Page 506 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

504  SOUTHERN SP AIN

( Mojácar Bravo Texas Hollywood, 1 km
(1 mile) and 4 km (2 miles) from
Almería. * 7,000. @ n Plaza del
Frontón 1, 950 61 50 25. ( Wed, Sun. Tabernas respectively.
_ Moors and Christians (second Not far from town is a solar
weekend of Jun), San Agustín energy research centre, where
(28 Aug). ∑ mojacar.es heliostats track the sun.
From a distance, Mojácar Environs
shimmers like the mirage of a Sorbas sits on the edge of the
Moorish citadel, its white houses chasm of the Río de Aguas. Its
cascading over a lofty ridge, notable buildings are the 16th­
2 km (1 mile) inland from long, century Iglesia de Santa María
sandy beaches. and a 17th­century mansion
Following the Civil War (see said to have been a summer
pp70–71), the village fell into retreat for the Duke of Alba.
ruin as most of its inhabitants Nearby is the karst scenery,
Renaissance castle overlooking the village emigrated, but in the 1960s honeycombed with hundreds
of Vélez Blanco it was discovered by tourists, of cave systems, of the Yesos
which gave rise to a new era de Sorbas nature reserve.
* Vélez Blanco of prosperity. The old gate way Permission to explore them
in the walls still remains, but is required from Andalucía’s
Almería. * 2,200. @ Vélez Rubio.
n Avenida Marqués de los Vélez, otherwise the village has been environmental department.
950 41 95 85. ( Wed. _ Cristo de completely rebuilt, and holiday
la Yedra (second Sun of Aug). complexes have grown up  Mini-Hollywood
along the nearby beaches. The Carretera N340. Tel 950 36 52 36.
The mighty Castillo de Vélez coast south from Mojácar is Open daily (Sat & Sun Nov–Easter).
Blanco was built between 1506 among the least built up in & ∑ oasysparquetematico.com
and 1513 by the first Marquis Spain, with only small resorts  Fort Bravo Texas Hollywood
de Los Vélez. The Renaissance and villages along its length. Carretera N340, Tabernas. Tel 902 07 08
interiors are now displayed in 14. Open daily. & ∑ fortbravo.es
the Metropolitan Museum in
New York, but there is a recon­ ) Tabernas
struction of one of the patios. Almería. * 3,000. @ n Carretera
Just outside, the Cueva de los Nacional 340 km 464, 950 52 50 30.
Letreros contains paintings from ( Wed. _ Virgen de las Angustias
c.4000 BC. One depicts the Indalo, (11–15 Aug).
a figure holding a rainbow and
believed to be a deity with Tabernas is set in Europe’s only
magical powers, now adopted desert. The town’s Moorish
as the symbol of Almería. fortress dominates the harsh
surrounding scenery of cactus­
T Cueva de los Letreros dotted, rugged hills and dried­out
Camino de la Cueva de los Letreros. riverbeds, which has provided the
Tel 694 46 71 36. Open 4:30pm Wed, set ting for many classic spaghetti
Sat, Sun & public hols (Jul & Aug: westerns. Two film sets can be Desert landscape around Tabernas,
7pm); book ahead. & visited: Mini-Hollywood and Fort reminiscent of the Wild West

Spaghetti Westerns
Two Wild West towns lie off the N340 high way
west of Tabernas. Here, visitors can re­enact
classic film scenes or watch stuntmen perform ing
bank hold­ups and saloon brawls. The poblados
del oeste were built during the 1960s and early
1970s, when low costs and eternal sunshine
made Almería the ideal location for spaghetti
westerns. Sergio Leone, director of The Good, the
Bad and the Ugly, built a ranch here and film sets
sprang up in the desert. Local gypsies played
Indians and Mexicans. The deserts and Arizona­
style badlands are still used for television
commercials and series, and by film directors
such as Steven Spielberg.
Still from For a Few Dollars More by Sergio Leone

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp572–4 and pp598–602

504-505_EW_Spain.indd 504 26/09/17 11:03 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.1)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm