Haro Batalla del Vino: Info & Tips for Wine Battle 2024

The Batalla del Vino (Wine Battle) is an annual festival and cultural tradition, in Haro Spain, in which participants drench each other with the area’s red wine.

Anyone looking for a fun, unique, cultural experience in Spain should put the Batalla del Vino firmly on their travel list. Join the thousands of locals, Spaniards, and travelers who descend onto the town of Haro for this annual wine festival. But be sure to plan for a few days of partying during this wine festival that culminates in the Haro Wine Battle.

The Batalla del Vino occurs on the morning of June 29th every year. And it’s back for 2024!

This article aims to provide all the info, details, and tips for attending the Batalla del Vino 2024. We’ll also give you a glimpse into what it’s like to attend, from our experience at the San Vino wine festival in Haro. Then keep reading to find all of our travel tips for anyone considering attending the Haro Wine Fight in 2024 – including how to score unlimited free booze during the event!

About the Haro Wine Battle

What is Batalla del Vino?

Batalla del Vino (translated to Wine Battle), also known as San Vino and the Wine Fight, is an annual festival held in the town of Haro in Spain’s La Rioja province, in which participants douse each other with red wine on a local hillside on the morning of the feast day of Saint Peter (San Pedro), June 29th.

This wine festival has become a famous cultural tradition in Spain, drawing thousands of visitors to Haro each year for a few days of celebration throughout the historic town center.

The Wine Fight itself starts early in the morning, and participants make their way up to nearby Mount Bilibio, where a mass is held. After the mass, the Wine Battle begins. Armed with jugs, bottles, squirt guns, and other containers filled with wine, festival-goers drench each other with wine until everyone is completely soaked!

A Brief History and the Origins of the Haro Wine Battle

There are many accounts attempting to explain the origins of Haro’s annual wine fight. But the Wine Battle’s history is about as clear as a bottle of red wine.

Any origin tale usually ties into the pilgrims of San Felices de Bilibio. San Felices is the patron saint of Haro, who lived and died on the nearby Mount Bilibio way back in the 6th century. For many centuries, there have been annual pilgrimages in late June to Mount Bilibio, to honor San Felices. At some point, wine was brought along during one of these treks up Mount Bilibio and various tales tell of these pilgrims having a little too much fun, spilling it onto each other, and hence the tradition of Batalla del Vino was born.

Mentions of wine on the mountainside can be traced back to at least the late 1800s when it was cited in a local newspaper. By the mid-1900s, the cultural tradition of throwing wine had become known as Batalla del Vino. Haro’s wine festival has only grown in popularity since then.

In 2011, the Wine Battle was declared one of Spain’s Festivals of National Touristic Interest. Today, the Batalla del Vino is a fairly sizable festival that attracts thousands, visiting from throughout Spain and abroad.

What It’s Like to Attend the Haro Wine Battle

After reading up a bit about Batalla del Vino, we were intrigued by the combination of culture and partying this festival offers. The fact that the Haro Wine Battle was lesser known, compared to Spain’s big festivals, also piqued our interest. Travelers told us it was even more fun and that the Haro Wine Battle has more of a local vibe in comparison to Spain’s more well-known summer festivals.

Of course, most have heard of the Running of the Bulls (known as San Fermin) in Pamplona. Another famous Spanish festival is La Tomatina, where a tomato war is waged each year. Those are good times, no doubt.

But in this battle, in Spain’s famed Rioja wine region, the weapon of choice is not tomatoes, but vino (wine)! We had to see what this Batalla del Vino was all about. And we survived the Haro Wine Battle, victorious to tell the tale.

Ultimately we had absolutely no idea what we were in for when deciding to attend the annual Haro wine festival. Yet the Batalla del Vino turned out to be such a crazy and fun fiesta, it has now gone down as a favorite travel experience of all time. Although the Haro Wine Fight has its cultural significance, it also involves – drinking – all that delicious red wine Spain is so well renowned for.

How could the San Vino Wine Fight festival not be a total blast? Spoiler alert: it was.

