Suggested walks - Desierto de Tabernas Natural area

Desierto de Tabernas Natural area
Sandwiched between the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, Gador, Filabres and Alhamilla is one of the most dramatic landscapes in Spain, the desolate Desierto de tabernas.. The only semi-desert in Europe. There is a surreal lunar quality about its weirdly eroded ravines, dry river beds and barren slopes apparently devoid of vegetation, bleached by the sun and occasionally bleached by ochre hues. With its poor soils, low rainfall and temperatures that range from -5% to 48% the landscape has been little changed by human activity for centuries. Not surprisingly film makers have been long attracted to its landscape for many years.
The desert is one of the most geologically interesting landscapes in Europe, since it clearly shows the process of natural desertification and erosion. It features include sheer sided gullies, carved out by the infrequent but torrential rains that only falls a few times a year. Another feature is piping, where water permeates through the top of a slope and emerges further down through a hole, the water creating an underground pipe in the process.
Sendero Rambla de Tabernas is an easy linear walk of 8kilometres (16 km round trip) along the sandy bank of a seasonal river. It is best followed outside of times when heavy rain is due. Spring is the best time to do the walk when the river bank is clothed in seasonal flowers and even then ensure to take pleanty of water and sun protection.
It begins on the left hand side of the N340 opposite Tabernas as you come from Almeria city. The route heads southwest along the river bed, which runs more or less parallel to the road.
You can see the comparatively lush vegetation in the river bed, of rushes, reeds, tamarisk and oleanders, compared with the cactuses and other desert plants on the rocky hillsides. Other ramblas join this one; ambla de la Sierra also from Tabernas,, is on the right and Rambla de Benavides and Buho aare to the left. Look out for the Texas Hollywood Wild Weswt theme park, enclosed by a wooden fence and lookout towers.
About 7 kilometres into the walk, you’ll see the Rambla de Verdecho on the right. A detour from here ventures further into the desert. The last stretch of the Rambla de Tabernas widens, until it reaches the end point, the Puente de los Callejones, which is a bridge for the N340.