Plaça de Bous de Bocairent

The Plaça de Bous de Bocairent doesn't look like any other bullring in Spain. Opened in 1843, it is regarded as the oldest bullring in the Valencian Community, and what makes it remarkable is that it is entirely carved into the living rock of a hillside. Instead of being built with masonry walls and tiered seating, both the ring and the stands were dug directly into the stone, giving it the look of something between an amphitheatre and a carved trench.

History

With more than 180 years behind it, the ring distils much of the popular history of Bocairent, a town in the Vall d'Albaida shaped by its relationship with stone, as the hand-carved cavities in its old quarter also show. A recent interpretation centre reviews those nearly two centuries of history and sets the site within the local culture.

What to see

• The ring and stands hewn from the hillside's own rock.
• The contrast between the harsh rocky setting and the festive use of the space.
• The interpretation centre, which traces more than 180 years of the site's history.

Tips for your visit

• Pair it with a stroll through Bocairent's nearby medieval quarter.
• Wear comfortable shoes: the ground is rock and can be uneven.
• Check the interpretation centre's opening hours before you go, as they may vary by season.