Tabernas Desert: 4x4, Horse Riding or a Western Town – Which Is Worth It?

The Tabernas Desert is a patch of eroded badlands about 30 km north of Almería, covering roughly 280 km². It is often called the only true desert in Europe, a claim that rests on its climate: according to the provider of the main tour, under 250 mm of rain a year and more than 3,000 hours of sunshine. It is also the reason Almería has a film history. More than 300 productions have been shot here since the late 1950s, among them the Sergio Leone westerns.

What you will not find is sand. Think ravines, clay and sandstone cliffs, dry riverbeds and scrub. That matters when choosing, because the three ways of seeing it give you very different days.

The 4x4: the most-reviewed

GetYourGuide lists two 4x4 tours of the desert, both at €38 and both about 2 hours. The 4x4 joyride from Almería has 1,625 reviews at 4.9 stars, which makes it the most-reviewed of all the offers GetYourGuide lists here. The second, a 4x4 tour of Western filming sites, has 117 reviews at 4.4.

Same price, same length, same type of vehicle. The difference is the promise. The first sells the landscape; the second names Leone and Eastwood and sells the film locations. Neither description says which sets you actually stop at, so if the filming history is the point, read the booking page before choosing. If you simply want the better-rated of the two, the numbers favour the first.

The word “joyriding” in the title is a fair warning. Expect a bumpy ride on tracks, not a gentle drive with commentary from a seat that never moves.

On horseback: fewer people, slower pace

The horse ride through the desert’s film sites costs €45 for 2 hours and has 496 reviews at 4.9 stars. There is also a 3-hour version at €80 aimed at experienced riders, with 16 reviews. Take that title at its word: it is not the one for someone who has ridden twice.

The summary of the €45 ride does not state a riding level or minimum age. Neither does it say how many people ride together. Those are exactly the questions to settle on the booking page, and if you are bringing a child they are the first ones to ask.

The Western towns: the day out for families

Tabernas has three surviving film towns that are open to visitors: Fort Bravo, Mini Hollywood Oasys and Western Leone. GetYourGuide sells tickets for the first two: Fort Bravo from €22.90 and Oasys from €30. Both are staged towns with live shows, which is a different thing from the desert itself. Which of the two to pick has its own article: Fort Bravo or Mini Hollywood Oasys.

There is also an 8-hour full-day Oasys tour at €85. That is the only Western-town option here that is priced as a day, and it is worth reading what is included before assuming it is better value than the ticket.

Which one for whom

• Two adults who want the scenery: the 4x4. It covers more ground than a theme park and costs less than a horse ride.
• Anyone who rides: the horse ride. It is the quietest of the three.
• Children, or a group that wants a full day: a Western town. There are shows on a timetable, a zoo and a pool at Oasys, and a buffet option, none of which a desert track offers.
• Heat: the operator of the main 4x4 tour itself mentions temperatures from –5 °C to 48 °C. In summer, choose the earliest slot on offer.

When to skip it

If you have one free afternoon and want the film sets, go straight to a Western town. A 4x4 tour shows you the setting and not the sets. And if you dislike rough roads, the 4x4 is not for you.

Two hours leaves room for another stop on the same day, but check the departure time and meeting point first. The full range is on the Tabernas Desert tours page, with eight offers from €22.90. If you would rather see the desert after dark, see stargazing in the Tabernas Desert.