MTB adventure in Spain: 4 days through the Tabernas desert
Text: Julian Oswald
Wrinkled sand hills stretch like elephant backs far into the horizon. The air shimmers and tastes of dust. A few trees claw into the dry ground. Their gnarled branches have long since ceased to provide any shade. Down in the valley, three riders move through the landscape in the scorching midday heat, trailing a trail of dust behind them. I squeeze the penultimate warm sip from my water bottle into my mouth and swing myself back into the saddle. I follow the three others down the dry riverbed. Carefully, because the rocks covered in desert sand are really treacherous. Again and again, the front and rear tyres slip sideways. It's better not to get hurt here. It felt like an eternity before we met another soul. And our water supplies are running low. A scream echoes off the rock faces.
Do you really have enough water with you?
In the cool morning hours, Francis had driven us by car from Almería to our starting point and dropped us off somewhere near Ohanes on a sandy track. "Have you really got enough water with you?" the guide asked as we left, looking at our two water bottles on the frame. Yes, we waved goodbye, that will be enough. Then Francis dusted himself off and left us alone with the GPS track. So our family ride through Europe's driest region could begin. The idea came from my father, who had already read a lot about the Tabernas desert. A western backdrop where various cult films and series have been shot. During his research, he came across a bike organiser on the internet that offers individually tailored tours in Andalusia, Spain. Also self-guided, i.e. only with a GPS track, but still with luggage transport, accommodation and a shuttle if necessary. Dad pays - my siblings Felicitas and Hannes didn't have to be asked for long.
Our family route will now take us through the desert for four days and also take a detour to the Cabo de Gata Nature Park on the coast. We want to pick up as many film sets as possible along the way.
I haven't quite caught up with the others yet when I realise the reason for the loud outcry just now: My sister has a flat tyre. Not so bad, you might think, but it's already the third one for the day. We only have a spare inner tube and just under an hour of daylight left. We carefully feel our way into the next trail, which first winds its way over a ridge and then suddenly drops into a dry riverbed. We descend between washed-out boulders to our destination for the day, Alboloduy. The landlord of our Casa Rural is already standing anxiously at the door as we reach the desert town at dusk. Fortunately, he not only has the key to our accommodation, but also to the supermarket.
Dehydrated and famished as we are, we gorge ourselves on the shelves. Well fed, we later sit on the roof terrace of our otherwise almost windowless desert accommodation, rinsing the dust from our throats with a cold beer and gazing up at an incredibly starry night sky. Maybe we underestimated the whole thing a little, I think. 40 kilometres through the desert feels very different to the same distance at home. We'll definitely need more drinking water tomorrow. And puncture repair kit!
The Badlands - the driest heart of the desert
The "badlands" of the Tabernas Desert are on the programme for the next day. Ridges of sandy hills carved by erosion as far as the eye can see, not a trace of life. At first we make good progress on a tarmac road, but then Hannes gives us our first break in the Rambla de Tabernas because he has to repair his inner tube. The ramblas, or dry riverbeds, are official paths here. Some are even used by cars, in others we have to shoulder our bikes and climb up rocky steps. However, there are days in the year when a storm does get lost in this region. Then, in no time at all, torrential masses of water rush through the Ramblas. And the increasingly dense thorn bushes seem to be heading for just such a rare event. Aggressively sharpened, they are now increasingly drilling through the rubber of our tyres.
"Palm trees!" After all the dust and sand, I can't believe my eyes, but during a fairly technical descent, I'm the first to spot all that greenery: the Oasis de Rambla Viciana. A filming location for the classic film "Lawrence of Arabia", we learn as we roll through the scenery. My father says he can even remember these striking rock sculptures from the 1962 film. Less than two kilometres later, we are standing on the film set of "For a Fistful of Dollars". However, it's not just our trail that leads there, but also a motorway exit. Of course, a film crew consists of several lorry loads and they have to get to the set somehow. Director Sergio Leone must have had a lot more problems transporting his equipment to the set of "Play me the song of death". The legendary "Sweetwater" ranch is really only accessible via our sandy track.
We stroke a lonely donkey that someone has tied to a tree here and then rejoin the Rambla de Tabernas. The path is also great fun uphill. But only if you keep up the momentum. This costs Hannes and me so much energy and, above all, drinking water that we almost want to skip the detour to Texas-Hollywood. But as we ride into the western town on the penultimate groove, a shot bandit falls out of a window on the first floor - and a handful of tourists applaud. Thank goodness there really is something to drink in the saloon. When we finally step back outside the swinging door with refilled water bottles, the sheriff has already shot all the scoundrels and the show is over. But we are allowed to take a few more western pictures on our own. Our guides seem to have guessed that we will be wasting a lot of time in the film spots today. When we reach our accommodation - this time a cottage in the middle of a horse ranch - there is a Spanish rabbit stew on the fireplace. All we have to do is heat it up.
