Sleeping in the Bardenas Desert: the best places to stay

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Sleeping in the Bardenas Desert: the best places to stay

A true natural wonder in Europe, this desert is a unique place sculpted by the rains over time, where nature displays all its majesty. The Bárdenas Reales natural park is also listed as a Biosphere Reserve. Accessible by car, it's the ideal destination for a getaway weekend, where you can lose yourself in the immensity of its landscapes. Here are the best hotels to stay in if you come to visit the Bardenas desert. 

Hotel Aire de Bardenas for sleeping under the stars

To extend the experience, here is an iconic address if you want to visit the Bardenas Reales natural park.  Famous for its zen rooms in the form of transparent inflatable bubbles, Hotel Aire de Bardenas was designed by the architects Emiliano López and Mónica Rivera in 2007. An installation between sky and earth with the comfort of a four-star hotel. 

Highlights: 

• ☕ Great breakfast and restaurant
• 💦 Outdoor pool and its patio full of trees
• 🛌 The decor and the originality of the rooms
• 🐕 Pet friendly
• 🚗 Ideal location for sleeping in the Bardenas desert
• 🏆 Rated 8.7 Superb on Booking and 9.2 for its attentive staff

Note its GPS coordinates: 42.079282925252606 -1.5661337971687317 

Hotel Remigio Tudela 

Highlights: 

• ☕ Buffet breakfast
• 📍 Close to the desert, in the centre of Tudela
• 🛌 Family and non-smoking rooms
• 🚗 Private parking
• 🏆 Rated 8.6 Superb on Booking and 9.6 for its location

Hotel Sercotel Tudela

Highlights: 

• ☕ Great breakfast and restaurant with a Scottish bar (more than 100 beers)
• 📍 Close to the desert, in the centre of Tudela
• 🛌 Family rooms and fitness centre
• 🚗 Private parking
• 🐕 Pet friendly
• 🏆 Rated 8.0 Very Good on Booking and 8.9 for the staff

Apartamentos tudela 

Highlights: 

• 📍 Close to the desert, a 5-minute walk from the centre of Tudela
• 🛌 New, modern apartment, perfectly furnished
• 🚗 Private parking
• 🏆 Rated 9.3 Fabulous on Booking and 9.4 for its location

Hotel Santamaria

Highlights: 

• 📍Close to the desert, in the centre of Tudela
• 🛌 Spacious and comfortable family rooms
• 🚗 Private parking
• 🏆 Rated 8.3 Very Good on Booking and 9.1 for its location

The Bardenas Reales desert, a unique landscape 

Stretching over nearly 400 km² in the south-west of Navarre, the Bardenas Reales natural park is a semi-desert region. Note that each site in this natural park offers a different perspective, whether through fascinating geology, spectacular views or the atmosphere that reigns there.  You'll see a setting worthy of the great American open spaces, with magnificent orange-red cliffs offering a breathtaking panorama. Here, every corner of earth and rock tells a thousand-year-old story, shaped by wind and rain.

Recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Bardenas Reales has 3 distinct zones: 

• ‍El Plano: a vast horizontal plateau in the north and west zones. This site is reserved for dry-land farming. 
• La Negra, on the south flank, this zone is formed by a set of horizontal landforms covered with pines and bushes. 
• La Blanca: this is the lowest part of the desert, where erosion is greatest. Located between the other two, this is where you'll find the most visitors since the Castildetierra and the Pisquerra are here. 

Bardenas Reales: 5 must-dos 

1. Take a photo at Castildetierra

Castildetierra is without doubt the emblematic place not to be missed in the Bardenas desert. Similar to a fairy chimney, this rock formation is iconic with its slender silhouette and ochre colours. 

From there, you can continue down the walking trails you'll see at the foot of Castildetierra. This little canyon will show you pretty arches sculpted into the rock by natural elements. 

Opposite Castildetierra, there is a track with a small laid-out path that lets you climb to the top of a cliff to admire the landscape before you. You'll mainly see the Blanca Baja desert. 

2. See the Cabezo del Fraile

Nicknamed "Monk's Head" for its resemblance to a human head wearing a hood, it is one of the landmarks that shape the desert. It also offers a fascinating panorama and an insight into the erosion that shapes the landscape.

3. Explore the Blancas area 

Called the Blanca Baja, this desert plain is dotted with eroded rock formations. It is in this area that you'll see some of the most emblematic landscapes of the desert, and where you can take beautiful photos with striking contrasts between sky and earth.

4. Admire the Pisquerra

More isolated, this part of the desert offers lunar landscapes with spectacular geological formations. It's perhaps a less visited place, but ideal if you're looking to be away from the crowds and want to take beautiful photos with unique viewpoints.

5. Go to the famous miradores

‍
Note that the Bardenas desert has several viewpoints (called miradores in Spanish). These offer breathtaking panoramas. The most beautiful are probably the Miradores of La Blanca and La Pisquerra, particularly recommended during the day to capture the golden light. There is also the Sancho Abarca sanctuary lookout, to see at sunset. 