While the Haro Wine Fight itself takes place for about an hour or two, the entire San Vino wine festival period is a multi-day event filled with shenanigans. The festivities in Haro begin heating up during the days leading up to the early morning wine battle. There is lots of wine-drinking and street parties to take in during the days before the main event of the wine fight begins.

Arriving in Haro on the Eve of the Wine Battle

To be able to attend the early morning Wine Battle, you must arrive in Haro on June 28th, or earlier. If at all possible, it is highly recommended to take a siesta on June 28th. There’s a loooong night ahead!

Hotels and guesthouses book up well in advance of the Haro wine festival period. So unless accommodation reservations are made a year (or more) in advance, joining in on the all-inclusive packages at Haro’s campgrounds can become the only place for travelers to stay for a reasonable price when booking on short notice. There’s an awesome travel company that sets up a San Vino package for the Batalla del Vino in Haro. And they throw a really fun fiesta of their own. All the gear you need is included, it’s reasonably priced, and those staying there can get unlimited beer and sangria. It’s one big party!

With the lack of accommodation and stumbling across this all-inclusive package with booze, it was an easy decision to party in this massive camping & glamping setup. We figured it was just a place to crash for the night. Little did we know how much fun it would end up being.

We did this San Vino Wine Fight camping package with Stoke Travel. (Note: We spill all the details about Stoke later in the Accommodation Section of this post, with a full review of what that’s like and how to an unlimited free booze package for free!)

So upon arriving at the sprawling array of tents, the hundreds of other fun-loving international travelers that joined us all began to make pleasantries with one another. With the unlimited booze flowing strong, everyone quickly became chatty. After much beer and sangria, the chilled vibes of this camp atmosphere in the Spanish countryside soon turned into a full-blown fiesta.

It was a perfect pre-party to the Haro wine festival events that were happening in town, just a short stroll away.

Partying in the Streets during the Haro Wine Festival

As the summer sun soon set over Haro, just before 10:00 pm, the backdrop of this quaint Spanish town is replaced by the night sky and lots of partying! This was an opportune time to head into the streets of Haro with new friends we’d met back at the campground. By around 9:00 pm or so, the once-quiet alleyways of this charming village had transitioned into a massive party!

This is what Haro’s wine fiestas are all about!

During the Haro Wine Festival, a big stage is set up in the main town square, where a large concert commences throughout the evening. This banging concert draws a cheering crowd, guzzling cervezas and swigging vino. The big street party preceding the Wine Fight is almost entirely a Spanish crowd and it’s a blast attempting to mix in.

Yet it’s equally fun to simply get lost in the hoards that amass throughout Haro’s narrow cobblestone streets. It’s during this street party that there are so many other wine-drinking festival-goers breaking out into impromptu concerts of their own. They may not have a big stage, but these mini-concerts rage on with just as much enthusiasm! Trumpets and other brass instruments provide the notes for the gathering crowd to belt out some apparently well-known Spanish songs.

Everyone sings along. We even joined in for a few slurred verses we were able to pick up from the repetitive chorus. It’s an awesome scene to mentally soak in, as the livers of festival-goers simultaneously absorb the extra alcohol during this San Vino Wine Festival street party.

And that alcohol does continue to flow freely throughout the streets of Haro. Perhaps it’s all a grand attempt to get everyone in the spirit for the Haro Wine Battle that takes place only a few hours later. After all, this partying on Haro’s streets is just a precursor to the early morning wine fight that’s about to occur.

During this street party fiesta of the Haro Wine Festival, people stumble in and out of the local bars dotting Haro’s alleyways. They buy drinks from the seemingly endless flow of booze. Simple and normally quiet cafes suddenly have become party hot spots.

Meanwhile, back on the streets, people are literally swinging from the lamp posts! It’s this raucous party atmosphere that gets everyone in the right mindset for the Haro Wine Battle which is creeping closer and closer with each hour that goes by.

Some will occasionally grab tapas to add some substance to their alcohol-fueled night, before spilling back out onto the quaint yet packed streets of Haro. There are some great nibbles to be had when ducking into the cafes that stay open throughout the night. This is Spain after all. So delicious tapas are never far! It’s a great idea to enjoy some of these late-night munchies to keep fueled into the wee morning hours.

But overall, just be sure to drink plenty of that delicious red wine and join in all the fun of the Haro Wine Festival!

Have a Plan for the Late Night Hours Before Batalla del Vino

That street party in Haro goes on all night long! After midnight on the eve of the Haro Wine Battle, there are no signs of the fiesta quieting down. And people don’t start to gather for the actual Batalla del Vino until several hours later, around 7:00 am. That’s a lot of time to fill with partying in Haro’s alleyways.

So once midnight rolls around, there are three options to consider:

1. Go to sleep at a normal time to rest for the morning to come.
   • ❌ Not recommended! This street party during the Haro Wine Festival is a big part of the Wine Battle experience. Don’t miss it!
2. Stay out late and sleep for an hour or two before the insanity of the Haro wine fight.
   • ⚠️ Take a nap if absolutely needed. Just be sure to have a plan to wake by sunrise. This is what we did and it worked out okay for us. But it would be a tragedy to be in a wine-induced coma, then accidentally sleep through the wine fight. Be very careful if choosing to take a late-night nap before the morning wine battle.
3. Party until the break of dawn and then head out to the San Vino Wine Fight.
   • ✅ This is the tradition and what most recommend. Go ahead, stay up all night during the Haro Wine Festival party. Then let that early morning Wine Battle be the culmination of an awesome night. This takes stamina and pacing, but it can be accomplished with some effort. Consider alternating some espresso and water in between all the alcohol. Again, having napped the day prior is an excellent idea.

Haro Wine Battle Day: Wake Up and Fight with Wine!

Although the plan was to stay up all night, we lasted until about 3:00 AM. That would give us a few hours of sleep before all the craziness of the Haro Wine Battle that would soon follow. It worked for us and we were still a bit boozy upon awakening.

We had successfully made it to the main event. It was the time to see what the Batalla de Vino was all about!

On the morning of the Haro Wine Battle, sunrise is at exactly 6:36 am each year. Those pre-dawn hours are a great time to get moving. People begin to gather in Haro by 7:00 am to prepare for the Batalla del Vino.

It did feel bizarre rolling out of bed to grab a beer and a mug of red wine instead of coffee. But, hey, it’s the Haro Wine Fight!

The fine ladies and gents who man the kegs at the campground in Haro continued to let the free beer flow. Who are we to refuse a few breakfast beers before the big Wine Battle event? This free beer and sangria is a huge perk of staying at the campground. And it’s nice to top off before heading out for the Batalla del Vino.

The tradition of the Batalla del Vino calls for everyone to wear a white shirt and a red scarf during the wine battle. Others wear full-on costumes or added flair. But that white shirt is a must!

Once dressed appropriately, the supplies are gathered. Red wine in boxes, jugs, buckets, water bottles, and whatever vessels can be found are all filled to the brim with the red stuff.

The Haro Wine Battle itself takes place at the Riscos de Bilibio (Bilibio Cliffs), about 6 kilometers from the town of Haro itself. Some walk this distance. But there are complimentary buses that shuttle the half-drunk and sleep-deprived masses through the Spanish countryside and vineyards to the mountain’s base. It’s here that a short march begins up the mountain. That’s when signs of the impending battle begin to reveal themselves.

Before the Haro Wine Battle commences, there is an outdoor Catholic mass and some opening traditions that take place, beginning at 7:00 am. Yet by the time we arrived at the base of the mountain, we noticed creeks of wine already streaming down the trail.

This was just a small sign of what we were about to walk into.

What to Expect at the Haro Wine Battle

Closer and closer to the battlegrounds, splashes are felt and those clean white shirts begin to get stained. Before we even realized it, we were in the thick of the Haro wine fight and completely soaked with red wine.

We reached the makeshift wine battlefield to find that the Batalla del Vino was well underway.

The Haro wine battle was on!

Bug sprayers give people a nice light coating of wine, while super soakers blast others.

Yet it’s the buckets of wine that are thrown with force that really gets people drenched from head to toe.

And there seems to be no mercy or discrimination during the Haro Wine Battle when it comes to these heavy wine dousing.

Keep in mind that it can be quite cold early in the morning on the Spanish mountainside. We witnessed some girls who were soaked, shivering away from the crowd, and trying to stay warm. It was only then that a fresh bucket of wine was dumped all over them. Haha!