The desert would still offer several exciting day rides, but as we only have four days, Christl and Francis recommend a detour to the Cabo de Gata National Park on the coast. So the next morning they come to pick up not only our luggage but also us, dropping us off in Lucainena de las Torres after a 40-minute drive. The GPS track now points us firmly eastwards, towards the sea. We can tell by the fact that most of the route is now downhill. We just fly along and after 50 kilometres we are already trudging over the beach pebbles of Playa de los Muertos by lunchtime. What a contrast to the desert! The crystal-clear water is still at bathing temperature even now in autumn.
It takes a while before we can pick ourselves up from this oasis, but we still have 70 kilometres of coastal trail ahead of us until tomorrow. Christl had told us to be prepared for lots of stops here too. Because the trails along the coast climb up and down around jagged rocks and pass castles and beautiful beach coves time and again. Spots that will freak my sister out because the series "Game of Thrones" was filmed here. The grand finale, however, will be celebrated at Playa de Monsul. This is where the large sand dune rises from which Harrison Ford and his film father Sean Connery once crashed the plane of their German pursuers with a flock of flushed birds. But the real stars - Hannes and I agree in the end - are the spectacular trails that led us to these spots in the first place.
Info Almeria
The precinct
The Tabernas desert and the Cabo de Gata Natural Park are located in the Andalusian province of Almería, in south-east Spain. Surrounding mountains shield the region from the clouds that move in from the north and west. It only rains here on an average of 39 days a year. But then often in such quantities that the otherwise dry river courses become impassable in a very short space of time, many a desert hill is given a new surface and individual tracks in the mountain flanks are swept away. This is why the Tabernas is, strictly speaking, a semi-desert, but is still considered the only desert in Europe. Large parts of the tour lead through the dry, canyon-like riverbeds (ramblas), which present very different technical challenges. From the flowing sandy track, which is also used by cars, to the blocked canyon passage, everything is included.
Arrival
Destination airports: Málaga and Almería. There are frequent flights to Málaga from Germany. The car transfer to Almería takes approx. 2 hours.
The Western backdrops
Films have been shot in the region's "badlands" since the 1960s. The sets were left standing after filming and can be visited, depending on how dilapidated they are. Three of the 14 spots are used for tourism, with daily western shows or as theme parks: Fort Bravo, Western Leone and Oasys.
Climate
In view of the relatively unspectacular altitude profile, we pretty much underestimated the tour in advance. Although the longest ascent is just 400 metres in altitude and it never got hotter than 30 degrees in October, the air is extremely dry and the tongue quickly sticks to the palate. The little precipitation falls in October/November.
The tour
Two days through the desert and two days along the east coast of Andalusia through the Cabo de Gata Nature Park: you could have clicked the route together on the map yourself, and the paths through the Ramblas are also officially marked on it. However, you don't recognise the condition of the paths and this can change completely after heavy rain. We were also pleased with the information about the film locations, the luggage transport, the booked accommodation, the catering on the second day, the tour shortening with a shuttle car and the slew of new spare inner tubes! We therefore recommend booking the tour through Christl and Francis from Almería Bike Tours. They also keep the GPS tracks up to date. Info: almeria-bike-tours.com
If you still only want to set off with our track: It's from October 2022.
Tips
You do occasionally pass smaller desert villages or a petrol station near the road where you can top up on water, but two water bottles plus a hydration pack are really recommended. And: Not many plants grow in the desert, but if they do, they have thorns. It is therefore better to change your tyres to tubeless before the tour! This will save you a lot of lost time due to punctures.
Almeria bike tour: 4 stages through the desert
Day 1: Ohanes - Alboloduy
- Length: 42.6 kilometres
- Uphill: 1096 metres in altitude
- Difficulty: medium
The tour starts in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. We were dropped off with the shuttle at the AL-3404 road near Ohanes, where the longest serpentine ascent on a rough gravel/sand track awaits, with a correspondingly beautiful view of the landscape at the highest point. Then it's 1000 metres downhill. First on trails through a canyon, later also somewhat exposed along the slope. In Ohanes, it's worth topping up your water before the GR 140 continues towards Rágol and then deeper and deeper into the super-dry badlands. It takes three hours to cross this bizarre desert landscape in the spectacular but exhausting canyon riverbed of the Rio Andarax without any sign of civilisation. If something happens here, you are on your own. A cautious driving style is therefore advisable.
