Tabernas desert

The Tabernas desert is located in the province of Almería. Specifically, it covers an area of ​​almost three hundred square kilometers in the municipalities of Santa Cruz de Marchena, Gador, Gergal, Alboloduy and the own Taverns.

It is considered the only desert in Europe, because others from the Old Continent are classified only as desert areas. The conformation of its soil and the climate of the area, with a almost absolute lack of rain, has given rise to an arid landscape very similar to that of deep America. For this reason, already in the sixties of last century, the Tabernas desert became film set for the filming of the popular spaghetti western. If you want to get to know this curious place in Spain a little better, we invite you to join us.

What to see in the Tabernas desert

Precisely the western towns built for the filming of the aforementioned films are one of the attractions that the Tabernas desert offers you. But it also has the category of Natural Site for its unique geological conformation and has other places of interest. Let's show them to you.

A spectacular geological landscape

The Tabernas desert owes its existence to the fact that it is surrounded by mountains of Alhamilla, filaments and Alpujarra Almeria. These have acted as a natural barrier to the humid winds from the Mediterranean Sea.

In turn, all of this has led to one of the driest areas in all of Europe. And also to an authentic geological park of enormous value. It is made up of ramblas and old streams that respond to the typical landscape of the so-called badlands or wastelands. That is why canyons, ravines and the typical fairy chimneys abound in the area, those mounds that look like capricious natural columns.

The flora and fauna of the Tabernas desert

Logically, the flora is scarce in Tabernas. However, it presents an endemic species scientifically known as Euzomodendron bourgeanum. It is a small woody shrub that is a true relic of the Jurassic.

As for the fauna, you can find several species of reptiles such as the red-tailed lizard or the ladder snake and mammals such as rabbits, foxes, dormouse or hedgehogs. But above all, the Tabernas desert is Special Protection Area for Birds. Among these, the royal swift, the rocker plane, the jackdaw, the trumpeter bullfinch or the curlew are abundant.

To get to know the nature of the Tabernas desert, we advise you to hire one of the many excursions offered in the area. You can choose between routes on horseback, hiking or aboard a 4 x 4.

But the Almeria desert is not only interesting in terms of its natural beauty. If you visit it, you will also be able to see some interesting places and monuments like the ones we are going to show you.

You sorbas a town that hangs from a ravine

This little white town is quite a surprise. It is known as «The Small Basin» because a good part of their houses seem to hang from the Afa ravine. But you can also see in it the Town Hall and the Agrarian Chamber, both built in the XNUMXth century and in an eclectic style; the House of the Duke of Alba, a beautiful neoclassical palace from the XNUMXth century, and the Arab oven, vestige of the old pottery industry of the town.

Sorbas was the main pottery center in the province of Almería. Therefore, if you want to take a souvenir of your trip to the Tabernas desert, we advise you to buy one of these precious pieces, some of them unique such as the pipe pitcher or the mojaquera.

As for its religious monuments, you have the church of Santa Maria, whose head is baroque, although its interior is in the Mudejar style and its neoclassical façade. You can also visit the Hermitages of Our Lady of Fatima and San Roque. The latter houses in its neo-Gothic altarpiece a small image of the saint that gives its name to which is known as "San Roquillo".

Outside the village you have the Yesos de Sorbas Natural Park, an impressive karst complex made up of several kilometers of underground galleries created to its whim by nature itself.

The town of Terrera Ventura

In the desert of Tabernas you can visit this late Neolithic site discovered in the early XNUMXth century. Many of the pieces found in it have been transferred to the archaeological museums of Almería and Madrid, but you can still visit the Interpretation Center, where you have many curious facts about the way of life of those primitive inhabitants of the area.

Tabernas, the town that gives its name to the desert

Also the town that gives its name to the Tabernas desert is worth your visit because it offers you many attractions. This ancient Muslim town is one of the driest places in Europe. Good proof of this is that the Almería Solar Platform, one of the largest research centers on this type of energy in the world.

But it will be more interesting to see his Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation, built in the XNUMXth century and declared a Site of Cultural Interest. In its main altar, you can also see the image of the Virgin of the Sorrows, patron of the town.

And, above all, you must visit the Alcazaba or Tabernas Castle, a Nasrid fortress from the XNUMXth century that is partially demolished, but of which there are still some remains standing. Also declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, around it there is a legend in the locality. It says that it has numerous secret passages that connected it with different places in Tabernas, such as the Rambla de Oscayar. However, no such tunnels have been found. It is believed that they were blown up by the Moors when they lost the fortress to the Christians.

The western town

Despite all that we have told you, perhaps the most popular attraction of the Tabernas desert is the western town that was built, as we have already mentioned, for the filming of spaghetti westerns in the sixties of the last century.

It is currently a theme park called Oasys MiniHollywood and it also has a small zoo and a water park, which will not stop surprising you in the middle of the desert. But its great pole of interest continues to be the town of the West itself.

At first, it was composed only of facades, but later many of its buildings were completed. If you want, you can visit the sheriff, telegraph and bank offices, the canteen, and even the funeral home. There are also two museums, the cinema and the cars.

You can even see a "Duel in the sun" starring specialists and feeling like a real cowboy witnessing a cancan show in the style of the dances that enlivened the nights at the Wild West. But, above all, if you are a fan of the cinema of this genre, you will contemplate the scenarios where films such as 'The Good, the Ugly and the Bad' or 'Death had a price' were shot.

It is not the only town in the West that is preserved in the desert. They are also Fort Bravo, where even the Indian camps are not lacking, and the western leone ranch, which also offer shows.

Other towns near the Tabernas desert

Although they are not exactly in the Tabernas desert, there are other towns very close by that are also worth your visit. One of them is Alboloduy, a beautiful white town in the Alpujarra Almeriense whose church of San Juan BautistaNeoclassical in style, it was built in the XNUMXth century.

And we also advise you to visit Gergal, in which its imposing castle, a very well preserved late medieval defensive fortress. And likewise the church of Our Lady of Carmen, destroyed during the Moorish rebellion and rebuilt in the XNUMXth century combining Baroque and Mudejar styles.

When is it better to go to this desert

Although the Tabernas desert does not reach the high daytime temperatures of other arid areas of the planet, it is very hot in summer. On the other hand, winters, when the sun goes down, are cold. Therefore, we recommend that you visit the place in spring, when temperatures are milder and more pleasant.

How to get to the Tabernas desert

Tabernas is located about thirty kilometers from the city of Almería, capital of the province. To get to the desert, you have Bus that they go to Sorbas or to Tabernas itself. They leave from the Almería intermodal station and have several daily frequencies.

But you can also travel in your own car. The roads that lead to him are the A-92 and, later, the N-340a that passes next to the very locality that gives its name to the desert.

A bit of typical gastronomy of Tabernas

Finally, to end our trip to the Tabernas desert, we propose a typical menu of the area. Because a place is not fully known without trying its gastronomy. You can start your meal with some crumbs or with the dish named "The innkeeper", which resembles the ratatouille that is cooked elsewhere. It has tomato, pepper and onion sautéed in olive oil and accompanied by black pudding and other pork products.

You can also order a potato garlic, gazpacho or unos gurulos. And, for dessert, you can try the pork rinds cake, Calatrava bread or knitting donuts. As for the drink, the mistela.

In conclusion, as you can see, the tabernas desert has a lot to offer you. Among its attractions are a unique nature, beautiful towns with monuments, a setting typical of the American west and a good gastronomy. Book your trip now and get to know this place in the province of Almería.