Not everyone knows that one of the few deserts in Europe is in Andalusia, in the province of Almería: we are talking about the (Desierto de Tabernas) Tabernas Desert. Here you will not find golden dunes, but mountains in surreal colours, rugged rock formations, plains dotted with cacti and a landscape that calls to mind Nevada or Arizona. In fact, if this description makes you think of the Wild West, you have perfectly understood what to expect during your visit to the Tabernas Desert.
Right here, in fact, a director of the stature of Sergio Leone shot some of his masterpieces of Italian-style Westerns: by visiting this area of Andalusia you will have the chance not only to see the sets, beautifully restored, but also to witness gunfights, bank robberies and Can Can shows with your own eyes at Mini Hollywood and in the other theme parks in the desert.
Too artificial for your taste? Don’t worry, because it is nature itself that is the most beautiful spectacle and the real star of the area: walking along the rocky paths or driving the most scenic routes will leave you with a unique and unrepeatable feeling.
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How to get to Tabernas from Almería
The Tabernas Desert extends over 108.1 square miles and is easily reachable by car from Almería, which is about 18.6 miles away. Take the A-7 and then the A-92. From the A-92 take exit 376 for the N-340 towards Tabernas/Sorbas.
To visit the area, a car is necessary, but if you haven’t rented a car and still want to reach the area, you can take one of the ALSA company buses that leave Almería about every two hours and take you to the town of Tabernas in roughly 40 minutes, which is a good starting point for visiting the Far West theme parks in the desert. This option, however, is still a bit inconvenient and I would advise against it.
The Far West theme parks of the Tabernas Desert
This place is legendary for anyone who loves Italian western films. Few people know, in fact, that films such as A Fistful of Dollars or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly were not shot in the United States but in Spain, in the Tabernas Desert and in other inland areas of Almería (such as Los Albaricoques, also famous for the nearby Cortijo de los Frailes, the setting for many unforgettable scenes). From the 1960s onwards, directors such as Sergio Leone, David Lean and Salvatores chose these places as the setting for some of their most famous films. The Wild West is therefore in Andalusia!
Some of the films shot at Mini-Hollywood were:
- A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
- For a Few Dollars More (1965)
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
- The Legend of Frenchie King (1971)
- Red Sun (1971)
- Conan the Barbarian (1982)
- Blueberry (2004)
- A Town Called Mercy (2012), episode of Doctor Who
Not only that, the Tabernas Desert has also served as a filming location for Lawrence of Arabia, Cleopatra, God Forgives… I Don’t! (the first film Terence Hill and Bud Spencer made together), Marrakech Express, Exodus: Gods and Kings and Game of Thrones.
Today the film sets from the movies that made the history of the Sixties and Seventies have become theme parks for tourists. In the Almería desert there are three themed parks: Mini Hollywood – Oasys, Fort Bravo and Western Leone. The best known is Mini Hollywood – Oasys.
Mini Hollywood – Oasys Park
The park is divided into three areas:
- Mini Hollywood, with a magnificent western town, a cactus-themed botanical park and a museum of carriages, stagecoaches and vintage cars;
- Oasys, where you can see more than 800 animals of 200 species and over 4,000 different plants on foot or on a little train;
- Water Park, with swimming pools and a jacuzzi surrounded by cacti and desert views.
I recommend arriving before 11:00 am to avoid the hottest part of the day and make the most of the live shows:
- Western Show – at 12:00, 17 and 20 in the main square of the Western Town
- Can Can Dance – at 13 in The Yellow Rose saloon
- Cowgirls Show – at 16 in The Yellow Rose saloon
- Bird Encounter – at 11:00, 15 and 17:40 in the reserve’s amphitheatre
Below are some useful details for visiting the park: directions, prices, opening hours and organised tours.
- The park is located on Carretera Nacional 340, about 3.7 miles before the town of Tabernas. From Almería, it is around 21 miles away and takes about 30 minutes via the A-7 and A-92.
- The standard admission ticket costs €32 for adults and €22 for children aged 4–12 when bought online as a non-refundable ticket. Refundable tickets or tickets purchased at the box office cost €36 for adults and €26 for children. Children under 4 enter free. Tickets including a buffet or restaurant meal are also available, as well as reduced rates for over-65s, students and people with disabilities.
- The opening hours vary depending on the date and time of year. The park opens at 10, while closing times may be 18, 18:30, 19:30 or 21. It is therefore best to check the official calendar before visiting. During the summer season, the aquatic area is open from 12 to 19:30.
Leaving the park towards Almería, just over 0.6 miles away you will find the Alfaro petrol station. Besides the filling station, you will also see a building with the sign RTE Alfaro. If you have never watched Black Mirror, it probably will not mean much to you; but if you have seen the fourth season of the unsettling dystopian series, you may recognise it as the Black Museum from episode 6!
Fort Bravo Studios Park
The park is located in Paraje del Unihay, less than 2.5 miles west of Tabernas. The admission ticket includes the daily Western shows, access to the original film sets and a horse-drawn carriage ride. For an additional charge, you can also go horse riding around the Western town, with no previous experience required, or book a guided ride out into the Tabernas Desert, which is intended for riders with at least an intermediate level of experience. It is also possible to stay overnight in cabins at Camping Fort Bravo, spending a night in the desert surrounded by the atmosphere of the Old West.
