Bullfighting in Spain at Plaza De Toros De Marbella

Me at the Plaza De Toros De Marbella
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If there was one thing I wanted to see on my trip to Spain, it was a traditional bullfight. So wandering through the streets of Marbella, I saw posters for a bullfight that night at the Plaza De Toros Marbella - a traditional bullfighting ring, only a 10 minute walk from the centre of the city.

The plaza de toros (bull ring) itself was a grand site, resembling a roman ampitheatre. A circuliar structure, it encloses the ring itself which is surrounded by climbing seats, of which you can sit in the sol (the sun) or sombra (shade). We opted for the sun, only cos it was 10 euros cheaper and there was beer on hand!

Everyone enters the bull ring
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The bullfight itself seemed to be considered cruel by some of the Spanish people, tradition by others- ticket booths were scrawled with 'cruel' and anti-bullfighting stickers were pasted on cars in the city.

The experience however was once in a lifetime, and could on one hand be considered a culturally a beautiful experience and taste of Spanish tradition, or animal cruelty on the other.

The bullfight itself consisted of 4 matadores (bullfighters) and 4 bulls. The fight is very structure and ritulised. First the start of each bullfight is announced by a trumpet, those involved enter the arena followed by the bull. The matadore confronts the bull, followed by the picadores (his helpers) who then stab a mound of muscle on the back of the bull, they then go on to stick two barbed hooks into the flank of the bull which makes it ferocious! at this stage the bull was stamping and the crowd was right into their cheering!

The picadores waiting for the bull
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In the last stage, the bullfighter comes back into the ring alone and taunts the bull with his red cape, showing his control over the bull. Finally he stabs the bull through the shoulder blades and through the heart. It then has it's ears chopped off and thrown into the crowd! One little boy was very happy that he had caught an ear. The bull is then dragged off by horses and the matadore does a lap of honour, if he is good he is thrown flowers - one bullfighter got a standing ovation, another was booed off, because it had taken him 5 stabs with his sword to kill the bull.

The bull is released into the ring
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Overall the experience was disturbing, but it's one which was culturally significant and part of the Spanish tradition and history