We even saw young children crying because the wine was burning their eyes. It was at that point when Grandpa came from behind not to comfort or help the kids, but instead to dump more wine all over them. No mercy!

This is the Batalla del Vino at its very best.

Inevitably during all the splashing, spraying, and soaking, some vino winds up in your mouth, further fueling the party atmosphere.

A party band eventually comes out to play. The singing & dancing continues. And the wine pouring does too.

The band on the battlegrounds was one of the many ensembles that were in Haro’s alleyways just hours earlier during the late-night revelry back in town. This band must have also stayed up all night and probably managed to kick back a few drinks in the process. Yet they don’t miss a beat. It’s an impressive feat!

Haro Wine Battle Video

We drunkenly captured this video in an attempt to show the craziness of the wine battle during the Haro Batalla del Vino.

After the Haro Wine Battle: Stumble, Shower, Siesta

Once all ammo (er, wine) has run out, the San Vino Wine Fight winds down. So all the wine battlers walk back down the hill in defeat or victory (or some combination of both). By noon, the Haro Wine Battle slowly concludes. But the fun does not.

We’ve heard that it’s possible to return from the mountain to Haro using a tube or raft in the Erbo River. Yet given the chill in the air and our drunken state, that just didn’t seem to be the best idea. Walking back to Haro can be a scenic and fun drunken affair. But that’s a 6-km stumble. Thankfully, complimentary buses offer the best reprieve to staggering back toward Haro.

By this point, it’s a good plan to get cleaned up. The partying continues in Haro for a little while, but most wounded soldiers take their wine-stained bodies to bed.

During some years at this wine fiesta, Haro has a youth bull run at the Plaza de Toros in town after the Wine Battle. But rumor has it that during some of the Haro Wine Battles, the organizers get too drunk to put on the bull run.

The midday and the afternoon of the Wine Battle day is dedicated to resting. It is one much-needed and long siesta that goes on throughout the day. The town of Haro actually becomes very quiet during the mid and late afternoon hours of June 29th.

But that evening, another party begins. These people just don’t stop! The celebratory atmosphere is contagious and it doesn’t take too long to grab another free cerveza from the campground bar and jump right back into all the fun.

Info: If You Go to the Batalla del Vino 2024

The Haro Wine Battle is on for 2024!

As the 2024 Batalla del Vino gets closer, be sure to take a look at the Haro Town Hall website (in Spanish) and check their social media (on Facebook and Twitter) for announcements.

Based upon years past, usually official announcements are made in early to mid-June, although some details aren’t released until the days just before the big event.

When is the Haro Wine Battle 2024?

Every year, the Batalla del Vino is always held on the morning of June 29, the feast day of San Pedro (Saint Peter). But you must be in Haro the day before, on June 28th or prior.

In 2024, the Haro Wine Battle falls on a Saturday morning. Yet festivities in Haro will be underway by the weekend before that. Monday, June 24, 2024, is the feast day of Haro’s Patron Saint, San Felices, which kicks off Haro’s fiestas.

The fiestas of San Juan, San Felices, and San Pedro are celebrated for a 6-day festival period in Haro starting on June 24 and culminating in the Wine Battle on June 29.

Since this weeklong fiesta ultimately comes to its apex early in the morning on June 29, this means you need to be in Haro by Wednesday, June 28th, 2024 at the latest. Yet we would suggest arriving as early as possible, to take in the expanded celebrations in Haro.

Haro Wine Battle 2024 Dates & Schedule of Events

Although we are waiting the release of the 2024 schedule of events for the Haro’s fiestas, you can take a look at the last year’s schedule (2023) to give you some idea of what to expect each day:

• Saturday, June 24: At Noon a cohete (firework) in Plaza de La Paz kicks off the 6-day Haro festival period, with many festivities throughout the day celebrating the feast day of Haro’s patron saint, San Felices. The celebrations culminate with the tradition of a bonfire of San Juan at 11pm.
• Monday, June 26: A caracoles (snails) cooking/tasting contest is held at Jardines de la Vega at 7:30 pm. Those staying with Stoke have a wine & cheese tasting. Party all night in Haro. 🧀🍇
• Tuesday, June 27: A children’s wine battle occurs and the kids depart the plaza at 10 am for this event. A family puppet show is also held. Meanwhile, the fiesta atmosphere in Haro continues.
• Wednesday, June 28: The fiesta, concerts, and partying in bars go strong in Haro all night. At 11:45 pm, a band will play on the main stage until 2 am.  🎉
• Thursday, June 29: Opening ceremonies and mass begin at 7:00 am on Mount Bilibio, followed by the morning wine battle. Long siesta in the afternoon, more partying at night. 🍾
• Friday, June 30th: Haro’s June festivals have concluded. Recover, depart. 🛏️

Haro Wine Battle Tickets

You do not need a ticket to participate in the Haro Wine Battle. The event itself is free and open to the public.

Although you don’t need a ticket to participate. You will need transportation to Haro and reservations for somewhere to sleep once you’re there. Accommodation in Haro and transportation to Haro can be extremely difficult to find during late June, given the influx of visitors all funneling into this small town during the San Vino Wine Festival. Plan in advance!

We fully recommend the Stoke Travel camping package that we used. They’ll be back hosting camping accommodations during the Haro Wine Battle in 2024.

Where to Stay in Haro during Batalla del Vino

Be sure to book accommodation well in advance if planning to stay in Haro during the late June dates surrounding the Wine Battle. Haro is a very small town that simply doesn’t have the tourism infrastructure or hotel rooms to accommodate the swell of visitors that come for the Batalla del Vino each year.

Hotels & Rentals in Haro During Wine Battle Festival

There are only a few hotels in Haro, which tend to be expensive and typically get booked in advance of the Batalla del Vino festival. Hotels in Haro can be a great option if there’s availability and you can afford the rates. As of last check, there are two hotels within Haro’s historic town center that still have availability on Booking. Check if any last-minute rooms are available:

• Eurostars Los Agustinos and
• Hotel Plaza de la Paz

You can attempt checking Airbnb and short-term rental sites. But centrally-located listings in Haro tend to be extremely high-priced or non-existent for those who didn’t plan way in advance.

And with all the drinking and a severe lack of public transportation in this region, it’s absolutely necessary to stay within walking distance of the town of Haro. You won’t be able to get to the Wine Fight if you stay anywhere else unless you have your own car and designated driver.

Stoke Travel’s All-Inclusive Wine Battle Camping Package and Party!

We recommend Stoke Travel as the best bet for accommodation in Haro during the Wine Battle. They organize that awesome all-inclusive camping trip to the San Vino Wine Fight. Stoke Travel’s 2024 Batalla del Vino trip starts at €80 per night, per person, based on double occupancy. That price not only includes a place to stay. It also includes full, hot, chef-cooked brunches (with mimosas!) every morning, opening night wine & cheese dining, and a closing night pool party. Perhaps best of all, also included as a special offer (use ROAMING when checking out) is unlimited beer, wine, and sangria from 10 am to 10 pm every day throughout the Wine Battle festival!

This unlimited booze package is usually an extra €15 per day. So would ordinarily cost an extra €45 for someone staying 3 nights. But the awesome folks at Stoke Travel found our article and decided to give all RoamingAroundTheWorld readers this unlimited booze package for all 3 nights of their 2024 Wine Fight trip – for free! Just use our link: stoketravel.com and enter ROAMING on the payment screen to get hooked up with the unlimited beer, wine, and sangria package for free.

Stoke also throws in all sorts of other fun extras, such as supplying you with wine on the morning of the battle. But it’s the free-flowing booze at camp that makes for a fun time and an incredible value! It’s like their own little festival back at the campground and it draws a really fun crowd of travelers.

Stoke Travel’s camping packages do fill up. At the time of updating this article (early June 2024) it’s already 75% sold out. So it’s best to reserve a spot in advance. Check availability 2024 at StokeTravel.com now and get the free booze package by entering ROAMING on the payment screen.

Stoke Travel Wine Battle Review

For all that is included when camping at the Wine Fight, we thought the Stoke Travel camping package was such a great value, particularly when considering the lack of any other reasonable accommodation in Haro during the Batalla del Vino.

