Locals and Travellers Beat the Heat in Madrid
Madrid locals and visitors get wet and wild every summer at the Vallecas Naval Battle.July in Madrid can be sweltering, but a sure way for holidaymakers to cool down is to check out a wet and wild local tradition.
Every year in the southern district of Vallecas, locals and visitors engage in a refreshing brawl in honour of the local patron saint, Virgen del Carmen. Hundreds of participants, some nearly naked and others dressed as pirates, march towards Puerto Rubio street near El Pozo train station. These water warriors are armed with all sorts of water-based weapons, from super-soaker water guns to buckets and water-filler balloons. Helpful neighbours keep a steady stream of water pouring down on to the revellers from the balconies above.
The tradition began in 1981, when a group of children celebrating Fiestas del Carmen cracked opened a fire hydrant in the hope of cooling off when the temperature reached a scorching 40 degrees Celsius. The following year, local groups and organisations formalised the battle, giving it a naval theme despite the city being well away from any large body of water that could serve as inspiration.
The now thirty-year-old water-fight tradition sees increasing crowds every year and manages to continue even when faced with water shortages and drought. The revellers are more than willing to improvise, resorting to foam and recycled water when necessary.
Daily flights to Madrid from London Heathrow are available courtesy of British Airways, American Airlines, and Iberia.
