Spain by Motorhome – Bardenas Reales, Griffon Vultures & the Mountain Village of Riglos 🇪🇸🚐
Spain by Camper Van – Bardenas Reales, Griffon Vultures & the Mountain Village of Riglos 🇪🇸🚐
After our first exciting day in Northern Spain, our journey once again led us to the fascinating landscape of Bardenas Reales. We had actually hoped to experience the desert with bright sunshine this time. But when we woke up in the morning at our pitch in Arguedas, the reality initially looked quite different.
Dense fog hung over the landscape, almost completely obscuring the view. The memory of our last visit immediately came back. Even then, the weather had initially thwarted our plans.
But in our travels, we have learned that patience often pays off. So we took the morning easy, drank our coffee, went for a short walk with Dayo, and hoped that the sun would eventually win out.
Fortunately, we were right.
Table of Contents
- Starting Point at the Arguedas Pitch 🚐
- Bardenas Reales Information Centre
- Drive through the Desert
- Griffon Vultures over the Rocks
- Riglos Pitch
- Drone Flight in the Morning
- Discovering Riglos Village
- Mallos de Riglos & Climbers
- Continue to the Coast
- Pitch in Els Guiamets
- Conclusion
- 🎥 Click here for the corresponding YouTube video
Starting Point at the Arguedas Pitch
We spent the night at the camper van pitch in Arguedas. The town is considered one of the most popular starting points for visitors to the Bardenas Reales and is particularly well-known among camper van travellers.
Normally, we like to stay at another nearby pitch. However, this is currently being converted into a campsite. That's why we opted for an alternative this time.
When we opened the door of our camper van in the morning, we initially saw only a grey wall of fog. The landscape was barely visible. Visibility was poor, and the hope of spectacular shots was initially limited.
Nevertheless, we didn't let our mood be spoiled. After all, that's part of travelling. Not every day begins with blue skies and sunshine. While Dayo enjoyed his morning walk, we planned the rest of the day.
Since the fog was still quite persistent, we decided to run some errands first and then try our luck in the desert later.
Looking back, that was exactly the right decision.
Bardenas Reales Information Centre
Before entering the desert again, we made a short stop at the Bardenas Reales Visitor Centre.
Anyone visiting the region should definitely stop here. At the information centre, you can get up-to-date maps, information about closed routes, and important notes on the rules in the natural park.
Especially because driving options can change regularly, a short visit is worthwhile.
Additionally, various animals living in the region are presented. We found the information about the birds of prey that build their nests in the rock walls of the desert particularly interesting.
Equipped with our map, we finally set off.
And at that very moment, the weather slowly began to improve.
The first rays of sunshine broke through the cloud cover, and suddenly the landscape looked completely different.
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Drive through the Desert
The further we drove into the Bardenas Reales, the better the weather became.
Within a short time, the fog almost completely disappeared, and the impressive landscape showed itself from its best side.
The Bardenas Reales is one of Spain's most extraordinary regions. A semi-desert stretching over 40,000 hectares, full of canyons, table mountains, dry plains, and bizarre rock formations.
Again and again, we stopped to enjoy the view.
Although we have been here several times before, this landscape is always impressive.
Sometimes you feel more reminded of Arizona or Utah than of Europe.
The colours constantly change. Sometimes light sandy tones dominate, then red rock formations or grey clay areas. Added to this is the incredible vastness, which is rarely found in Europe.
For us, the Bardenas Reales are clearly among the most beautiful natural areas in Spain.
Griffon Vultures over the Rocks
Then came the moment we had hoped for.
A huge rock face rose before us, and suddenly countless griffon vultures circled above it.
Initially, we only spotted a few animals.
But the closer we looked, the more there were.
Dozens of vultures sat on the rock ledges. Others circled high above our heads or glided elegantly along the rock faces.
Sometimes we could observe individual birds taking off directly from their nests. One even collected twigs for nest building.
The Bardenas Reales is home to one of the largest populations of griffon vultures in Northern Spain. Several hundred breeding pairs use the steep rock faces of the semi-desert as safe breeding sites.
Of course, for Kirsten, it was immediately clear that we would stay here longer.
We actually only wanted to stop for a moment.
But as often happens, that quickly turned into one or two hours.
While Kirsten photographed, Dayo explored the surroundings and busied himself with stones, branches, and anything else he could find.
For us, this section was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful moments of our entire trip to Spain.
Riglos Pitch
In the late afternoon, we left the Bardenas Reales and headed towards Riglos.
The drive there was already impressive. The landscape slowly changed, and the massive rock formations of the Mallos de Riglos grew larger and larger.
Just before the village, we found a quiet pitch for the night.
When we arrived, we could already see the distinctive rocks. Numerous vultures circled above us again.
The atmosphere was incredibly peaceful.
These are the kinds of places we love on our travels.
Away from mass tourism, in the middle of nature, and with a view you won't soon forget.
Drone Flight in the Morning
The next morning, we were rewarded with excellent weather.
Even before the first hikers were out and about, the drone took off.
From the air, the landscape around Riglos revealed its most spectacular side.
The mighty Mallos de Riglos rose like giant towers from the landscape, and the small village looked almost tiny next to them.
Numerous vultures were also already on the move, circling above the rocks.
For us, these shots are among the most beautiful drone images of the entire trip.
Discovering Riglos Village
After breakfast, we set off to explore the small mountain village of Riglos.
Today, the village has only about 50 inhabitants and lies directly at the foot of the famous Mallos de Riglos.
Even just strolling through the narrow streets, you can feel the special atmosphere.
The old houses, the quiet surroundings, and the mighty rock faces in the background make Riglos a place where you would love to stay longer.
Such small Spanish villages have a very special charm for us.
Here, time seems to run much slower.
Mallos de Riglos & Climbers
The main attraction of Riglos is the Mallos de Riglos.
The red rock formations rise more than 300 meters vertically into the sky and are among the most famous climbing areas in Spain.
From a distance, we could already spot numerous climbers on the walls.
Only with binoculars did it become visible how many people were actually on the steep rocks.
For us, that would definitely not be an option.
Nevertheless, it was fascinating to observe how the athletes climbed meter by meter upwards.
The combination of nature, adventure, and spectacular views makes this place unique.
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Continue to the Coast
After our visit to Riglos, we continued our journey.
We were slowly approaching the Spanish Mediterranean coast.
The landscape changed again, and the anticipation for the coming days grew steadily.
Because soon we would reach the sea.
Pitch in Els Guiamets
In the evening we finally reached Els Guiamets.
Here we found a quiet pitch and ended the day relaxing.
As the sun slowly set, we looked back at a day that had started completely differently in the morning.
Dense fog had turned into spectacular landscapes.
And a simple drive through the desert became unforgettable encounters with griffon vultures.
Conclusion
The second part of our trip to Spain once again showed why we find northern Spain so fascinating.
The Bardenas Reales, the giant griffon vultures, the mountain village of Riglos and the impressive Mallos de Riglos made this day a real highlight of our trip.
Those who want to discover Spain by motorhome away from the well-known coasts will find a region full of nature, tranquility and extraordinary landscapes here.
And the best part:
The journey has only just begun.
🎥 Here is the corresponding YouTube video
▶ Watch the video on YouTube now
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