Other places to see in the Bardenas desert: 

• Plana de la Negra 

To get to this area of the desert, we recommend taking the NA-126 road towards Tauste, directly from Tudela. There you'll find a hiking trail nicknamed "La Peña del Fraile" where you can park the car. Allow about 2.5 to 3 hours for the round-trip walk.

• El Paso

This is a natural corridor between the mountains that offers a spectacular view over the vast desert plains and the other rock formations. The perfect place for a hike or a bike ride.

• Rincón del Bú‍

Located in the most remote area of the desert, this site is surrounded by cliffs and has an isolated, wild atmosphere. Ideal for nature lovers looking to get away from the tourist bustle.

As you will have understood, this desert is a true paradise for photography lovers, with its astonishing geological formations, changing colours and vast expanses that invite you to capture every moment. Whether for a hike, a road trip or simply to soak up the natural beauty, this desert promises an unforgettable experience.

FAQ: How to visit the Bardenas desert: practical information

Find our answers to your most frequently asked questions here, especially if you want to visit and stay overnight in the Bardenas desert. 

Is there an entrance fee for the desert?

Good news: access to the Bardenas Reales desert is completely free! 

What are the opening hours for visiting the Bardenas Reales natural park? 

The park opens at 8am. You are asked to leave the park an hour before nightfall. If you come in winter in December and January, you'll need to leave the park before 4.30pm since the sun sets earlier, at 5.30pm. Check with the information centre for more details and precise times. 

Practical information for eating or going to the toilet 

Feeling a little hungry during your visit? Note that the options are limited, which is why  we recommend preparing a picnic to be more flexible once you're there. Otherwise, remember to do some shopping in Tudela and take water and food. In high season, a few food trucks are sometimes at the entrance to the park, but this is not guaranteed. 

As for toilets, you'll only find them at the information point. 

How to visit the Bardenas desert by car? 

The best advice we can give you for entering this natural park is to go through the Bardenas Reales Information Centre. It is located in the Finca de los Aguilares, 7 km from Arguedas. On arriving at the centre, you'll receive all the information to visit the Bardenas desert with the different routes and a detailed map. 

In the north of the Bardenas, you also have an entrance, known as El Paso from Carcastillo. This is where herds came down from the Pyrenees to reach the banks of the Ebro to spend the winter there. A little history: the King of Navarre made the right of pasture official for shepherds in the 800s. Every year, locals commemorate this tradition in September with the Transhumance festival.

How to get to the Bardenas Reales?  How to get there?

The easiest way is to go by car, leaving via the Tudela bridge, then follow Arguedas (N-134) on your right. A marked 25 km track follows, winding through the Bardena Blanca. Perfect for seeing Castildetierra! Allow about 2 hours by car.

If you want to get to the Bardena Negra, take the road on your left: Ejea de los Caballeros (N-125) or Fustiñana (N-126).

Book your car with DiscoverCars (best value for money):

Which vehicle is best for exploring the Bardenas Reales desert? 

Note that you don't need a 4x4 or an SUV. Admittedly, the main routes are dirt tracks, but many ordinary vehicles use them without great difficulty. Perhaps avoid the secondary roads to be more at ease.

What are the best viewpoints for observing the Bardenas desert?

Here are 4 places to favour:

• the Virgen del Yugo viewpoint
• the Sendaviva viewpoint (Sendaviva park)
• the La Blanca viewpoint (in the park)
• the Cerro de Santa Bárbara viewpoint (Tudela)

How were the Bardenas formed?

The Bardenas were formed from fragments resulting from the erosion of other rocks, particularly those from the Pyrenees and Mount Moncayo (part of the Iberian System).

What time of year to visit the Bardenas desert?

The climate of the Bardenas desert varies considerably throughout the year. 

In January and February, temperatures can be cool in the morning, but become pleasant as soon as the sun appears.  A visit in February, for example, offers pleasantly sunny days with temperatures often reaching 20°C, a perfect setting for a winter holiday!

March and April are the wettest period, with sometimes sudden and intense rain. Just check the weather forecast before planning to come, especially if you want to sleep in the Bardenas desert.

From May to September, the climate warms up, but remains pleasant. Perhaps avoid July and August, when the heat can be very intense with more visitors. 

Which films were shot in the Bardenas desert?

Here are the main films to remember: 

• Lost in La Mancha, a film by Terry Gilliam with Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges and Jean Rochefort
• Don Quixote
• Ridley Scott's film The Counselor
• The World Is Not Enough with Pierce Brosnan

And of course, the desert has also been a filming location for the series Game of Thrones and for music videos such as those by Vanessa Paradis.

Our article on where to sleep in the Bardenas desert ends here. We hope all these addresses and activities will help you plan your trip to the Navarre region of Spain. All that's left is to wish you a great stay and plenty of good vibes 😎