And while camping can be loads of fun, it can also be a total pain in the ass. So we loved the fact that Stoke takes all the hassle out of camping by setting up your tent, breaking it down, and even chefs whipping up the included brunches that were made complete with smashed avocado and mimosas!

Basically, all you need to do is show up, grab one of the unlimited free beers or sangrias, and make some friends. It’s a really good fun-loving crowd of people, from all over the world who all come with the same goals: drink lots and battle with wine! Stoke’s tents, sleeping bags, and mattresses were all good quality.

The campground itself is in such a great location too! It’s right alongside the Tirón River. It’s an easy 5-minute stroll to reach Haro’s historic town center, full of bars, restaurants, and where the fiestas take place.

For those arriving by public transport (more on that in the next section), the Stoke campground is within walking distance of Haro’s stations. It’s about a 10-minute walk to the Haro train station and about 15 minutes to walk to/from Haro’s bus terminal. If you have heavy luggage, just take a cheap taxi that whisks you to the campground in just a minute or two.

Stoke Travel’s campground also boasts a nice pool (included), which can be a fantastic idea (after showering) to further help get all that wine off, after the battle.

Stoke definitely knows how to throw a party! Everything went off without a hitch. We can now give Stoke Travel a great review and wouldn’t hesitate to book with them again if coming back to the Wine Fight in Haro.

In fact, we had such a great time with Stoke at Batalla de Vino that when we returned to Europe a few years later, we camped with them again at Oktoberfest. (You can see our entire breakdown of our Oktoberfest on a Budget here.)

And if you do go to the Haro Wine Battle in 2024 with Stoke Travel, we’d love it if you stopped back by our site and dropped a comment to let us know about your experience. Cheers!

Search your travel dates for Stoke’s Packages. And don’t forget to get yourself hooked up with the free booze package by entering ROAMING once you get to the checkout page.

What to Pack for the Haro Wine Battle 2024

Arrive at Haro well-rested, as you’ll need plenty of energy for the weekend.

👕 White shirt: Pack a white shirt you don’t care about. This is the tradition to wear to the Haro Wine Battle. Alternatively, if you stay at the Stoke Travel campgrounds, they sell a complete Haro Wine Battle outfit for €40.

🧣 Red scarf: As for the obligatory red scarf, you can pick one up in town at the party the night before the wine fight, where you’ll see street vendors selling them.

🔫 Squirt guns: Do bring any squirt guns or other means you wish to use to deliver wine to other people. But if you don’t have anything to spray with, don’t worry – you’ll be fine to just dump the vino directly from whatever container you have. Yet water guns certainly make the process a lot more fun.

🍾 Wine! If coming to the Batalla del Vino on your own, be sure to bring wine, of course. While plenty of red wine is splashed around at the hill, none is for sale there. You must bring your ammo with you. If you go to the Haro Wine Battle with Stoke Travel, as suggested, they’ll supply some wine you need for the wine fight. Wine for the battle is fully included in their camping package (info on that in the section below).

🥽 Mask or goggles: You may want to bring a mask or goggles, as this will help to keep the wine from stinging your eyes while in the midst of the wine battle. Be a prepared wine warrior! Snag a pair of cheap goggles like these before you go to Haro.

👖 Warm Weather Clothes: Don’t forget to pack some clothes for the weekend. People dress pretty casually throughout the entire Haro Wine Festival period. If planning in advance, it’s best to pack for both hot and cool weather. There have been some years in which the Batalla del Vino coincided with heatwaves that brought afternoon temps to 40° C (105° F)! But it’s more the norm to expect high temps around 30° C (in the 80s F). Yet even during those particularly hot years, morning temps are still cool, under 20° C (in the 60s F) in the morning hours of the wine battle. So plan your clothes accordingly.

👙 Bathing suit: Swimsuits are a good idea to take a dip in the nearby river or at the pool that Stoke Travel has at their campsite. Or you may even want to wear it to the wine fight. Just bring one.

🚿 A towel: You’re going to get soaked in wine. You’re also going to shower. (We hope.) And you’ll maybe even take a dip. So be sure you have something to dry off with. We love this lightweight microfiber quick-dry travel towel!

