Three miles from the coastal city of AlmerÃa lies the Tabernas desert, the only true desert in Europe.
As the Tabernas Desert lies between the Sierra de los Filabres in the north and the Sierra de Alhamilla in the south-southeast, it is sheltered from the humid winds from the Mediterranean Sea.
Since there is only 240 mm of precipitation a year, and there is a consistently high temperature, a lot of blowing wind and more than 3000 hours of sunshine a year, this area has become a real desert.
The Tabernacle desert is similar to the North American deserts. Therefore, it was widely used in spaghetti western films from the 1950s to the 1980s, some of them with famous actors such as Clint Eastwood.
Desert scenes in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were also filmed here, and filming still takes place at the facility.
On the edge of the desert, a theme park has been created with scenery from the film recordings, where there is also a zoo with more than 800 animals from approx. 200 species, swimming pool and several restaurants. Here you can see a show from Western Town, or organize a party.
Just before you reach the desert, there is an old bar that might be worth visiting as a memory of a bygone era.
More excursions: www.turideer.com
Excursion of the week: Tabernas desert in AlmerÃa - hike in desert. Fits everyone.
Get there: Search for Tabernas in Google Maps. Then you will come straight to the area where the filming of western movies took place. Alternatively: Drive the A-7 from Malaga towards AlmerÃa. Take the A-92 towards Tabernas at Viator at AlmerÃa. Follow signs to Tabernas.