**The Bulls** ::toro 
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Deba has a millenary relationship with bulls, reflected in medieval documents and even in prehistoric cave findings showing bovine remains. Written records indicate that bull festivities were already held in 1160, and by 1601 the town accounts noted the purchase of a bull for the festival of San Roque. Furthermore, old legends collected by Juan Venancio Araquistain mention bull races in Deba as early as the 15th century, proving a long-standing popular tradition.
This enduring passion originates in the mountains surrounding Deba, where the betizu —the wild red bull of the Basque Country, small but fierce— lived for centuries. With it began the first bull runs and the first local breeding farms, such as those in Lastur, Zelaizu, Lizarran or Saka. Deba's bullfighting tradition even reached international relevance: in 1772 a local torero fought in Buenos Aires, and in 1843 another was responsible for killing the last bull ever fought in Pamplona’s Plaza del Castillo.
The encierro (bull run) is another deeply rooted tradition in Deba. Although its exact origin is unknown, it likely relates to the historical transport of young bulls from Navarra. Celebrated at least since the late 19th century, Deba is today the only town in the Basque Country where the same bulls that will be fought in the afternoon are run in the morning. The route, about 450 meters from Osio to the main square, is short but intense, accompanied by traditional music and the iconic “Dira, dira” morning reveille.

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