👟 Old shoes or sandals: Your shoes are going to get drenched in red wine during the wine battle. So don’t dare wear any nice kicks to the wine fight. I wore sandals and felt fine in them. But you may be better off in an old pair of sneakers.

🧼 The usual toiletries: Be sure to pack whatever toiletries you’ll need. Bring deodorant, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, tampons, and whatever you need to stay clean. Don’t forget these essentials.

💊 Hangover remedy: Whatever may cure your morning-after ailments, pack something to help you out.

💦 Waterproofing: If you don’t have a waterproof phone and you’re going to bring it to the actual Wine Battle, be sure that you have a waterproof phone case like this.

🛏️ A pillow: If doing the Stoke Travel camping package, they provide all the camping gear needed (tent, sleeping bag, etc.) but they don’t provide a pillow. So whether a real pillow, a compact travel pillow, or using clothes shoved into a pillow case, just be sure to bring something to lay your head on at night.

☀️ Sun protection: It can get hot in Haro and it’s usually very sunny at the end of June. Bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. We find sunscreen to be quite expensive throughout Spain. Amazon has good prices. Stock up before you go.

😁 Attitude: Above all else, just bring a good attitude and be prepared to have fun.

✈️ How To Get to the Haro Wine Battle

Bilbao Airport is the closest airport to Haro, with international connections throughout Europe. So you can consider flying into Bilbao Airport and using subsequent transportation options from Bilbao to get you to Haro, a bit more than an hour’s drive away.

Alternatively for those traveling to Haro from abroad, fly into one of the major airports in Spain, such as Madrid or Barcelona. Then take a connecting flight to Bilbao. Or consider a rental car, bus, or train to Haro.

🚗 By Car to Haro for Batalla del Vino

If you have a car in Spain or can rent one, having your own wheels can be a convenient way to get to Haro. Yet once you arrive in Haro, you may simply want to keep it parked during all the festivities.

If reserved in advance, you can typically find rental cars for about $50/day or less. Of course, you need to factor in petrol and insurance costs too. Bilbao is the closest city to Haro which has multiple rental car options. If searching for a rental car to get to Haro, we tend to find good rates on Priceline Rental Cars.

However, do know that ‘pay later’ rental car reservations in Spain don’t guarantee your car during busy times (like Batalla de Vino) if they are overbooked. So a rental reservation does run a slight risk. Also, if booking a rental car in Spain, be sure to appropriately specify an automatic or manual transmission, pending your abilities.

🚆 By Train to Haro (Good option if coming from Barcelona)

There is a small train station in Haro that has some limited connections to cities in Spain. If traveling from Barcelona to Haro for Batalla del Vino, the train is a great option. That’s because there is one daily direct train from Barcelona to Haro that can get you there in less than 5 hours.

Check renfe.com for up-to-date times, availability, and pricing.

🚌 By Coach: Bus to Haro from Throughout Spain

There are many bus connections to Haro, Spain that can be a convenient way to get to the Wine Battle. If you are flying into Madrid, a bus from Madrid to Haro to Haro is a consideration. Check routes and timetables on JimenezMovilidad.

Haro’s Batalla del Vino in Summary

The Haro Wine Battle is such a unique experience and a crazy good time!

Many of those we met at Batalla del Vino had been to multiple fiestas in Spain and remarked that the Wine Fight was their favorite!

The local vibes of this under-the-radar Spanish festival make for a really fun atmosphere. As visitors to the Wine Battle, we were the minority compared to local Spaniards. Yet we were always completely welcomed and everyone was very friendly and in high spirits.

The cultural traditions are strong. And the wine was even stronger.

We had such a blast battling with wine on the Spanish hillside! We definitely recommend Batalla del Vino to anyone who likes a good party.

Have you gone to the Haro Wine Battle? Drop us a line in the comments and let us know about your experience! Or if you have any questions about the Batalla del Vino, feel free to ask away.

Want to save this post for later? Pin the image on the right to your travel Pinterest boards.

Publishing note: This article was originally written after our initial visit to the Haro Batalla del Vino Festival and is regularly updated each year to reflect the latest info, most recently updated in June 2024.