Friday 2 December 2016

Tabernas Desert

The Tabernas Desert is located a few miles from Almería, between the great rocky masses of the Sierra de los Filabres and the Sierra Alhamilla. It is a dramatic almost moonlike landscape and what plants that exist within this habitat twist and bend amongst the great cracks in the earth in search of some moisture. Salt cedar, oleander and brushwood have adapted to the conditions of extreme aridity and the local fauna mainly consists of insects, toads, hedgehogs and scorpions. A number of birds can be seen flying over the dry gullies and riverbeds including the swift, rock martin, crested lark and jackdaw. It is the only true desert in Europe.


It may be a desert but I like it. The scenery is startling. The arid yellow ochre landscape contrasts with the vivid blue Almerian sky. The annual rainfall here does not exceed 250mm and the year-round average temperature is over 17 degrees. It has 3000 hours of sunlight per year, making it an ideal spot for a solar energy installation and that is why the largest centre of solar energy in Europe, the ‘Solar Platform of Almería’ has been installed in this area. 

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Other blogs by Robert Bovington:
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“Photographs of Spain”
“Spanish Impressions”
“you couldn’t make it up!”
“a grumpy old man in Spain”
“bits and bobs”
“Spanish Expressions”
“Spanish Art”
“Books About Spain”

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