Perhaps it is a bit pretentious to talk about deserts in Spain. If the arid zones that are scattered around our country are compared with the great deserts of the planet, they may seem like minor entities. Even so, there are several places in the Spanish geography that possess that singular beauty that offer such hardest and most inhospitable lands.

Most of the deserts are in the center and south of the country, as well as on the Canary Islands. If you are thinking of a desert location for your next audiovisual production or photographic shooting, in this article we present you 10 different possibilities.

The image of this desert is curious. Between hills with slopes up to 300 meters we meet here one of the most arid lands in Andalusia. The presence of water, centuries ago, has created this fantastic area, among others famous for fossil research.

The reddish color, caused by the clay of which it is formed, that especially attracts the attention of those who discover this place, is a special background for the audiovisual project you are preparing.

It is one of the most unknown deserts in the region, probably because it remains in the shadow of the great desert of Tabernas, in Almeria. But being unknown does not mean always it is less interesting. If you are looking for tranquility, here you will find the ideal option for your audiovisual production or photographic shooting.

It covers more than 57,000 hectares and its temperatures fall down up to 4 degrees in the coldest season. The vegetation that populates this area is not very abundant, with some formations of oaks, pine and bushes.

This is one of the most international well-known desert landscapes that Spain has to offer, it is located in the Andalusian province of Almeria. A land immortalized in the cinema due to its enormous resemblance to certain parts of the western United States. In the past many western productions moved here to make their shootings. There are still some villages of props that came out in those films, in some cases now in the form of a singular and romantic theme park.

To visit it you have to travel to the north of Almeria, and prepare yourself to find an abrupt, dry and hot landscape. Usually the annual rainfall does not reach 250 mm and the average annual temperature is around 17 degrees. There is hardly any vegetation and curious formations have been created, making it a mythical picture that you can reproduce in your audiovisual project.

Although it is by the sea, Cabo de Gata is one of the driest areas in Europe. The best thing for your photographic shooting or audiovisual production is that you have everything on hand without leaving the area: beaches, salt flats, cliffs … In this area you also find a mix of the natural species of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

Its aridity has turned the desert of Mahoya into an overwhelming place, with an almost lunar landscape. Only some oasis with palm trees breaks the feeling that makes you think you are far away from Spain. A unique location for your audiovisual project.

The Monegros desert is a magical place in the Ebro Valley. It receives thousands of visitors every year attracted by the fantastic images it gives away. For some years, this desert, located between Zaragoza and Huesca, has won the qualification of Singularisimo Landscape, unique in Europe.

Here are filmed outstanding Spanish movies such as the famous Jamón, Jamón, which brought together for the first time Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. All the movies that have been shot here have tried to capture the magic of these harsh lands of eastern Aragon. If you also want to take advantage of this « movie » location, you should shoot your audiovisual production here.

The Bárdenas Reales range over more than 41,000 hectares with slopes of up to 400 meters. To cross this area it is obligatory to follow the duly marked roads. The formations in this area are worth seeing and portraying, they will be the protagonist of your audiovisual project.

It has also been the scene of films. And not only science fiction, but of all kinds. Here they have gone from James Bond to movies as Pride and Passion, or the legendary Airbag.

A different desert is that of Timanfaya, formed by volcanic stone. A Martian landscape that can be visited on a camel, to give it more desert looks. A photographic shooting or audiovisual production in this location will allow you to reproduce landscapes as from another planet.

Here we will find the closest thing to the desert that appeared in classic movies like Lawrence of Arabia. The Natural Park of Corralejo and its dune field are an ideal location for your audiovisual project and Corralejo hides also some of the best beaches in Fuerteventura, to alleviate a bit the heat of the sand.

The peninsula of Jandía is a spectacular desert a few meters from the sea. It is a unique and spectacular location for your audiovisual production or photographic shooting. It recently is used as the Sinai desert for the film Exodus, by Ridley Scott.

Photographic sources:

• Portada – https://viagallica.com/canaries/lang_es/parc_naturel_corralejo.htm
• Desierto de Gorafe1 – http://mercagranada.es/i-trail-running-desierto-gorafe/
• Desierto de Gorafe2 – https://www.clubrural.com/casa-cueva/granada/gorafe/cuevas-el-torriblanco_132124/fotos
• Desierto de Larva1 – https://viajar.elperiodico.com/galerias/destinos/6-impresionantes-desiertos-espanoles?id=2
• Desierto de Larva2 – https://mapio.net/a/17096551/
• Desierto de Tabernas1 – http://www.andalucia.org/es/espacios-naturales/paraje-natural/desierto-de-tabernas/
• Desierto de Tabernas2 – https://www.actualidadviajes.com/desierto-de-tabernas-almeria/
• Cabo de Gata1 – https://tripkay.com/destination-guides/puntos-interes/parque-natural-de-cabo-de-gata-nijar/
• Cabo de Gata2 – http://www.elrincondeltrotamundos.com/2012/11/19/el-cabo-de-gata-un-desierto-con-agua/
• Mahoya1 – http://imgrid.net/tag/mahoya/
• Mahoya2 – http://www.flickriver.com/places/Spain/Murcia/Mahoya/
• Desierto de los Monegros1 – https://elasombrario.com/el-sueno-de-agua-en-el-desierto-de-los-monegros/
• Desierto de los Monegros2 – http://conunparderuedas.com/monegros-mountain-bike/
• Bárdenas Reales1 – https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardenas_Reales
• Bárdenas Reales2 – http://www.ignacioizquierdo.com/blog/2016/10/las-bardenas-reales/
• Timanfaya1 – https://ociolanzarote.com/que-ver/centros-turisticos/timanfaya/
• Timanfaya2 – http://parquesnaturales.consumer.es/parques/canarias/74.php
• Corralejo1 – https://www.ondafuerteventura.es/presiones-vecinales-del-cabildo-podrian-evitar-cierre-la-carretera-las-dunas-corralejo/
• Corralejo2 – http://www.alisiosplayafuerteventura.com/
• Jandía1 – http://onetwotrek.com/es/fuerteventura/
• Jandía2 – https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/faro-jandia.es.html