(For the Innocent, the Overconfident, and the Ones Who Said “How Wild Can It  Really Be?”)

Every year, thousands of perfectly sensible human beings arrive in Pamplona for San Fermín convinced they are well prepared.

They have packed white trousers.
They have Googled “running with bulls tips.”
They have told friends, “Oh no, I probably won’t run. I’m just going for the culture.”

They are adorable.

Before we go any further, you need to understand something important.

San Fermines is not a festival you attend. It is something that happens to you.

You will arrive looking crisp and optimistic. You will leave slightly deaf, mildly sunburnt, emotionally attached to three strangers called Miguel, Jess and “Big Dave from Perth,” and wondering why your white outfit now resembles a forensic case study. And you will love every unhinged second of it.

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Now, let’s me introduce you to Steve

Twenty years ago, Steve arrived in Pamplona and rented a flat on Estafeta. At the time, he had absolutely no idea what Estafeta really meant. He did not know what San Fermines was either. He did not understand that he had unknowingly rented a flat on one of the most famous bull-running streets in the world.

Soon, locals started telling him, “You should rent this out during San Fermines.”

His response was essentially, “During what?”

But sure enough, July arrived. The city transformed. And Steve filled the flat with mattresses.

That first year was a revelation.

Twenty San Fermines later, he has never looked back.

With two decades of chaos under his belt, he has become the person you call for anything related to San Fermines. Somewhere to stay? Call Steve. Balcony for the bull run? Call Steve. Tickets, advice, warnings, perspective? Call Steve.

He has made the mistakes already so you don’t have to.

What is San Fermines Actually Like.

Imagine a city that has collectively decided sleep is optional. Brass bands play at decibel levels normally associated with aircraft engines. Fireworks detonate at 6am because apparently that is festive. Thousands of people wear white and red like a very tipsy secret society. And every morning, bulls (actual 600-kilo bulls) run through medieval streets while humans voluntarily place themselves in front of them.

And you thought you were just coming for tapas.

Here is what will actually happen.

On Day One, you will be wide-eyed. You will say things like, “This is amazing!” and “I love the energy!” You will take photos of your spotless white clothes and send them to people at home.

On Day Two, you will realise the word “energy” was doing quite a lot of heavy lifting.

By Day Three, time loses meaning. Breakfast and dinner become suggestions. Someone will hand you a drink at 11am and you will accept it without questioning your life choices.

By Day Four, you will feel strangely invincible and slightly feral. You may consider running with the bulls. You will look at Steve for guidance. He will look back at you in a way that says, “Let’s talk.”

Somewhere in between, you will experience one of the most ridiculous, joyful, chaotic, culturally rich festivals in Europe.

The key to surviving San Fermines is not strength. It is not bravery. It is not the ability to sprint.

It is humility.

You must accept that you will not stay clean. You will not get enough sleep. You are not as good at day drinking as you think you are. And you absolutely do not need to prove anything to anyone, especially a group of Australians who appear to run exclusively on adrenaline and poor decision-making.

This guide exists for one reason: to help you survive the fiesta with your dignity mostly intact, your limbs fully attached, and your memories gloriously chaotic.

Read it carefully. Then ignore at least 30% of it.

Welcome to San Fermines.

Steve’s Top Tips To Surviving San Fermines

1. The Uniform: White, Red, and Regret

There are very few moments in adult life where dressing like a cult member is socially encouraged. San Fermín is one of them.

The dress code is simple: white clothes, red scarf (pañuelo), red sash. On Day One, you will put on your pristine outfit and feel charming. European. Possibly photogenic.

By midday, you will look like you’ve been gently rolled through sangria, dust, sunscreen and the concept of poor decisions.

White is not chosen because it is practical. White is chosen because it shows everything. It shows joy. It shows chaos. It shows that at some point you sat on a curb without thinking it through.

This is not a “cute white linen moment.” This is Pamplona in July, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with tens of thousands of humans pretending they’re going to “take it easy this year.”

