Help wanted for what to see Southern Spain (Taberna, Sierra Nevada, etc)

[Animal Mother]

Especially help from @Rodger and also anyone else who can advise. Thank you.

We are travelling up to Tabernas from San Jose and want to see some stuff in and around the following places, but need some advice as to what to see and where to go. I don't want to miss something that I'd regret seeing. Local knowledge is gold for this sort of stuff. Are there any "must see" places?

1. Tabernas desert - film sets, cool desert scenes, etc.
2. Sierra Nevada - High locations, observatory, etc.
3. Parque Natural Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas - Nice sites, wildlife, etc.
4. Parque Natural Sierra de Andújar - Wildlife, Lynx hopefully.

This will be over three days. Camp sites or wild camping.

Happy to go (and would like to do a bit of) off-roading, but will be on my own with stock(ish) 120 series. No recovery gear and on our own. Dirt/desert tracks are good, but no rock crawling or tyre punctures (I was reading about 2016 trip).

 

[Rodger]

Hi,

First a little re-assurance - Dave2000 runs the trails with us and his 80 is stock - no lift, no big wheels and the puncture happened when we went on an unplanned trail (rare for us as we plan carefully).

We will go through your list, in detail tomorrow and respond. Do you have dates when you'll be in this area?

More tomorrow....

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Animal Mother]

Hi,

First a little re-assurance - Dave2000 runs the trails with us and his 80 is stock - no lift, no big wheels and the puncture happened when we went on an unplanned trail (rare for us as we plan carefully).

We will go through your list, in detail tomorrow and respond. Do you have dates when you'll be in this area?

More tomorrow....

Regards,

Rodger

Awesome, thanks mate.

Current plan is to leave San Jose (50 mins from Tabernas) first thing on Thursday 15th September.

 

[Rodger]

Hi,
I am slightly confused as the 15th is Saturday and the Thursday is the 13th (typo?) (which?). Anyway, I assume that you will be in San Jose on the day before and when there it is worth visiting the Hotel Cortijo el Sortillo which is about 200 metres from the roundabout at the entrance of SJ. The hotel is back up the AL3108 on the right (It is the only entrance).
As you enter the hotel as the buildings become visible - stop and you will be looking at the opening scene of A Fistful of Dollars - now tarmaced and buildings restored. Worth going inside the hotel as the room where Clint met with Ramon's gang is exactly as it was when filmed. Also many photos and the staff are very helpful. (photo 3rd down on RH page)

Either on your way to, or from, SJ at the junction of the AL3108 and the AL3112 turn east towards Albicoques. Not a pretty road as you travel between the plastic greenhouses (loads of them around Almeria) as they supply the out-of-season fruit and veg to the northern European supermarkets but as you arrive at the village (Albicoques) there is a map showing various film locations from the Spaghetti Westerns - Calle Sergio Leone, Calle Clint Eastwood, Calle Lee van Cleef, etc. and the threshing circle used but not in Good Bad & Ugly (more of that later). All the village has been restored but if you are familiar with the SW then you will recognise sets. At the top end of Calle Clint Eastwood is a track leading down - this was used in AFof$.

 

[Rodger]

Oops, thought I was uploading file...

As you can see there are loads of film locations around the area.
Travel back from Albericoques on the AL3112 and stay on it until you reach the A7 motorway. Follow direction Almeria/Malaga. At the 4th junction (I think) take the A92 (dirn - Granada). On the A92 take the first junction off (387) and turn right onto A3100. We could meet you there and take you to the village set and palm road from Ridley Scott's 2014 Exodus. Track to that set starts at 36.948226 -2.415636
From there we would return to the A92 for a couple of junctions and then join the A340a at J382 and we come off that at 37.006782 -2.454888. We can then show the ledge where in GBU Clint and Tuco (Eli Wallach) argue about their split and then up a dry river bed to a private location where Clint met Indio and his gang, where Tuco was chased by them and where the oasis in Lawrence of Arabia etc, are. Then on up the DRB where so many films have been set - Chato's Land, to re-emerge onto the A340a. We cannot show you the area for the Game of Thrones sets are as that is currently a closed area.

From there we could visit either Mini Hollywood (now a theme park but has the original sets in it from SW towns - hotel and bank at El Paso and was purchased by the extras involved. Also there is an exhibition of the film cameras and equipment) or Western Leone (much smaller and cheaper) that has various buildings like the house for Once Upon A Time In The West and an abandoned film set (we've not visited that one) and then on to the campsite at Tabernas. That would be a full day. Times estimated by Google, etc for this area are usually wildly out. e.g. G/maps lists Tabernas to Calar Alto Observatory as 46 minutes - you can probably add an hour to that - the road climbs 4500 feet from Gergal.
Have you checked tour times etc for Calar Alto?
Book via http://www.azimuthspain.com/calar-alto-2/
C/Alto is very much out on a limb - sort of up there then back down but well worth a visit. In fairness you can go north from there and there is a campsite at a disused mining village but it is not that great. NB you will need a coat or similar in the observatory as it is very cool in there.

