and consolidated. It has traditionally been a training ring for bullfighters before they moved on to bigger arenas.

What you see

Because of the lie of the land, the slope allows entry at ground level both through the bull gate, below, and through the presidential gallery, above. Today it has 3,760 seats, six corrals, slaughterhouse, infirmary and chapel. It still hosts bullfights and also cultural, sporting and festive events.

Opening hours and price

Admission costs €3. According to the timetable published by the Tourist Info, there are slots Tuesday to Friday at 16:00, 16:30, 17:00 and 17:30, and on Sundays and public holidays at 12:00, 12:30, 13:00 and 13:30; for Saturdays you need to ask at the tourist office. The bullring is also included in the €6 municipal pass, which gives access to three of these four attractions: bullring, Cava de Sant Blai, Covetes del Colomer and the archaeological museum.

Tickets are bought at entradas.bocairent.org or at the Tourist Info on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, open Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00, and Tuesday to Saturday also from 16:00 to 18:00. On bullfight or event days the hours change: confirm beforehand on 96 290 50 62.

Getting there

The historic centre is pedestrian. You can leave your car on Calle Batalla de Lepanto and Calle Joaquín Sorolla, the streets the tourist office indicates, and continue on foot.

What to combine it with

Pair the afternoon visit with a walk round the old town and the climb to the Church of the Assumption, or with the visit to the Covetes dels Moros in the morning. For lunch, El Cancell, in the centre, or La Parada, in the old station.