Bullfighting is one the oldest spectacles originated in ancient Rome, where victorious Visigoths riding on their highly trained horses confronted and killed the bull.

Bullfighting as we know it today, took its modern shape in 1726. Famous Spanish matador Francisco Romero introduced cape (muleta)  and rapier (estoque) used in the last part of the bullfight.

Important Tems:

Matadors: The main person who fights the bull in the ring.
Picadores: they are assistants to matador and are mounted on horseback. They participate in the first part of the fight.
Banderilleros: there are 3 guys holding flags.
mozo de espada: the person who carries the swords and other utensils for the fight. He is seen usually in the last part of the fight.

Some Facts:

Bull: bulls which fight beginners are 3 years old, where the bulls fight against the cleaver matador and his team is 4 years old. These bulls are not trained to tortured to be savage, they are color blind and naturally the charge at any moving object which they think can harm them and not the red color, the reason red cape is used because blood stains will be less noticeable.

1st Stage ( Tercio de Varas)

First round starts with in the noise of spectators clapping when matador and his assistant enter in the ring with proper protocol musical band, after that bull is released into the ring so that Matador can assess (suerte de capote) the strength and weakness of the bull. To teach the bull very first lesson of the fight, a picador enters the ring on horseback with a vara (lance, banderillas ), his horse is protected by a specially designed suite called peto (to protect the horse from the horns of the bull, peto was introduced in 1930 by a legislation to protect the horse from injuries). Picador stabs the bull sharp blade in his shoulder near the neck to make the bull to lower his head and eventually make is less dangerous. This first attack of bull on picador gives some valuable information to matador, that which side of the bull is stronger and which side it favour. If the varas are stabbed correctly then bull should keep his head down during rest of the fight.

2nd Stage (tercio de banderillas)

next, banderilleros enter the ring armed with sharp razor barbed sticks (banderillas). They try to stab the bull where is already been stabbed by the picador to weaken the bull even more. The trick in the fight is to dehydrate the bull by making bull to chase the illusive targets.

3rd Stage (tercio de muerte)

In the last stage chief, Matador re-enter the ring with cape (muleta) and a sword to finish the fight. This time round its one on one fight, matador Vs bull. Every matador comes from a family which is doing this job for centuries, so each matador has its student and they all attend each fight to learn from each manoeuvre. Matador uses his cape to attract the bull attention in series of attacks from bull. This whole process is called muleta. At this point matador gets very close to the bull, risking his life to engage bull and manoeuvre it into a position where it can be stabbed, matador pulls his sword from the cape and stabs the bull in between the shoulder blades and through the heart. This last part of thrusting the sword in bulls heart is called estocada.

venue:
Plaza de la Malagueta

Distance from Hotel:
54.4 KM

Duration:
48 minutes

Seating Capacity:
14,000 spectators

Season:
April to September. Peak season in mid August

website:
http://www.la-malagueta.es

venue:
Torremolinos

Distance from Hotel:
75.9 KM

Duration:
1 Hour

venue:
Benalmádena

Distance from Hotel:
81.7 KM

Duration:
1 hour 7 minutes

Seating Capacity:
3,600 spectators

venue:
Fuengirola

Distance from Hotel:
92.1 KM

Duration:
1 hour 11 minutes

venue:
Antequera

Distance from Hotel:
104 KM

Duration:
1 hour 20 minutes

Seating Capacity:
8,200 spectators

Season:
April to September. Peak season in mid August

venue:
Carratraca

Distance from Hotel:
109 KM

Duration:
1 hour 28 minutes

Seating Capacity:
3,000 spectators

Season:
April to September. Peak season in mid August

venue:
Marbella

Distance from Hotel:
116 KM

Duration:
1 hour 22 minutes

Seating Capacity:
9500 spectators

venue:
Nueva Andalucía

Distance from Hotel:
125 KM

Duration:
1 hour 26 minutes

Season:
April to September. Peak season in mid August

venue:
Estepona

Distance from Hotel:
149 KM

Duration:
1 hour 41 minutes

Seating Capacity:
8,000 spectators

venue:
Cortes de la Frontera

Distance from Hotel:
204KM

Duration:
2 hour 26 minutes

Seating Capacity:
1,000 spectators

Season:
April to September. Peak season in mid August