I'm not quite sure how you may want work this - suggestion - if you did the Observatory on the second day then return to the campsite at Tabernas. There is the old trail which has many SW locations including the blown up bridge in A Fistful of Dynamite (Coburn & Steiger). There are a couple more film locations but the trails are not good so we could take you, partially on the old road, into La Alparras and then over the Sierra Nevada 2000 metre pass and then down to La Calahorra Estacion - the railway station used in all SW and in Once Upon A Time - some of the old buildings remain - then from Charches there is a trail over the Sierrs Baza to Friela where the campsite is 100 metres from a massive lake. I would not suggest the Gorafe desert as the trails are pretty tough in parts and to get through it is a full day with some massive climbs and drops although from the Friela area you would get to see the sort of terrain while on tarmac.

We were not very impressed with Cazorla (very commercialised and the campsite we tried was poor but there are others) but there is a beautiful and good trail that brings you into Cazorla on the trail where the foxes sit waiting to be fed and the dear and stags are not camera shy. If you didn't want to use the trail the road has some beautiful scenery (in parts) (A315).

Let me know what you think... we can do as little or as much of this as you want. I have full maps and well as gps references for all of the trails mentioned, which you are welcome to use.

As this is partially over a weekend Dave (80 series) may be able to join us as well, if you are okay with more local support. There are plenty of trails in the area but I get the impression that you would rather see the sights than anything else.

Regards,
Rodger

 

[Rodger]

Earlier I mentioned the cemetery from Good, Bad & the Ugly. Well it has recently been restored.
When Leone was filming the third of the trilogy the Spanish government had caught on to the fact he was bringing much-needed money into the country so asked him if there was anything that he needed.
He needed a cemetery.
Sad Hill Cemetery was built by the army in two days and a few years back it was restored. This was the location for the finale of The Good, the Bad & the Ugly. It is not a real cemetery.
It is located at Domingo de Silos off the BU910. The A234 between Soria and Burgos - at Hacinas take the BU910 through Carazo to Dom de Silos and follow signs.
At Carazo or very near is the site of the bridge that was blown up in GBU. Actually it was blown up twice - first when the cameras were not rolling and , after being rebuilt, then when they were.

It is in the north of Spain but it is worth planning your route to take it in.


Regards,

Rodger

 

[Animal Mother]

@Rodger - That is all brilliant. Thank you very very much for your time. My wife and I will read and get back to you. Local knowledge is worth its weight in gold! It would be cool to meet with you and Dave if he can make it.

You are right, it was a typo, Saturday the 15th is the date.

Easy trails and similar would be fine. Very interested in sites rather than crawling over rocks. The 120 is very much kitted out for rough travel rather than mud plugging or rock crawling.

If you know of other things better than my initial proposal then please let me know. I've noticed there's a route over the top of Natural Park Sierra Alhamilla (as a route from San Jose to Tabernas) for example,

We are mainly interested in stunning views, wildlife, interesting landscapes, nice food, quirky places.

We'll absorb and get back to you. If you think of anything else in the meantime please mention it and we'll take a look.

 

[Animal Mother]

Also, it looks like we may be doing the "Astronomer for a Night" at Calar Alto so may camp on the mountain top.

 

[stumog]

What a top bloke.

Roger is a world of knowledge and always willing to share.

 

[Rodger]

Saturday, 15th September... ok.
I appreciate that crawling over rocks is not your thing and the off-road sections I've suggested are easy - mostly well used tracks. Interesting for us is that after the winter rains the tracks change but the option to turn round or park and walk always exists. We don't get mud down here except in Spring.
It's your holiday so we can vary any of the suggestions to suit you.
I read about 'Astronomer at Night - sounds great (date yet?) and in the afternoon, after you've caught some sleep, we could run the ridge that looks over the desert to the north and over Cabo de Gata to the south - it's higher than the Nijar-Turrillas road and the views are spectacular at various points. The N-T road is not very interesting - well let's just say, there are better, more scenic roads.

There isn't much in the way of wildlife in the area aside from birds of prey, but you will see more as you travel north. But we have an abundance of cacti and in the Sierra Nevada there are reputed to be over seventy different types of orchid. One of the most interesting aspects is the different types of rock and their formations plus the effects of wind and water erosion.