Wear clothes you do not love. Wear closed shoes. Wear trainers you could actually run in, even if you swear you aren’t running. And tie your scarf properly, Steve will show you how. Pay attention.

The faster you surrender to the stains, the faster you achieve inner peace.

2. Sleep Is a Myth (And Steve Is Not a Reliable Role Model)

Let us begin with a cautionary tale.

Steve once went three entire days of San Fermines without sleeping.

Not “a couple of naps.” Not “a light doze.” Three full rotations of the Earth.

By the end of it, he was operating purely on adrenaline and sangria. He insists he was fine.

He was not fine.

San Fermines gives you a dangerous type of confidence. The “I am invincible and slightly vibrating” kind.

And then there is my stepdad, Joaquín.

After 24 hours without sleep and a heroic amount of questionable hydration, he wandered down to the river in search of shade. He found a tree. He lay down. He drifted off peacefully.

He woke up realising that the peaceful shaded spot he had chosen was, in fact, the unofficial communal late-night dumping ground.

Yes.

He had napped in what can only be described as an impromptu public toilet.

This story is told annually as a reminder: fatigue lowers standards.

Sleep when you can. Bring earplugs. Hydrate before bed. Do not attempt to “win” the festival. Strategic retreat is not weakness. It is survival.

3. The Bulls: A Conversation About Your Hero Complex

Let’s be clear. I am anti–bull running. The bulls did not sign up for this. However, the encierro (the running of the bulls) is part of San Fermines, and if you are here, you need to understand it.

You do not need to run. Watching from a balcony is excellent. Watching from behind the barriers is sensible. Watching on television with coffee is deeply wise.

Steve has done twenty San Fermines. He has only run once.

Once.

And it was not bravery. It was poor decision-making.

After an all-nighter of heavy drinking, he and his friends decided they would “just watch” the run before going to bed. The route was mobbed. Instead of stepping back, Steve kept pushing forward. Just to see better. Just to get closer.

Until, in a fog of sangria and misplaced confidence, he found himself inside the running area.

Near the start.

The rocket went off.

And suddenly he was running for his life.

He jumped over fallen bodies. He weaved. People watching from balconies later told him he had nearly been hit by a bull.

He has no memory of this.

To this day, he says he was fine.

To this day, everyone else disagrees.

If you choose to run, and I am not encouraging it, do not run drunk. Do not film. Know the route. Listen to instructions.

Watching is powerful enough.

You do not need to prove anything to a bull.

4. The Drinking: You Cannot Win

San Fermines is a day-drinking marathon disguised as a cultural celebration. Drinks appear suddenly and from nowhere. Because everyone is smiling in the sunshine, it feels wholesome.

It is not wholesome.

By 11:17am you are three drinks in.

You cannot win San Fermines. There is no leaderboard. The only prize is a headache.

Drink water between drinks. Eat properly. Use sunscreen. Do not try to outdrink Navarra. Navarra has been doing this for centuries. You have been doing it since lunch.

The magic of the fiesta is not in the hangover. It is in the spontaneous singing, the dancing, the brass band that makes you unexpectedly emotional.

Be upright enough to remember it.

5. Food: The Difference Between Thriving and Texting Your Mum

If you do not eat, you will unravel spectacularly.

San Fermines convinces you food is optional. It is not.

Eat breakfast. A real one. Eat lunch. Snack. Pintxos are not decoration. Jamón is not theoretical. Tortilla can save lives.

The number of times someone says, “I think I just need air,” when they actually need a sandwich is astonishing.

Steve is not your nurse. But when he tells you to eat, listen.

Plus, you are in one of Spain’s best gastronomical regions. Make the most of it!

6. Things You Will Lose

You will lose your voice. You will lose your sense of time. You will lose phone battery at the worst possible moment.

But if you are not careful, that is not all you will use.

San Fermines is joyful, communal and full of spontaneous hugging. It is also full of professional pickpockets who especially love the drunk huggers.

