Could Spain soon welcome a colossal new monument to rival Paris’s Eiffel Tower or New York’s Statue of Liberty? That is the bold proposal from the Spanish Academy of Bullfighting, which has unveiled plans for a towering metal bull that it hopes will become the country’s most iconic tourist attraction.
The project, dubbed the “Toro de España”, would stand over 300 metres tall and stretch more than 650 metres in length, dwarfing existing landmarks such as Madrid’s Four Towers skyscrapers or even the Gothic cathedral of Burgos. According to the academy, the bull would not just be a symbolic statue but a fully fledged tourist complex. Its horns would house panoramic observation decks, while its hooves would contain restaurants, leisure spaces, and souvenir shops.
A new landmark to rival France
In its proposal, the Academy argued that Spain suffers from a lack of a globally recognisable monument, unlike neighbouring France with the Eiffel Tower. Citing data from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the group noted that France attracts around 100 million international visitors annually compared to Spain’s 94 million in 2024. The difference, it suggested, lies partly in France’s possession of a single iconic structure that acts as a powerful draw for tourists.
“Spain is unlikely to plant its flag on the Moon before the end of this decade,” the academy said in a statement. “But it could become unbeatable in global tourism thanks to the Toro de España.”
Support and scepticism
Despite the ambitious pitch, the proposal has divided opinion. The capital city, Madrid, has already declined to host the project. Instead, attention has shifted to other municipalities, with the northern city of Burgos emerging as the main contender.
Fernando Martínez-Acitores, deputy mayor of Burgos and a representative of the right-wing Vox party, voiced enthusiasm for the idea, describing it as a potential “opportunity to put Burgos on the global map.”
Yet others in the city were quick to dismiss the plan. Mayor Cristina Ayala, from the conservative Popular Party (PP), gave it short shrift, saying the proposal “judges itself” and required no further comment. Former mayor Daniel de la Rosa went further, writing on X that in his 14 years of public life, he had never seen “an idea as absurd” as the giant bull project.
An echo of Spain’s bullfighting tradition
The project’s symbolism is deeply rooted in bullfighting, a tradition that remains one of the most polarising aspects of Spanish culture. Supporters of the statue, such as academy president Jorge Álvarez, argue that it would pay tribute to the heritage of bullfighting while creating jobs and drawing global attention.
Critics, however, view the association with bullfighting as problematic. Animal rights groups such as PETA have long condemned the practice, labelling it a “tradition of tragedy” and “ritualistic slaughter”. Bullfighting has already been banned in some regions, including the Canary Islands and Catalonia (though the latter ban was overturned in 2016).
The proposed monument would also tower over Burgos’s UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral, which at 112 metres tall is considered one of Spain’s great architectural treasures. For some residents, the idea of overshadowing the cathedral with a giant steel bull feels like a challenge to the city’s historic identity.
Spain’s bulls, real and symbolic
While the Toro de España might never materialise, bulls already play a symbolic role in Spanish tourism. Across highways and hilltops, black silhouettes of bulls, originally created as advertisements for Osborne’s Veterano brandy in the 1950s, have become unofficial national icons. These cut-out figures, standing 14 metres tall, are far more modest than the proposed 300-metre giant, yet they remain instantly recognisable symbols of Spanish identity.
For the Academy of Bullfighting, however, these roadside figures are no longer enough. Their vision is for Spain to have a landmark on the scale of the Eiffel Tower or Machu Picchu, one that could capture the imagination of global travellers.
Why the proposal matters for tourism
Spain’s travel and tourism sector is in robust health. According to WTTC projections reported by Travel Tomorrow, the industry is expected to contribute about €260.5 billion to GDP in 2025, close to 16% of the economy. The country welcomed around 94 million international visitors in 2024, consolidating its position among the world’s top destinations. Against this backdrop, the academy’s pitch is less about recovery and more about differentiation, an attempt to create a singular symbol that could concentrate global attention and disperse visitor flows to new locations.
An unlikely reality?
Whether the giant bull will ever leave the drawing board remains doubtful. Beyond cultural sensitivities, the sheer scale of the project raises practical and financial questions. The academy has pledged to cover construction costs if municipalities provide land, but experts have already described the proposal as unrealistic.
Still, the debate highlights Spain’s ongoing search for a tourism identity that balances modern growth with cultural tradition. Even if the Toro de España never rises on the plains of Castile, it has sparked conversations about how Spain wishes to present itself to the world: as a country defined by its past, or as one looking for bold new symbols of the future.
