A visit of the regio of Tabernas
The city of Tabernas (A 10min)
Near to the desert is situated a small and picturesque village; the village of Taberna is situated on the edge of a deep ravine near to the Alhamilla mountain range, this village was originally a place for Roman troops to stop and rest during military campaigns, a tradition which have been continued through the centuries, interestingly, the reason for its name is that many taverns were built in the area to welcome visitors. This place is still receiving many visitors every year, attracted by the history and landscapes of this Natural Area. As well, in this desert have been filmed many western movies, because the landscapes are so similar with the other deserts in America, but it is easier and cheaper to create here a western movie.
The Movie Industry Mini Hollywood (A 15 min)
Situated in the Tabernas Desert, an established location for the movie industry, the film studios of Tabernas have grown into the wild west tourist attraction know as Mini Hollywood. Mini Hollywood has three separate itineraries, Oasys Park, Fort Bravo and Western Leone, all are open for visitors and each offers a different wild west adventure for all the family with western shows among the many other attractions. Western Leone and Fort Bravo are still part time working film locations where as Oasys Park, the largest of the three, is now entirely given over to the theme park business. - See more at: http://choose-almeria.com/attractions-mini-hollywood.
The city of Sorbas (A 15min)
Sobras is an extremely impressive village, also known as Cuenca la Chica. It is located over a small plateau over the Río Aguas, and the white houses are almost suspended over the ravine. The most important attraction is the karst formation in the Yesos de Sobras, the most important of its kind in Europe and a must-see for lovers of potholing. In a semi-deserted enclave and taking up more than 2,000 hectares lies the Natural Karst Terrain in the Casts of Sorbas, one of the biggest tourist attractions of this Almerian municipality. No wonder, as it is the best example of a karst formation in Spain and one of the most important in Europe. This geological jewel, a product of rainwater falling over thousands of years, has many caves, including El Agua, the biggest of them al; Covadura, the deepest; Tesoro and Yesos, considered the most beautiful. To traverse them and study their stalactites, stalagmites and gypsum crystals of different colours and forms, the best thing to do is to join a guided tour that are organized from the Centro de Visitantes Los Yesares, located in Terraplén street in Sorbas.
The city of Turrillas (A 15min)
A mountainous little road guide you from our cortijo to this small, picturesque village.
At the entrance to Turrillas, close to the small chapel dedicated to San Antonio, you will find an amazing viewpoint from which you can obtain a beautiful panoramic view.
This village is another which has the good fortune of being located next to the Parque Natural de Sierra Alhamilla, one of the best protected areas in Andalucía.
The city of Lucainena de las Torres (A 25 min)
eThis village is elected as one of the 20 most beautiful villages of Spain. With only 70 inhabitants, you can stroll in the colorful alleys. In this village also found filming place for a western.
The desert de Tabernas (A 10 min.)
Desert landscapes and origins This area was actually, at one time, covered by the ocean, until the Sierra Alhamilla mountain range, thrust upwards isolating the Tabernas area from the sea. An inland saltwater lake was created, which, diminishing over time, left the original seabed and remaining mineral deposits exposed and open to the elements. The end result of the sedimentation, or settling process, being a terrain consisting of calcium carbonate, mudstone and sandstone, highly susceptible to erosion. Over time weather conditions and environmental circumstances have created this astounding and unusual territory. Today, the parched landscape receives a considerably high concentration of sun exposure per year, with summer temperatures constantly exceeding forty degrees. The rainfall is infrequent yet torrential when it occurs, often creating seasonal flash floods in the normally dry river beds, these downpours have carved out the dramatic trenches and tubular holes that give the desert its unusual moon like effect. - See more at: http://choose-almeria.com/tabernas-desert
OASYS THEME PARK AND FORT BRAVO ALMERIA (A 20 min)
EIn the 1960s and 1970s more than 100 films were partially shot at these two film sets in the bleak Almeria desert landscape of Tabernas, including Westerns such as A Fistful of Dollars, The Magnificent Seven, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; also Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. More recently, an episode of Dr Who (A Town Called Mercy starring Matt Green; Series 7, episode 3) was shot here. These days, visitors to Oasys (formerly known as Mini Hollywood) can enjoy a mock bank hold-up and shootout, staged at noon, 5pm and 8pm daily, as well as stopping off for a cold beer at the Western-style saloon, which stages Can-Can shows. There is also a pool, a cactus garden, and a zoo with 800 animals of 175 species, including giraffes, lions, zebras and buffalo, and parrot demonstrations. Just 3km away is Fort Bravo Texas Hollywood, also used as a movie set for spaghetti westerns. This one boasts a Wild West town, stockaded fort, Mexican pueblo, complete with church and square, and Indian settlement, complete with teepees. It also offers daily shows, as well as a pool, restaurant, saloon bar, shop and cabañas to rent. You can meet horses, donkeys and camels, and even go on horseriding trips, catering to all levels of experience - ride 'em on, cowboy! Open Oasys: April to October, daily 10am-9pm and November-March, Sat - Sun 10am-7pm. Fort Bravo: April to November, daily 9am-8pm and November to March, daily 9am-6pm.