If you are enthusiastically embracing a stranger while singing at full volume, congratulations, you are glowing with vulnerability.

Keep valuables zipped. Use inside pockets. Don’t carry everything at once. A small cross-body bag you can see at all times is your friend. This is not paranoia; it is common sense in any major festival with large crowds.

You want to leave with stories.

Not a cancelled bank card.

Joaquín once tried to solve the “losing each other in the crowd” problem by tying himself to a friend with rope. Yes. Actual rope. On paper, this sounds efficient. In reality, it meant every poor decision was now a shared poor decision. If one chose to sleep on a bed of human faeces, both did!

I do not recommend this strategy. You are not mountaineering.

And finally, you will lose the illusion that you are in control.

San Fermines is loud, spontaneous, messy and occasionally overwhelming. The sooner you accept that you cannot micromanage it, the more fun you will have.

Lose your voice.
Lose your schedule.
Do not lose your wallet.

Everything else is part of the experience.

7. The Unspoken Rules

1. Respect the city. People live here.
2. Do not argue with police. EVER.
3. Listen during the bull run.
4. Wear sensible shoes.
5. Know when to go home.

San Fermines works because people respect its rhythm.

8. And Finally: Why You Should Probably Call Steve

You can arrive in Pamplona with no plan.

People do.

They overpay for accommodation. They scramble for balconies. They stand below Estafeta staring at windows hoping someone will adopt them.

Or you call Steve.

He arrived twenty years ago with no idea what San Fermines was. He rented a flat on Estafeta without knowing its significance. He filled it with mattresses and discovered something extraordinary.

Twenty fiestas later, he knows which balconies are worth it. Which streets to avoid. When to leave before chaos peaks. How to experience the fiesta fully without losing yourself to it.

If you need somewhere to stay, call Steve.

If you want a balcony for the encierro, call Steve.

If you need tickets, advice, reality checks, or someone to stop you making the mistake he made twenty years ago, call Steve.

San Fermines is chaotic.

You do not have to be.

Drink water. Wear trainers. Eat properly.

And when in doubt?

Call Steve.

Now that is a survival strategy.

A Quick Note: San Fermines Is Also a Family Fiesta (And Steve Is Now a Grown-Up)

Before you picture San Fermines as eight straight days of chaos, noise and adults making questionable decisions in white trousers, let’s add an important twist.

Steve is not the same man he was twenty years ago. These days he is a mature father with a dramatically different decision-making process, which is a polite way of saying he no longer thinks “this seems fine” is a valid risk assessment strategy.

And here’s the thing: San Fermines is not just for party people. It’s genuinely a family event too. There are traditions, parades, music, performances and kid-friendly chaos that is actually brilliant… as long as you understand the difference between “family fun” and “absolutely not with children.”

So if you’re coming with kids, don’t panic. You can have an amazing time. You just need a Steve-level plan.

Do: The Family-Friendly Stuff That’s Actually Brilliant

Go to the Taconera area.

If you want breathing space and room for kids to exist without being swallowed by a human tide, head towards Parque de la Taconera. During San Fermín it becomes a calmer pocket of the city, with theatre, games, workshops, music and performances laid on throughout the day, much of it free and genuinely designed for children.

While the old town runs on full fiesta volume, Taconera feels manageable. It’s still festive, still lively, but without the central crush. For parents, that means less stress. For kids, it means excitement without overwhelm.

It’s proof that San Fermines isn’t just about chaos, it’s also about community.

Watch the vaquillas in the morning (and book tickets early).

One of the most accessible ways to experience the energy of San Fermín is from inside Plaza de Toros de Pamplona. From the arena, you watch the encierro on the large screens, then see the runners flood in, followed by the bulls themselves. Afterwards, the vaquillas are released into the ring, and for many people, this is the funniest part of the entire festival.

It’s loud, it’s chaotic, it’s very Spanish, and crucially, it’s controlled. You have a seat, a clear view, and defined entry and exit points, which makes it far more manageable than navigating the streets.