- The admission ticket costs €22.90 for adults, €12.90 for children and €18.90 for concession tickets for senior citizens, teenagers and people with disabilities.
- The park is open every day from 9:00 to 19:00.
The daily shows are:
- Can-Can Dance and gunfighter show in the Saloon at 12:00 and 17:30;
- Horse show on the main street at 14:30.
Western Leone Park
Western Leone is the smallest of the three Western parks in Tabernas, but it preserves some of the most authentic film sets in the area. It was originally built as a set for Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West in 1968, and the famous McBain ranch created for the film can still be seen today. The complex and surrounding area were subsequently used for numerous other Western productions.
The park is located at km 378.9 of the A-92, around 5.6 miles from Tabernas. It takes less than 15 minutes to drive there from the town; leave the A-92 at exit 376 and then follow the signs for Western Leone.
The admission ticket costs €12 for adults and €6 for children aged 4–12. Reduced rates are available for certain categories and groups, while children under 4 enter free.
The park is open all year round from 10:00 to 20:00. The shows run every day in summer and at weekends and on public holidays in winter. Paid horse-riding excursions are available, both within the village and in the desert.
Cowboy shows in the main square and in the saloon are:
- in summer at 12:30, 14, 17 and 19:30,
- in winter at 12:30, 14:00 and 17:00.
Exploring the Tabernas Desert
At Tabernas Tourist Information Point they will be able to give you all the information you need to explore the surrounding desert area on a tour or independently.
Two suggested itineraries are as follows, to be done on foot or by bicycle:
- From the Tabernas Tourist Office, descend to the area known as ‘the oasis’ then head up, passing under the Puente de los Callejones, until you reach the Western Leone park. Cross the mountain heading east through the Llano del Duque until you reach the path that leads back to Tabernas, passing through the El Chortal area. The full route is 4.7 miles and takes around 4 hours, so a certain level of physical fitness is required;
- From Tabernas Tourist Office, take the downhill path to the area called ‘el oasis’ and then return to Tabernas. The route follows the course carved out by the dry riverbed throughout. In this case, the itinerary takes around 1 hour and is 1.4 miles.
Comfortable shoes, a hat, a water bottle (essential) and, of course, a camera or your mobile phone to take photos of the panoramic views and the many local birds and plants you will see along the way.
4×4 tour in the desert
If you wouldn’t mind exploring the surreal Tabernas Desert by 4×4 but have hired a regular car, consider this organised tour departing from Tabernas, to discover the spaghetti western locations outside the theme parks.
The town of Tabernas
The warm little town of Tabernas has a lovely historic centre dominated by a castle. There are also plenty of churches and noteworthy buildings, as well as pretty little squares where you can relax and enjoy tapas prepared according to local recipes.
- Castillo de Tabernas: located at the highest point south of the town, the castle has Phoenician origins but was later used by the Romans and Moors. The present structure dates back to the 11th century. A circular tower rises at the northern end of the castle, while the main entrance is on the western side and is flanked by two square towers and an arch. Divided into two main areas, probably one for the military and the other for the local population, the site still preserves eight towers and a long perimeter gallery. Outside the second defensive wall lies a Moorish cemetery with several ancient tombs, discovered by chance in the 1970s during the filming of Patton, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and written by Francis Ford Coppola. The castle, around a 15-minute walk from the town centre, is located at Calle Alta 9 and can be visited free of charge. From the top, there are beautiful views over the surrounding desert.
- Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación: the church is located at Calle Glorieta de España 5. Dating from the 16th century, its architecture combines Moorish and Castilian influences. Rectangular in plan, measuring 48 by 22 metres, it has three naves, with the central nave built in the Mudéjar style. Highlights include the main altar, the altar of the Virgen del Carmen, made from Carrara marble in 1865, and the Capilla de Orar.
- Plaza de Toros: built in 1986, the Tabernas bullring has a capacity of 2,000 spectators. Today it is used mainly during local festivities, and it is particularly noteworthy as one of the few bullrings in the province. It is located near Avenida de las Angustias, on the edge of the town.
- Museo de Interpretación Terrera Ventura y Desierto de Tabernas: to learn more about the history of the area, head to Calle Alcazaba 25, where you can discover the story of Terrera Ventura, the Neolithic archaeological site found just outside Tabernas, as well as find out more about the Tabernas Desert before exploring it for yourself. Admission is free, but the visit must be booked in advance.
Where to stay?
The most common option for accommodation is undoubtedly Almería, so I recommend following our advice on where to stay in the city. Below you’ll find a short list of the other smaller towns you might choose for an overnight stay in view of visiting one of the theme parks or the desert itself: there aren’t many, but it can be useful to know about them.
If you want to combine a visit to the desert with a visit to the beaches of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, I invite you to read our article on the beaches of Cabo de Gata to discover which are the most pleasant towns in which to stay overnight. The journey from these towns varies from 40 to 60 minutes.
