Spain: the country of sun, sea and beach. The country where you can sit on a terrace and enjoy delicious tapas and sangria. When you think of Spain, you don’t immediately think of deserts. Yet you can discover deserts in Spain. Officially they are half deserts (climate between subtropical and desert climate). This climate has a little more vegetation than a desert climate. Due to the drought there are no trees, just grasses and some shrubs.
Discover deserts in Spain
There are two well-known deserts in Spain that are worth visiting, there are also landscapes to be found in Spain that certainly resemble a desert. In this article we will talk about the next deserts:
- Bardenas Reales in Navarra
- Tabernas woestijn in Andalusië
- Imanfaya Nationaal Park – (Lanzarote)
Bardenas Reales in Navarra
In the southeast of Navarre lies the Bardenas Reales, the largest desert in Europe. This natural park has been declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. A semi-desert landscape of about 42,000 hectares is very impressive. This steppe has to do with drought and consists mainly of rocks and stone. If you go to the Bardenas Reales in Navarre you really think you are in a different world!
Tabernas desert in Andalusia
The Tabernas is a semi-desert located in the southeastern part of Almería.
Despite the extreme drought in this area, there are many succulents. Certain plant species even grow only in the Tabernas desert. When you enter the Tabernas desert in Andalusia, it looks like you are in the Wild West. During the year it is around 17 degrees and this desert is also considered to be the only real desert in Europe.
Imanfaya Nationaal Park – (Lanzarote)
In this area you can also discover large areas of droughts. It is a volcanic landscape where you will find the most beautiful colors: red, brown, black and ochre. This landscape consists of around 24 volcanoes and is definitely worth a visit. This landscape is not seen as a desert but you certainly will not see trees or shrubs.
Desert in Spain that look like a filmset
Talking about the Wild West… Did you know that the Spanish deserts are mostly used as a film set? Very famous films, such as “The good, the bad and the ugly” and “Indiana Jones” (the last crusade) are recorded here. A real game of thrones fan will recognize the pictures of the Tabernas desert because in this desert a whole season is filmed of the popular serie. You might have expected that these big movies were only shot in America, in the real dessert. But no, this can also be done in beautiful Spain!
What doesn’t Spain have to offer! 😉
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