Tabernas, Spain

Part 2 - continued from "Best Kept Secrets from Spain" - by Anne-Marie Dingemans El Paraje Natural del Desierto de Tabernas (Tabernas Desert Natural Park) is probably the only true semi-desert area in mainland Europe. This region was very popular with spaghetti Western film makers in the 1960's and 1970s. For example, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was shot here! Although long deserted, these former film sets have been turned into theme parks, of which 'Mini Hollywood' is the most popular one. I can highly recommend a visit, not even so much for the theme park (which is fun), but mostly because of the impressive landscapes. It really is a breathtaking environment and feels decidedly un-European. more to follow.