The key is booking early. Do not assume you can just turn up and “see what happens.” San Fermines does not reward optimism. Tickets sell out. Call Steve.

And yes, I still stand against anything involving animals for entertainment, even though the vaquillas themselves come to no physical harm. That’s my line. But if you’re looking for a way to experience the spectacle without putting yourself in front of 600 kilos of muscle at 8am, this is the more structured opt

Have a solid plan for separation.

This is not optional with kids. Agree a meeting point, make sure they know your full name, and decide what happens if someone gets separated. Steve writes his number of the girls arms and instructs the girls to approach a parent with kids for help.

Warn them about the kilikis and gigantes.

This is important. The first time a kiliki charges at your child and bops them on the head with a sponge baton, you want them laughing, not traumatised and convinced Spain has invented medieval child discipline as entertainment. Tell them in advance: they will be chased, they will be gently whacked, and it’s part of the fun. It looks chaotic, but it’s playful chaos.

Things To Avoid With Kids

Avoid the Chupinazo with kids.

This is the big opening moment. It is iconic. It is also wall-to-wall people, intense noise, and absolutely not the environment for small humans. If you want to experience the Chupinazo, do it as adults and do it properly, but leave the kids out of it.

Avoid the central streets (seriously).

Estafeta and the very centre are magical… and packed. With children, packed is not charming; packed is “we’ve lost them and now we’re bargaining with the universe.” If you do go central, go at calmer times and with a plan. Otherwise, choose areas with more space and less crush.

The good news is that Steve knows exactly how to do this sensibly now. He can steer families towards the parts of the fiesta that are genuinely special and away from the parts that are special only if you enjoy stress as a recreational activity.

San Fermines with kids can be magic. You just need to treat it like an adventure with boundaries, not a free-for-all.

Where to stay in San Fermines?

If you want to stay right in the heart of the action, Steve’s apartment Travelers Rest is about as authentic as it gets. Located directly in the Old Town, it puts you within walking distance of the bull run route, the bars, the music and the general glorious chaos of the fiesta. The apartment can sleep up to 15 people, which makes it ideal for groups who want to experience San Fermines properly: the late nights, the early mornings, and the moments where you stumble home laughing about the ridiculousness of what you have just experienced.

If Steve’s place is already booked, it’s still worth calling him. After twenty San Fermines, he knows half the Old Town and regularly helps guests find other apartments or individual rooms being rented out by locals. In a week when everything fills up quickly, local connections make a huge difference.

Of course, not everyone wants to sleep in the middle of the fiesta.

If you’re someone who values things like quiet, darkness, and the radical concept of eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, consider staying slightly outside the Old Town. Areas like Iturrama, San Juan, and Mendebaldea are still close enough to reach the centre easily by bus or taxi, but far enough away that you won’t fall asleep to a brass band testing its enthusiasm at 6am.

Places I’d recommend outside of the main chaos:

Kora Kiliki – has a swimming pool which is a brilliant way to cool down!
Iturrama Nomada Loft – easy to find parking nearby which is a god send in Pamplona

Stay with us in Caseda

And then there is the third option, which works particularly well for families or anyone who wants a balance between fiesta and sanity.

Our home in Cáseda (Casita Azul), about 40 minutes from Pamplona, makes a surprisingly perfect base during San Fermines. You can head into the city during the day to enjoy the atmosphere, the parades and the celebrations, then retreat back to fresh air, space, and actual sleep when the fiesta ramps up at night. We rent the whole house for groups or individual rooms for smaller bookings, and it’s ideal for people travelling with kids or anyone who wants to experience San Fermines without living inside the noise.

However you choose to do it, the key is simple: have a plan.

San Fermines will still be chaotic. The music will still be loud. The drinks will still appear faster than you expected.

But if you’ve got the right place to sleep, and the right person to call, you’re already halfway to surviving it.

And in Pamplona during San Fermines, that’s a very good start.