Visit the Bardenas Reales, a spectacular desert area

The Bardenas Reales is a semi-desert area designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. This unique place with unusual landscapes is located in a 42,500 ha natural park in the Navarre region, between Tudela and Carcastillo. This desert 70km from the Pyrenees promotes sustainable development to protect its rich and varied ecosystem, which makes it a destination not to be missed in Spain! What to see and what to do in Bardenas Reales? Organize your visit!

Photos of the article: Guide to the Basque Country

When to go to Bardenas Reales to enjoy this magical place?

Like most deserts, it's an open area that doesn't offer much weather protection! It is therefore advisable to visit it in autumn or spring to benefit from pleasant temperatures and breathtaking views. During this period, the cereal and rice plantations offer a green landscape to visitors who are transported to another world. Winter is harsh in the Bardenas Reales, the cold is persistent and the wind freezes, which does not make it an ideal season to travel through them. In summer, it's the opposite. The overwhelming heat can go up to 40°C and discourage the most seasoned tourists. You will understand, the best time is in June and September.

How to discover the fabulous Bardenas Reales in the Navarre region?

The Bardenas desert is a protected area where rules must be respected. You can't wander around as you please, so don't hesitate to go to the reception center when you arrive (in the Finca de los Aguilares, 7 km from Arguedas). Here you can find a map, information on the opening hours of the park and the easiest and most spectacular areas to access. However, there are different ways to get around this fascinating reserve.

• By car on dirt roads according to the 7 itineraries that are proposed to you. The complete loop is 34 km, plan one to two hours to take it, at a rate of 40 km/h.
• By bike with a dozen possible routes to walk through the entire natural park.

• On foot, travel along 3 marked trails leading to various points of interest in the park.

• By segway for an unusual guided tour.
  
• On horseback, enjoy a ride in the heart of this surprising nature.

Rock formations, green plains, sand dunes, enjoy a memorable escape within the Bardenas Reales!

Where to sleep in Bardenas Reales for a stay with spectacular views?

Enter the real Spanish countryside where many small villages give the Navarre region a feeling of being out of time. For an unforgettable stay near the Bardenas Reales, the easiest way is to stay in Tudela, a small town 30 minutes from the desert. Various tourist accommodation solutions are available to you, between aparthotels, guest houses and hotels. With half board, full board or just to sleep, admire the spectacular view of the Spanish desert. Do you want to live your adventure to the full? Treat yourself to the luxury of the Aire de Bardenas hotel, at the gates of the natural park. The comfortable rooms with futuristic architecture are magnificent and out of the ordinary. Observe the starry sky , the play of light, the shape of the clouds through a transparent bubble, for an exotic and disconnected stay.

Take the opportunity to visit Tudela in Navarre!

How were the Bardenas Reales, a mythical place in the Navarre region, formed?

The Bardenas Reales desert is a magical place with diverse and breathtaking landscapes, where three distinct areas are delimited:

• El plano, the northernmost and flattest space, made up of immense plateaus and large ravines. The vegetation is rich and important thanks to the pond El Ferial and the aqueduct of Navarra. This part of the park is reserved for crops, and is home to the Vedado de Eguaras nature reserve, like an oasis in the middle of the steppe.
  
• La Bardena Blanca, located in the middle of the other two, is the heart of the desert. With its 170 km2 , it is the largest and lowest area on the ground strewn with salt, which gives it its particular color. This tourist place is the favorite of the French for its spectacular rock formations, such as the Castil de Tierra or Blanca Alta chimney.
  

• Bardena Negra, the highest and southernmost stretch, is covered in pines and bushes. The high hills and immense plateaus host two nature reserves, las Caidas, the most important area of pine forests, and Rincon el Bu with its natural rocky escarpments.

The reputation of this magical place is second to none. Do not miss this splendid desert with stunning landscapes.

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