( CNN ) -- `` Uno de enero , dos de febrero , tres de marzo , cuatro de abril , cinco de mayo , seis de junio , siete de julio , ¡SAN FERMÍN ! '' Like schoolchildren on a field trip , my friends and I excitedly sang this song on a bus from León to Pamplona in 2005 . All I knew about the festival of San Fermín was that it involved people running with bulls , and that it took place every year from July 7 to July 14 . Here are some tips : . Dance , dance , dance . Pamplona turns into one big 24-hour-a-day party for the festival of San Fermín . Everyone 's dressed in white clothes with red bandanas , and everyone is there to have a good time . There is live music everywhere , so it 's a great opportunity to groove to the most popular Spanish hits . I remember dancing to Melendi 's `` Caminando por la Vida '' around 3 a.m. at one of the outdoor concerts . Do n't expect to sleep ( much ) . If you 're making last-minute plans to go to Pamplona , do n't be surprised if you ca n't find a bed . My friends and I did n't even try . It seems like everyone sleeps outside in public places , or does n't sleep at all . In fact , Pamplona is the only place where I 've ever slept in a public park . I brought a foldable sleeping bag in my backpack -- handy , since northern Spanish nights can get cold -- but most people just lay on the grass , huddled together to stay warm . If you go this route , hang on tightly to your belongings . I used my purse as a pillow , but at least one person from my group had his backpack swiped while he was asleep . Running is risky . Every year , there are serious injuries or even deaths among people who try to run with the bulls . In 2010 , I spoke with cancer survivor Michael Lenahan , who got gored in the leg by a bull ; his brother got hurt in the left buttock . In fact , between 200 and 300 people are injured annually , according to the Council of Pamplona . Proceed with extreme caution if you are planning on getting near the toros . There are so many people trying to watch and run that you might not know a bull is near you until its horn scrapes your arm . Check out the bullfighting ring . There are so many people stretching their necks to see over the fences that line the streets of Pamplona -- not to mention sitting on the fences , too -- that it 's actually hard to see people and bulls running . `` No vamos a ver nada '' ( We 're not going to see anything ) , my friend Marek lamented . We decided to go instead to the Plaza de Toros . With everyone pushing and shoving each other to get tickets to this event , it seemed almost as dangerous as chasing bulls in the streets . But we finally got our passes and made our way inside the enormous arena , which is the ending point of the bull run . There , we watched hundreds of people run around the bulls , including one member of our group who emerged proudly with a large cut or two . Do n't wander off . One of the girls in my group did n't show up at the agreed-upon time that morning . A half an hour went by , and she still had n't shown up . We all started worrying , and had no idea how we would ever find her in a sea of thousands of people , since she did n't have a cell phone . Finally , she appeared two hours later -- she apparently made some new friends the night before and lost track of time . Do n't do this to your traveling companions ! Check out San Sebastián afterward . If you 're looking for a place to chill out after a crazy night in Pamplona , head about 51 miles northwest to San Sebastián , a beautiful small city on the Bay of Biscay where you can lie on the beach , admire medieval architecture and actually sit down for a yummy Basque meal . Those are my top tips for visiting Pamplona . How about you ? Share your tips for San Fermín with us below , and if you have photos and videos , upload them here .
At the festival of San Sebastian , there 's food everywhere . Keep your belongings close to you , and do n't wander off . Take out San Sebastian for a relaxing day , afterward .