Tabernas - Mini Hollywood in Almeria
Many of the worlds top movies have been made in Spain, Tabernas, Mini Hollywood in Almeria is one of the main locations
Tabernas Desert
This is the only desert in Europe and is situated in the Costa de Almería. The sun shines for over 3,000 hours a year and has virtually no rain (less than 240 mm annual rainfall). Temperatures range from -5 to 48 °C! The whole area is a nature reserve (protected area) spanning 280 square kilometres (110 square miles)
The area has been used by many great directors due to its similarities to North American deserts and because of its lunar landscape, making the area world-renowned. for filming westerns, war films and fantasy adventures, most of the spaghetti westerns of the 50´s, 60´s and 70´s were filmed here including the Dollars Trilogy starring Clint Eastwood: A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More (1965) or the classic; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from 1966. More recently it has been used for Indiana Jones and Dr Who.
Tabernas Mini Hollywood in Almeria
There are three individual film sets in the area: Fort Bravo, Western Leone, Mini Hollywood
Tabernas village
Situated on the edge of a deep ravine at the foot of the Alhamilla mountain range, Tabernas village was originally a place for Roman troops to stop and rest during military campaigns, a tradition which continued through the centuries and civilisations that followed, many taverns were built in the area to welcome visitors, thus giving Tabernas its name.
Tabernas village is a place to unwind and is the perfect location to stay being central to many of Almerias attractions.
Tabernas castle sits on a hilltop above the village, dating back to the 11th century and of Nazari style it is now a site of cultural interest, though mostly in ruins the castle can be visited to appreciate the panoramic views. Local folklore decrees it was here that the last Moorish king surrendered to the Catholic kings, Fernando and Isobel, in 1489.
Getting to Tabernas
Tabernas is about 3 .5 hours drive from Benidorm (328km), by bus the journey would take 5 hours 44 mins and cost between 50 - 80€ bus route would be Benidorm to Almeria buses run twice a day (4hours 35mins), Almeria to Benahadux by local bus, every hour 10 minutes cost 12 - 20€ then taxi to Tabernas, 8 mins cost around 15 - 20€ or fly into Almeria airport.
Western Leone
Western Leone is a Western-style theme park and is the smallest of the 3 available. this can be viewed in an afternoon/evening.
Western Leone was originally built by Sergio Leone for his famous Film Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), staring Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson, as well as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Treasure Island.
The well known large red house, Mc Bains Home, is maintained as an attraction, along with other buildings of this authentic Western town, which has also been used to film many other spaghetti westerns.
open everyday from 10.00 - 20.00
Adults 12€ entrance.
Children 4 - 12 years 6€
The sets are preserved and 100% original, set in the natural landscape of Tabernas Desert. Fort Bravo is still used for film shootings, adverts, short movies, clips and international film shoots.
Here you can see daily western shows, with horses and typical French Can-Can Dance of the Wild West. Fort Bravo studios has an American and a Mexican town, and offers you the Saloon-Bar decorated at Texas style, restaurant, souvenir shop, and a photo studio to dress up with a typical costume of the Wild West.
A horse and cart ride is also included in the ticket price and horse rides in and around the town and around natural landscape of the Tabernas Desert are available, there is a nice restaurant and bar available and swimming pool which opens in summer and again is free for ticket holders.
Our opening hours are from 9:00 to 19:30 everyday (including holidays).
Tickets
Adult: 19.40 € (+ 18 years old)
Special: 15.90€ (retirees, teens 12 to 17 and disabled)
Child: 9.90€ (from 5 to 11 years old)
Oasys Mini Hollywood
Oasys is a Spanish Western-styled theme park, originally known as Yucca City, the set was designed by Carlo Simi and built for Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More in 1965. It was also used as a set for other films, such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
After filming of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was completed, the extras in the project bought the set and ran it as a tourist attraction. They were later bought out by a hotel group.
The park features daily cowboy stunt shows, such as a mock bank raid and a re-enactment of the final moments of Jesse James. It also has a swimming complex, abandoned gold mine, Cowboy style saloon, a Fun Barn for children's activities.
The Cactus Garden is beautifully designed and presented against the desert backdrop, there are more than 250 species which come from different continents.
The Museo de Cine, the film museum, which is located next to the bank building, includes many examples of projectors and accessories spanning from the beginning of the last century until present day, and houses an extensive poster display of the movies that have been filmed in the area.
The Museo de Carros, the carriage museum, showcases the preserved stagecoaches and wagons that were once used in film production.
La Senda de Naturaleza, translated, the Path of Nature, a walking trail through the impressive terrain of the Oasys Safari Park. The zoo is home to over one hundred and fifty different species from all over the world, with a number of them protected and at risk of becoming extinct. Some of the mammals, reptiles, and birds, that can been seen here include monkeys, white rhino, giraffes, bears, zebras, camels, buffalo, hippos, lions, tigers, hyena, turtles, crocodiles, flamingo, emu and ostrich, and Buffalo
You will need a full day at Oasys to see everything.
OPENING TIMES: SUMMER 10.00 - 18.00 Every day.
WINTER 10.00 - 18.00 Saturday and Sunday only.
PRICES: Adults 22.90€, children 13.60€. 65 plus 18.80
JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP. This one is several hours from Benidorm but have a look here at a few other suggestions for places to visit a little closer