We live in the Alpujarra valley (about 200 miles long) which sits between the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the Contrivesa - in a small town called Ugijar - actually the smallest city in Spain, just 2500 people.
Some of Christopher Columbus's crew came from here. On our way to the Pueto de la Ragua pass (2000 metres) (all tarmac) we can show you the view down the valley and Malhacen (highest mountain in mainland Spain at 11,413 feet) may still have snow on it.

Freila is an interesting little town as part is on the top of a cliff and the rest is built into the cliff side using cave houses. There is actually a small cave house hotel there - which is an interesting experience as to stay there is like a form of sensory deprivation as no natural light seeps into the rooms. The campsite is out of town.

As you may have gathered we love this area - chose to retire here and enjoy showing folks round so we will tailor your few days here to what you want. The more you tell us the better we can make it.

@stumog Thank you. We feel that this corner of Spain is a hidden gem but it's the coastal areas that gets promoted and, even there, there are some uncommercialised bits that are worth a visit.

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Dave2000]

Just seeing this thread by chance, and Rodger did mention it when we spoke on the phone recently. I am always up for some days out and will see how work goes. Rodger and I are out for a few days end of this month and into September. With the October trip looming I am trying to get customers to bring forward service and MOT dates into September as well however, there is no facility here to add on unexpired MOT time, and many stay in the UK until the heat abates anyway which will run into September.

I will know nearer the time but will get there if I can, Rodger knows the area very well, so you/we are in safe hands.

Regards

Dave

 

[Animal Mother]

Just seeing this thread by chance, and Rodger did mention it when we spoke on the phone recently. I am always up for some days out and will see how work goes. Rodger and I are out for a few days end of this month and into September. With the October trip looming I am trying to get customers to bring forward service and MOT dates into September as well however, there is no facility here to add on unexpired MOT time, and many stay in the UK until the heat abates anyway which will run into September.

I will know nearer the time but will get there if I can, Rodger knows the area very well, so you/we are in safe hands.

Regards

Dave

Awesome, thank you. We (wife and I) are just finalising what/where/when.

 

[Animal Mother]

Hi @Rodger All amazing stuff mate, thank you. I think we have the semblance of a plan/proposal for you, but we are keen to tap into your knowledge and recommendations.

This is what we now have by way of dates/times, etc.

Thursday 13th September
Depart Formentera Del Segura and head down to Playa de los Genoveses for lunch and a look around the area.
We are free to explore for the rest of that afternoon/early evening.
Any recommendations on where to stay?
If you are free we can meet you on this day for lunch or in the afternoon.
Would you recommend this afternoon as a good one for mini Hollywood?

Friday 14th September
Friday early AM departing wherever (see Thursday 13th)
We have all day on the Friday to go wherever you recommend. We aren't that interested in SW stuff, but the Exodus set and Lawrence of Arabia stuff would be good. Any other stunning sites would be great. I like the idea of ridges and trails, mini Hollywood, etc.
We'll camp wherever you recommend on Friday night.

Saturday 15th September
We need to be at the Calar Alto Observatory for just before 1700hrs.
Again, we are at your whim until then so would be interested to hear what you think. Again, sites, mini Hollywood, etc,etc.
We'll likely camp on top of the mountain (nr. the observatory) as we won't finish there until 0100hrs and I don't fancy driving down the mountain being tired, and no doubt having had a couple of glasses of wine. That is unless you have a good solution/option?

Sunday 16th September
My wife is keen to visit Sierra de Andújar Natural Park so we'll probably head that way early in the morning. I estimate it's about a 5 hour drive from the observatory. Any "must see" places on the way there?

We are staying in the park before heading north toward the Andorra smugglers route.

 

[Rodger]

We suggest the following but if you are not keen on any aspects let us know and we can change/alter/adjust:

Thursday 13th:
To get to Playa de los Genoveses you need the ALP 822 from San Jose and there are around ten or so bays along this road which goes to the lighthouse at Cabo de Gata – all beautiful with some spectacular cliffs/rocks. Exploring this area would take a full afternoon. Between SJ and the l/house there are no facilities – it’s a Natural Park (no wild camping as it is below 1000mtrs) but there is a restaurant near the l/house otherwise everything is at SJ. There is a campsite in SJ (Calle Caja Higuera – left at O-about follow road round to right and c/site is on the left) I am reasonably sure ALP 822 is all tarmac now. Most bays have car parks and then a walk. The c/site has full facilities and there are restaurants overlooking the bay and marina a short walk away. The west side of the l/house is not so dynamic and includes the salt flats where salt is still harvested in the traditional way.

