The world's weirdest festivals

Ever carried your wife on your back across an obstacle course and then drank her weight in beer? Ever thrown oranges at helmeted men in chariots? Nope, neither had we - until we went in search of the world's weirdest festivals...

Name: La Tomatina
Location: Bunol, Valencia, Spain
When's the party? The last Sunday in August

The set-up: Lorries arrive loaded with 125,000 kilos of distinctly unripe-smelling tomatoes. Local shopkeepers barricade their shop fronts. By 11am the streets are rammed with 20,000 locals and tourists intent on becoming part of the world's biggest human bolognaise.

Festival fact: The tradition dates back to 1945, when a couple of irate locals assumed control of two fruit stalls and started hurling fresh produce at each other.

Top tip: At 1pm, when a siren announces the end of festivities, get out of the way, as tons of water from the Roman aqueduct are pumped into the streets. Never mind, though - it's time to start eating and drinking!

Be there: Flights to Valencia | Browse Valencia hotels | Guide to Spain
Search: La Tomatina | Valencia
More: Superstitious travel | Funky festivals