Walking route
Through the desert of Tabernas.


This hike takes you through the heart of the Tabernas Desert, Spain's most famous film landscape and the only place in Europe climatically classified as a true desert. Along the way, you'll discover the rugged badlands landscape combined with landmarks from the area's rich film history.
Distance: 10 km.
Time: 2h30.
Grade: Moderate.
Type: Circular.
Gps Track: Yes.
Route description: No.
Wheelchair: Not suitable.
Dog: Allowed on leach.
Height gain: 196 meters.
Trail: 97% unpaved.
Marking: None.
Hiking shoes recommended.
Cabeza del Águila.
Shortly after departure, you'll have a beautiful viewpoint of Fort Bravo, also known as Texas Hollywood. Fort Bravo is an original Western film set that has been used since the 1960s for filming spaghetti westerns and later film and television productions. From this vantage point, you can clearly see the complex in the landscape. Once down, you'll come to an information board about filming in the Tabernas Desert. It explains why this area was (and still is) so popular for film productions: the dry climate, barren ravines, and eroded ramblas make the landscape perfectly suited as a backdrop for deserts, frontier regions, and historical settings. A little further on, you'll pass the striking rock formation Roca La Tortuga. This rock, viewed from the right angle (usually from the south), resembles a turtle emerging from the sand. This is a very recognizable point in the film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The area around this rock was often used for scenes where characters wander through the scorching heat. The route continues along the Rambla del Búho (Owl's Path), a wide, dry riverbed. The canyon walls here display beautiful erosion patterns. Note the distinctive rock formations that served as backdrops for Sergio Leone's films. It's where "The Man with No Name" (Clint Eastwood) often appeared on horseback. The route now leaves the beaten path and traverses a rugged landscape around the famous Cabeza del Águila, a massive rock formation that towers over the desert. From a specific angle, the peak of the rock resembles the head of an eagle with a sharp beak. You'll also have a stunning panoramic view of the surrounding badlands. Before returning to the starting point, you'll have a beautiful view of the Castillo de Tabernas, the Moorish fortress that towers over the village of Tabernas.
Download PDF for map.
Download PDF A sense of orientation is required.
There is virtually no shade on this route.
Take enough drinking water and sunscreen with you.
Not recommended during the summer months.
POI - Fort Bravo.
The Tabernas Desert is the only officially designated desert in Europe. In the 1960s and 1970s, directors like Sergio Leone discovered that this landscape bore a striking resemblance to Arizona or New Mexico in the United States, but was much cheaper to film. Classics like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, and A Fistful of Dollars were (partially) filmed here. Fort Bravo is now a mix of a working film set and a tourist attraction.
Additional information:
www.fortbravo.org.
















