Fastpacking Europe's Only Desert

Day 5 of our Summit to Sea series takes us straight across Europe's only desert — around 20km from Gádor to Tabernas, deep in Almería, Andalusia, on Spain's forgotten long-distance trail: the GR-140. We're Steve and Sarah — welcome to Trails & Adventures. Tabernas is the only true desert in Europe, and according to National Geographic it's doubled for the Wild West, Turkey and far beyond in more than 300 films — spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Game of Thrones, even Doctor Who. We fastpacked right through the middle of it. This was also the day everything changed underfoot: we left our single base behind, swapped light daypacks for everything-on-our-backs, and set off self-sufficient for the rest of the route. 20km of dried-out riverbeds, relentless sun, wild horses crossing our path… and a sting in the tail near the end that none of the old maps warned us about. And the whole way, one thought hanging over us — tomorrow is the longest, driest stage of the entire trail. If you'd like to come with us all the way from the Sierra Nevada down to the sea, subscribe and join the journey — new episodes every Saturday. — Steve & Sarah 🥾 🗺️ ROUTE Stage: GR-140, Gádor → Tabernas (~20km) Series: Summit to Sea — Puerto de La Ragua to Cabo de Gata, 175km across Almería, Andalusia 📍 FOLLOW THE JOURNEY YouTube:    / @trailsadventures     / trails.adventures   #GR140 #Fastpacking #Andalusia #SpainHiking #Tabernas 🎵 Music: Epidemic Sound