Sunset over Monsul beach in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, Almería, Andalusia

Almería: picturesque beaches and awesome plans

Almería

Almería is a land of contrasts, with desert landscapes and 200 kilometres of particularly beautiful and varied beaches and coves. This has made it a popular filming location for hundreds of films, including Hollywood blockbusters featuring world-class actors.Almería is, without a doubt, the perfect place to be your film tourism getaway at any time of the year. So take note!

Starting with the coast, these are some of the beaches that you can't miss:Mónsul: One of the best-known scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed there, starring Sean Connery and Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg. It was also the backdrop for part of the film Anthony and Cleopatra, starring and directed by Charlton Heston; The NeverEnding Story; The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, starring Robin Williams and Uma Thurman; and Talk to Her, directed by Pedro Almodóvar.Algarrobico: a classic film was shot here: Lawrence of Arabia, starring Peter O'Toole.

El Sombrerico: This beach served as the setting for some of the scenes in the film Treasure Island, with Orson Welles at the head of the cast. El Palmer and Los Escullos: scenes from the James Bond film, Never Say Never Again, starring Sean Connery, were filmed on these two beaches. But it's not all about beaches. Another must-see in cinematic Almería is the Tabernas Desert. This is considered to be the only desert area in continental Europe and it has provided the scenery for lots of different films; in particular, lots of Spaghetti Western or European Western films, a sub-genre of the Western, including feature films such as the Dollars Trilogy, of which The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, with Clint Eastwood in the main role, is probably the most well-known.

Los Escullos beach in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, Almería, Andalusia

Films of other genres have also been filmed in this spot, such as Lawrence of Arabia; Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor; Conan the Barbarian, featuring actor Arnold Schwarzenegger; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; or, most recently, Exodus: Gods and Kings, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Christian Bale in the lead role.Series such as Doctor Who, Penny Dreadful, Black Mirror or the famous Game of Thrones have also filmed part of one of their episodes in this desert. If you want to enjoy this spot to the max and have a memorable day, you could also visit the Oasys MiniHollywood theme park, an ideal day out with or without children. Here, you can visit the sets preserved from some Westerns, see lots of different shows, enjoy the water area in summer and even explore an animal sanctuary.

View of the Oasys MiniHollywood theme park in Tabernas, Almería, Andalusia

Going back to Game of Thrones, this show was so successful that a cycle route has been created travelling around 20 different filming locations, so if you like the series and pedalling around, don't miss it. Of course, if you would prefer a less demanding plan, travelling this route by car or another means of transport is another great option.Other important locations in Almería that appear in the famous series apart from the Tabernas Desert (the territory of the Dothraki) and that should not be missed on your tour are: Mesa Roldán Tower, very close to the Beach of Los Muertos, where the Battle of Meereen takes place; or the Alcazaba of Almería, where the capital of Dorne is located in the sixth season.  This precise location was also the backdrop for some scenes in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Never Say Never Again

Medieval walls of the Alcazaba in the city of Almería, Andalusia

As you can see, Almería is a cinematic land, so if you like films and you'd like to stand in the locations used for huge productions where some of the most famous actors in the world have also stood, this is the place for you. Are you ready?  

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