The Spanish road trip to become a cowboy

What better way to combine your passion for travel and Western movies than to plan a once-in-a-life time road trip in the spectacular “Andalusian Wild West”? Check out our guide, put on your cowboy hat and get ready to go ‘’Yeehaw’’!

Plant your boots on the ground and feel whole manly 

Rent a car in Seville for your next road trip and drive 67 miles (108 km) to La Sierra de Hornachuelos in the Guadalquivir Valley, a natural reserve filled with steep ravines and lush forests. Experience the true “western-y” feeling of the reserve that holds the largest colony of vultures in the region, as well as endangered lynxes. 

Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park, Córdoba

Go for the cowboy stance: thumbs tucked into the belt

Head 122 miles (203 km) south to El Chorro, which is located 25 miles (40 km) from Malaga. Between the villages of Alora and Ardales, you can walk El Caminito del Rey, a 2-mile (3 km) path hanging more than 328 feet (100 m) above the ground. You will get a breath-taking view of the gigantic gorge and the Guadalhorce River with eagles circling above. 

El Chorro, 29552, Málaga 

Nonchalantly, munch a blade of grass 

Keep driving 26 miles (42 km) east to Torcal de Antequera. Picture a huge limestone landscape with eerie rock formations that seems to tower over you. You will not find horses there, just the sound of silence and 150 million years old fossils. 

Calle el Torcal de Antequera, 70-75, 29200 Antequera, Málaga

Stare off intently into the distance 

Ride east for another 125 miles (201 km), pass Granada then make a stop in the Gorafe desert. Right in the middle of the Guadix-Baza, you will be in awe with its ravines and mountains stretching out as far as the eye can see. Standing in front of the sculptural landscape built by the red, ochre and yellow canyons is incredibly dwarfing.

Gorafe, 18890, Granada

Frown and clench your jaw

Before dropping the car off in Almeria, check out the Tabernas desert, the driest land in Western Europe. East of the Alpujarras, the landscape turns stark, and the vegetation has disappeared to leave space to eroded hills and badlands. It is no wonder that famous westerns were shot in this area. In Fort Bravo, you can stroll through actual Far West movies set, then, if you drive another 5 miles (8 km), discover another park: the Oasys MiniHollywood. 

Fort Bravo, 04200 Tabernas, Almería, 

Oasys MiniHollywood, Carretera Nacional 340A, km 464, 04200 Tabernas, Almería