Situated near the Sierra Nevada, Gador, Filabres and Alhamilla mountains, this desert is said to look so much like the North American Southwest that many movies have been filmed here. The most-notable are the Clint Eastwood "spaghetti Westerns" of the 1960s: "A Fist Full of Dollars" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." While visiting Tabernas, make sure to see the "mini-Hollywood" theme park that allows guests to tour the sets for these famous movies and others.
For those who aren't interested in classic American films, Tabernas holds a wide variety of activities for the whole family. In the town of Gergal, within the natural area, is the Hispanic-German Astronomic Observatory. It is reputed to be the most-important European observatory. Because of the clear skies over the desert, star-gazers have unhindered views of the heavens.
Visitors in search of history will find that the city of Tabernas is home to the ruins of a 14th-century castle. According to Andalucia National Parks, the castle served as a refuge for Spain's Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand while they fought the Moors during the siege of Almeria.
Situated in Navarra's southeastern region (Navarra is best known for the annual "running of the bulls" in Pamplona), is Bardenas Reales Natural Park. The park encompasses three nature reserves--Vedado de Eguaras, which holds the ruins of Castle Penaflor; Rincon del Bu (Bardenas Blanca), the most-photographed area of all Bardenas Reales; and Nature Reserve of Caidas de la Negra (Bardena Negra), which contains the only Aleppo pinewoods in the region.
Bardena Negra was designated a protected biosphere by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2000. Its deep gullies and smooth plateaus have made this landscape a muse for writers and painters throughout the ages. It was a filming site for the "James Bond" movie, "The World is not Enough."
There are several outlooks within the park. Alto de Aguilares offers the best views of the Bardena Blanca region; the Balcon de Pilatos is an observatory for the birds-of-prey indigenous to the area (eagles, vultures and owls). Castildetierra and Pisquerra are spots within the Bardena Blanca region that offer amazing views of the natural rock formations found throughout the region, according to the Kingdom of Navarre.
Comunidad de Bardenas Reales de Navarra
San Marcial 19
31500 Tudele
Spain
34-948-82-00-20
Along the coast of Almeria is the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park. With its high temperatures and low annual rain fall, the inland area of the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park is considered a semi-desert. This area has been portrayed in books and plays as a bleak, uninhabitable place.
UNESCO designated Cabo de Gata-Nijar a protected biosphere in 1997. In the inland areas, hikers and bikers can see the region's stark landscapes and unique plants and wildlife, such as the dwarf fan palm (Europe's only native palm tree) and more than 15 species of lizards.
Visitors who aren't interested in palm trees and lizards will enjoy the coastal areas of Cabo de Gata-Nijar that offer pristine beaches and wetlands. These areas are breeding grounds and winter habitats for several species of birds such as flamingos, gray and purple herons, cranes, avocets, curlews and black-winged stilts. For sightseers, there are many villages and towns of interest around the area: La Isleta, Las Negras and San Jose.
Cabo de Gata-Nijar Visitor Center
Los Amoladeras on the AL822 at Km7
950-160-435
Hours of operation: June through September: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Between October and May: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. April and May: until 8 p.m.
