Pamplona's San Fermín draws more than a million visitors each July, but seasoned runners know Spain hosts dozens of other encierros throughout the summer. These lesser-known festivals offer the same adrenaline rush with fewer crowds, deeper local traditions, and in some cases, more dangerous terrain. The numbers tell the story: while Pamplona sees up to 3,500 runners on weekend mornings, some of these alternatives cap out at a few hundred, fundamentally changing the experience.

Many experienced runners deliberately skip Pamplona's media circus. These festivals maintain traditions dating back centuries, with local participation far outweighing tourist attendance. Several feature unique elements you won't find in Pamplona—horseback escorts, cliff-edge routes, or nighttime runs. Here are five encierros where you're more likely to hear Spanish than English, and where the bulls still dictate the festival's character rather than the tour operators.

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1. Cuéllar: The Oldest Documented Bull Run in Spain

When: August 30 - September 5, 2025
Location: 60 km from Segovia in Castile and León

Documents from 1215 confirm Cuéllar's encierro predates Pamplona's by centuries. That year, the Archbishop petitioned the Pope to ban priests from participating in what he called a "pagan tradition." The Pope complied, creating the oldest written evidence of bull running in Spain. Eight centuries later, the tradition hasn't softened.

At 7:00 AM, bulls are released from riverside pens three kilometers outside town. Horseback riders escort them through pine forests toward Cuéllar, stopping at the "descansadero" (resting place) around 8:00 AM for aniseed liqueur and traditional cakes. The real spectacle begins at 9:30 AM when the herd reaches town. Unlike Pamplona's fenced streets, much of Cuéllar's route is open terrain—when bulls break from the group, they scatter into crowds with no barriers for protection. A runner died during the 2024 festival near the Embudo, a downhill funnel where forest meets street.

The Fiesta de Nuestra Señora del Rosario attracts primarily Spanish visitors, with most international tourists unaware it exists. Access Cuéllar via train from Madrid to Segovia, then bus to the town. Book accommodations months ahead—this small town of 10,000 fills quickly.

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2. San Sebastián de los Reyes: Madrid's Alternative to Pamplona

When: August 25-31, 2025
Location: 20 km north of Madrid

Called "the Pamplona of Madrid," San Sebastián de los Reyes hosts Spain's second-largest bull running festival. The 2025 edition celebrates the encierro's 500th anniversary—Charles V's 1525 decree references payments for "encierros de toros," establishing this as one of Spain's oldest continuous traditions. The festival draws tens of thousands rather than Pamplona's million-plus, creating a manageable crowd size.

Eight morning runs occur at 11:00 AM rather than Pamplona's 8:00 AM start (the time changed in 2015 to reduce alcohol-related incidents). The 820-meter route through the old quarter closely mirrors Pamplona's layout, even featuring its own Estafeta Street. What sets it apart: a nocturnal encierro at 10:00 PM that began in 2022, adding surreal drama as bulls charge through flood-lit streets.

Distance from Madrid Centro makes day-tripping feasible via metro (Line 10 to Hospital Infanta Sofía, then bus). The festival's Cristo de los Remedios celebration includes traditional bullfights featuring Spain's top matadors. Unlike Pamplona, where 90% of bullring seats go to season ticket holders, San Sebastián's tickets remain available through official vendors closer to event dates.

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3. Falces: The Cliff-Edge Run That Terrifies Experienced Runners

When: Late August (9 days following the penultimate Sunday)
Location: Navarre, 50 km from Pamplona

The Pilón de Falces is often called the most dangerous encierro in Spain. Runners guide bulls 800 meters down a narrow dirt path cut into a mountainside—a sheer cliff drops away on one side, rock wall rises on the other. No fences, no barriers, no margin for error. Documents from 1752 describe this route as "the ancient way of bringing livestock down the mountain," suggesting the tradition predates even Cuéllar's official records.

Runs begin at 9:00 AM daily during the Virgen de Nieva festival. Bulls sprint downhill at speeds exceeding Pamplona's 24 km/h, propelled by gravity and steep grade. When bulls slip on loose dirt or collide with runners, the cliff becomes the primary hazard. In August 2024, animal welfare organizations documented several near-accidents involving both runners and animals on the treacherous descent.

Falces has a population of 2,500—accommodation within town is limited. Most runners stay in nearby Tudela or return from Pamplona. The festival received Regional Tourist Interest designation in 2011, but remains largely unknown outside Spain. Spectators watch from the mountainside above, creating an amphitheater effect. The festival's relative obscurity means you're running primarily with locals who've trained on this route for years.

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4. Tafalla: Navarre's Lesser-Known Mid-August Run

When: August 14-20, 2025
Location: 30 km south of Pamplona

Tafalla occupies the middle ground between Pamplona's chaos and Falces's extreme danger. This Navarrese town hosts a week-long festival honoring its patron saint, featuring daily encierros that attract regional rather than international crowds. The route lacks Pamplona's published statistics on injuries and runner counts, but local sources suggest fewer than 1,000 participants daily.

The course runs through Tafalla's medieval quarter, with notably narrower streets than Pamplona's 875-meter track. This constriction increases pile-up risk but decreases the chance of isolated bulls—a separated animal causes most serious gorings. Tafalla's bulls come from the same ranches that supply Pamplona, San Sebastián de los Reyes, and other major festivals, ensuring quality breeding.

Accessibility rivals San Sebastián de los Reyes: regular buses connect Tafalla to Pamplona and Zaragoza. The town's smaller infrastructure means hotels book months ahead. Many runners attend both Pamplona in July and Tafalla in August, treating the latter as a more authentic experience. Evening bullfights feature bulls from that morning's run, though on a smaller scale than Pamplona's prestigious Plaza de Toros.

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5. The Verdict: Why Skip Pamplona?

Compare the numbers: Pamplona averages 200-300 injuries annually with 16 deaths since 1910. San Sebastián de los Reyes, with similar route length but half the runners, sees proportionally fewer incidents. Cuéllar's open terrain creates different dangers—bulls scatter into uncontrolled areas—while Falces's cliff multiplies every misstep's consequences.

Cost factors heavily. Pamplona's balcony rentals reach €150 per person for prime viewing spots; San Sebastián de los Reyes offers comparable views for €50-80. Hotel prices in Pamplona triple during San Fermín; Tafalla maintains standard rates. For Americans planning their first encierro, starting at a smaller festival builds essential experience without Pamplona's overwhelming crowds and predatory pricing.

The experiential difference matters most. At these alternative festivals, you're participating in genuine local traditions rather than international spectacles. Runners speak Spanish, follow established protocols, and treat the event with cultural seriousness rather than as a bucket-list photo opportunity. The bulls remain the focus—not the celebrity sightings or the television cameras.