One of the world’s premier bullrings

Word to the wise: The highlight of the bullfighting season, which runs from March - October, is the Festival of San Isidro in late May, early June. Come here to see the fiercest fighters and the burliest bulls.

As Spain’s largest bullring – and the third largest in the world – Las Ventas is where the best matadors come to duel. A 25,000 capacity arena that still attracts a passionate crowd, it's perhaps the ideal place to experience what a bullfight is actually like.

Now controversial even within Spain, there's no denying that watching a bullfight will not be to everyone's taste. There's real skill and surprising grace to the performance of many different fighters within a traditional bullfight (of which the matador with a red cape is only one), but watching the bull's slow death can be hard for newcomers.

Still, with the crowd waving their handkerchiefs and the matador dancing nimbly around the bull's massive bulk, many also find watching this most iconic of Spanish traditions a heady, intense experience.