VALENCIA – It’s got sunny weather, culture, history, gastronomy, parties, sport and safaris, plus the best paella in the world, the Valencian Region offers a spectrum of experiences. And when you attend any one of their many mind-blowing festivals, you will feel at one with the destination.

Las Fallas – A 7-day invasion of art, music, fireworks, gunpowder, smoke, explosions and emotions. Las Fallas literally means “the fires”, and focuses on the creation and destruction of ninots, huge lifelike paper-mache statues, usually depicting satirical scenes and current events. The origins of the festival credit the fires as an evolution of pagan rituals that celebrated the onset of spring. The ninots are displayed until La Crema (the burning day), when crowds chant, streetlights are turned off, and all of the ninots are set ablaze at midnight. Besides the town literally being on fire, during these days, you can also enjoy an extensive roster of bullfights, parades, paella contests and beauty pageants.

Moors & Christians Festival – For three days in summer, the Valencia Region becomes a veritable explosion of joy, colours, music, costumes, parades and theatre. History, legend and spectacle come together in a celebration full of sparkle and fantasy to commemorate the events that took place in the 13th century. While the festivities are celebrated in many parts of this region, the most famous one takes place in Alcoy. Thousands of white pennants with the cross of Saint George or the Islamic crescent moon decorate the whole town. Scenes are recreated, representing the capture of the castle by the Moors and how the Christians recaptured it. The din of drums, trumpets, volleys of muskets in the thick of battle – it is truly impressive.

La Tomatina – This is the world’s largest food fight. Every year, during La Tomatina, the charming town of Bunol erupts into a fiery blaze of tomato-hurling revellers. The origins of this mass tomato battle dates back to a fight between children in 1945, and has been celebrated every year since then. More than 20,000 people from around the world come together in an hour-long epic battle, which starts at 11 am. On the backs of trucks, people unload the tomatoes and pelt them at anything they see moving. Within seconds, everything turns red. The streets are awash in seeds, pulp and tomato guts that will shortly leave the cobblestoned streets spotless – thanks to the acidity of the tomatoes—after being hosed down with water.