loves_to_travel

We will be staying at the Dona Lola near Mijas from Feb 7-14. I saw in the Fodors book on the Costa del Sol that there is a bullfight every Sunday in Mijas. Do they have this in February? How can we get tickets? I can't seem to find this information on the internet. Thanks.

longboatkey

Have you ever been to a Bullfight? They are great if you revel in seeing an animal tortured and stress out to exhaustion and slowly killed; you will see the blood flow down the shoulders of the Bull as the Lancers, (Picadors) stab at the confused beast. Then the Banderilleros attack on foot with short knives, designed to sever muscles so the Bull has to keep his head lowered. This position then allows the Matador to do a little dance and run a stiff long blade in between the Bull's shoulders severing more blood vessels and nerves. Now the dying Bull stumbles to his knees panting his last breaths and finally falls to the ground; still alive and suffering.
Have a nice time!!!!!

stfc

longboatkey - I'm with you. Bravo. All the appeal of a public execution. A fine strong animal weakened and then killed by somebody mincing about in rhinestones. Save your money, loves_to_travel, and visit an abattoir instead. Bullfighting is a boil on the bum of an otherwise great nation.

Alec

If you still want to go, the main bullfighting season is Easter to September, so you are unlikely to see any in February. There was a novice bullfighting in November, though.

latedaytraveler

Love to travel, I have been to Spain but have not chosen to see a bull fight. While I am not an animal person, I know I couldn't handle the spectacle regardless of its colorful traditions and pageantry. I did tour the arena and museum in Ronda - very interesting but with no bulls! From what I have read, many of the younger generation of Spaniards do not approve of (or are intested in) the tradition of bullfighting these days.

The above posts prepare you for what you will witness in a live bull fight. Think about it....

Virgogirl

We went to the bullring in Mijas on our honeymoon in 2001. We had to get up and leave. It was the most awful animal torture I ever saw, and I can't get it out of mind to this day. I can't believe this still goes on today. And I grew up with a romantiscized notion of bullfighting as glamorous and traditional and cultural. What a shock! Some poor animal can't escape while hundreds of spectators cheer as it gets stabbed till it collapses. Just sickening. Perhaps the OP means no harm; DH and I had no idea what we were in for, as naive tourists at this event. Please reconsider giving financial support to something like this, and donate the ticket money to the ASPCA.

lanejohann

cant wait to take the kids!

nona1

how can you have no idea what happens at a bullfight? Did you think they just play with the bull and then let it go?

travelme

Sounds like a TROLL fight to me.

Aduchamp1

I have been to many bullfights and I did not think I would like them.

There is an honesty and a majesty to the specatcle in this symbol of Spanish culture. It is not the torture or the slaughter of an animal but a contest between a dangerous animal and an armed human. The spectators award and encourage a quick kill and a brave bull. They deplore a lazy and an ineffective bull fighter.

There is also great hypocriscy in the opposition of bull fighting. Unless you are a veggie person who eschews meat, fish, and chicken, it is OK to kill out of your sight for your pleasure but not in front of you.

After most bullfights, the areas that were cut in the fight are cast aways and the meat is given to charities.

It is far to easy to be self-righteous about bullfighting. It is very much like people who scream about the ecology but drive 1/2 mile to pick up one item at the 7-11.

letsgo39

Aduchamp1,

Do you like to hang up cats by their tails too? Bullfighing is torture for the bull no matter how majestic you think it looks!

nona1

I eat beef.

There is a huge difference between quickly (instantly) killing an animal in an abbatoir with a captive bolt gun through the brain and tormenting an animal then gradually stabbing it to death in front of an audience.

longboatkey

Adu, You are a little off base on the comparison of "liking" Bullfighting, and eating meat. A friend of mine raises rabbits, poultry, and lamb. All humanely and it is an organic farm. No one looks forward with glee to the slaughtering or processing of these food animals, but it is a necessary part of the "higher use" of the animal. It is a far cry from quickly dispatching a food animal to slowly torturing a Bull for entertainment. We fish the Keys and the Carib. and any fish caught to keep are quickly killed, even though it is debatable how developed a fish's nrevous system really is, and how they perceive pain and discomfort.....Just my opinion....

Cimbrone

As someone who eats no mammals for ethical reasons (and who was a vegetarian for a long time), I can absolutely say that nona is absolutely right, and you are rationalizing animal torture aduchamp.

Sadly, Spain is far behind other countries as far as humane treatment of animals is concerned. It's not just bullfighting. How about tying firecrackers to the horns of a bull or dropping goats from towers to celebrate a particular saint's day?

stfc

Aduchamp, the roast beef I've just had for Sunday lunch was killed humanely and quickly under controlled conditions after a comfortable life, not slowly stabbed to death in front of a baying crowd.

Equating non-vegetarianism with one-sided blood-lust is sophistry.

StCirq

To answer the question: Go to andalucia.com and browse for information about tickets to all kinds of events. There's a calendar where you can plug in dates and find out what's happening. Click on Bullfighting and scroll to the bottom of the page for a link for ticket purchases.

longboatkey

Better yet, find a local orphanage, and donate the costs of the tickets to it, spend some time there with the kids too.

fmpden

I think most of the prior posts completely missed the point. We travel (at least I do) to experience the local culture, the history,the architecture, and hopefully develop some better understanding/appreciation for the culture. Bullfighting is an ingrained and significant part of the Spanish culture. There is a pageantry, custom, tradition that is century old. We attended one bullfight fight in Madrid. Will never attend another for most of the previous reasons. But I am glad we attend one in the sun on a Sunday afternoon.

nona1

Lots of nasty things happen all around the world that are part of the local culture. I don't see why anyone would want to support them.

nona1

Interesting point from a website for those considering moving to Spain:

Even if the bullfight is a part of the Spanish culture it is sharply criticised, as well in Spain as in other countries. Especially the younger generations are against bullfighting and depending on the Spanish people you are talking with it could be wiser not to talk about bullfighting in Spain.