Just a note about Mini Hollywood, Western Leone & Fort Bravo: These are all old western filmsets turned into theme parks. MH is the biggest but aside from the buildings, swimming pools, zoo and the twice a day cowboy shoot out, the most interesting area to me was the old film camera exhibition (they are huge!). WL and FB are smaller, less commercialised, however WL is more about the buildings used in various films but apparently there a good café/restaurant there. I have found pictures of the old filmset situated on their land but it is a ruin and messy. (not recommended). The main building in WL is the house from Once Upon A Time In The West and the choice of location by Leone is interesting.

Friday 14th:
We could meet you, as suggested above, on the A3100 and take you to the Exodus set, the Palm Road and the remains of the other set (Exodus & other films). Then up to the dry river bed to the SW/LoA location/s and then to Western Leone for look round and a snack lunch. If there is any filming going on, we do pass the ‘base camp’. In the afternoon we could run the ridge trail – views of the desert and the coast. And then down to the campsite at Tabernas which has clean but basic facilities but no café so we either cook or eat out.

Saturday 15th:
We wondered if old castles were of interest to you? The Alcazaba, the 10th century Moorish fortress, in Almeria is the backdrop for many films and is situated in the old town overlooking all of Almeria, the Med and the mountains behind the city. We would drive through the street shot that was Cairo in LofA. After the Alcazaba, lunch and then to Calar Alto – A7-A92 (Gergal)- A1178 – AL4404 to Calar Alto. (70kms)(allow 2+ hours as in the last third you will climb nearly 5,000 feet).

Would this suit you?

To get to Andujar by a scenic route from Calar Alto I would suggest – back to A1178 turn left - dirn Seron. The old disserted mining village is at ‘Camping las Menas’ (on right) – left onto A334 - dirn Baza. Through Baza (A334) and R onto A315 - dirn Zujar – L at Torreperogil on to N322 (Bailen) then A4 to Andujar. (300kms) Some spectacular views through mountains and at the Embalsa de Negratin.

On your way north Cuenca and Albarracin are worth a visit and are separated by the Sierra de Cuenca.
Worth taking the C13 from Lleida – Sort via Tremp – to Alins and the start of the Smugglers.

Regards,
Rodger

 

[Animal Mother]

We'll meet you at the A3100 on the morning of the 14th. Where and when? Let us know. What you've proposed sounds ideal and great!

For the 15th Almeria and the Moorish castle is perfect. I suppose there's some interesting driving options from the Taberna campsite to Almeria that we can take?

Do we need to book the camp site?

@Dave 2000 Are you up for this? The moor (sorry, had to be done) the merrier. It would be great to meet up with as many people as possible.

@Rodger Is it just you or are you bringing someone? It's just me and my Wife. I'm Darren by the way and my wife is Charmaine.

We've changed our minds about Andujar. Straight to Cuenca instead as it would be better use of our time. We'll hit Albarracin on the way North (via Sierra de Cuenca), and head to Lleida and smugglers route via C13 as you recommend. Thank you.

 

[Animal Mother]

Also, @Rodger where is this?

 

[Rodger]

Hi Darren,

As you turn left onto the A3100 there is nothing but rocks on the roadside but in approximately 200 metres there is a gravel area. 10 am? From the Exodus set we can stop for coffee.

The picture is at the top of a big climb in the Gorafe desert. The Gorafe trail is a full day - about 50 miles off road and rough and tough in parts.

I will be with my wife, Corinne, and if Dave can make it, talked with him last night about dates and plans and if work permits he'll join us and he'll have Cookie, his dog, with him.

As you are missing out Andujar, you could run up the Cazorla valley, (take the A319 at Quesada) as it is the right direction for Cuenca. I can show you on the maps when we meet.

we will contact the campsite at Tabernas but it maybe worth booking at SJ - 0034 950 38 01 66.

I will pm my phone number, in case of problems. Do you have a CB fitted? It just makes pointing out things of interest and comms easier.

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Animal Mother]

Hi @Rodger We do have a CB fitted. It's an AM/FM multinorm so it has UK and EU frequencies.

Are you on Facebook, Whatsapp or anything similar to make comms a little easier from this point?

 

[Rodger]

Next Friday we are going to the Alicante area to explore the trails around Alcoi/Ibi so we will detour (slightly) and send you a grid reference for the proposed meeting point on the 14th.

See you then. Have a good trip.

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Animal Mother]

Next Friday we are going to the Alicante area to explore the trails around Alcoi/Ibi so we will detour (slightly) and send you a grid reference for the proposed meeting point on the 14th.

See you then. Have a good trip.

Regards,

Rodger

Nice one matey. Thank you!