Highlights
The absolute silence in the desert and the views from the trails that criss-cross the ridges. The best part: the adventurous route through the Rio Andarax canyon.
Key points
The long trail descent at Ohanes is partly eroded and blocked, you have to push from time to time. The last long climb after Rágol through the Andarax Canyon. The sandy surface often offers little grip.
Overnight stay
Casa Boneta Alpujarra Almeriense in Alboloduy. Typical three-storey, windowless accommodation for the desert with a beautiful roof terrace. Top: The landlord is also the owner of the local supermarket and opens it again after closing time.
Day 2: Alboloduy - Tabernas
- Length: 43.1 kilometres
- Uphill: 589 metres in altitude
- Difficulty: medium
The second stage starts with a tarmac descent on which you can make good distance. However, the breeze initially belies the fact that the air in this badlands region, the heart of the Tabernas Desert, becomes even drier. Visually, the landscape is reminiscent of the south-west of America, which is why there are so many film spots on this stage. The first: the Oasis de Rambla Viciana. In the film "Lawrence of Arabia", you could still see a water pond here, although it was artificially created at the time. But the bizarre rocks are fun on a bike! The other film sets, which are more or less well preserved, can be reached via flowing trails on the Rambla de Tabernas. The GR 140 trail runs for seven kilometres alongside a motorway with little traffic. Advantage: you can easily top up with water at the petrol station! The trail in the Rambla de Tabernas runs for 10 kilometres with short ups and downs to the stage finish and is a lot of fun with a bit of momentum.
Highlights
There are four film spots on the stage. In the last one, Texas Hollywood/ Fort Bravo, western shows are still shown for tourists. Top: the trail in the Rambla de Tabernas.
Key points
The trails on this stage are all easy to ride. However, keeping up the momentum takes energy. Watch out, lots of thorns!
Accommodation
Casa de Desierto in Tabernas - a bit outdated, but nice people.
Day 3: Lucainena - Agua Amarga
- Length: 58 kilometres
- Uphill: 802 metres in altitude
- Difficulty: medium
The day starts with a 40-minute shuttle ride to shorten the route towards Cabo de Gata. The route then continues by bike from Lucainena de las Torres. The route circles the small village in the Sierra Alhamilla and then leads mostly downhill on varying surfaces towards the east and the Mediterranean coast. Unfortunately, the latter is reached after 48 kilometres, initially at a less than picturesque industrial plant. But you only briefly follow the coastal road southwards and then soon rejoin a trail that leads into the Cabo de Gata Nature Park and down to Playa de los Muertos. The perfect spot for a lunchtime swim! Afterwards, you pass the Torre de la Mesa Roldán (real watchtowers; Game of Thrones film set) and continue along the coast to Agua Amarga.
Highlights
Playa de los Muertos with its pebble beach and crystal-clear bathing water. "Beach of the Dead", by the way, because various ocean currents converge in front of the beach, which once caused many shipwrecks here. Also: the spectacular rocky cliff landscape on the coast.
Key points
Some of the trail sections along the coast are blocked and quite slippery due to their sandy surface.
Accommodation
Hotel Las Calas in Agua Amarga, nice rooms with sea view and beach bar.
Day 4: Agua Amarga - Salinas
- Length: 63.7 kilometres
- Uphill: 965 metres in altitude
- Difficulty: medium
The fourth stage leaves the coast again, climbs 200 to 300 metres into the interior of the nature park and soon leads past the abandoned Cortijo del Fraile monastery. Clint Eastwood once filmed here for his film "Two Glorious Scoundrels". The route continues through a former mining landscape, where part of "Indiana Jones" was filmed.
After Rodalquilar, the route switches back to tarmac and heads straight for the coast again. From La Isleta del Moro, the trail therefore offers more sea views again and now curves along the entire coastal spur to the east of Almería. In addition to an impressive rocky cliff landscape with bathing bays, you also pass through small coastal towns that are ideal for a stop for refreshments. We took a longer break at Playa de Monsul before the tour ends after more than 60 kilometres at the Salinas de Cabo de Gata.
Highlights
The film locations Cortijo del Fraile and the sometimes challenging trails through the coastal rocky landscape. But of course also the beautiful Playa de Monsul and the sand dune where Harrison Ford and Sean Connery were filmed for "Indiana Jones".
Key points
Rocks and thorns form a nasty coalition against bike tyres. We had a few flat tyres!
Return transfer
From the salt flats to Almería it is 30 kilometres by car (shuttle) or you can cycle along the coastal road.
Download the GPX data:
As a Premium subscriber you will find the GPX data for the tour on bike-magazin.de for free download under "My area".
