Bardenas Reales
Bardenas Reales [baɾˈðenaz reˈales] is a semi-desert in the south of the Spanish autonomous community of Navarre, covering an area of 415 km².
Most of the Bardenas Reales has been protected as a natural park since 1999. On 7 November 2000, the Bardenas Reales were declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
Characteristic of the Bardenas Reales is the bizarre landscape, which consists to a large extent of ochre clay. This clay is the sediment of a prehistoric sea that was gradually silted up by the tectonic uplift of the Iberian Plate. However, the sedimentary layers of the Bardenas Reales de Navarra are not homogeneous clay, but are also partly composed of harder sandstone and limestone layers. The drainage of water from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean Sea eroded the sedimentary layers in different ways, forming the barrancos (dried-up river beds) and bizarre mountain shapes typical of the bardenas. Examples of this are the well-known Castil de Tierra or the Barranco Grande. The bardenas are ultimately a product of the glacial valley of the Ebro.
The area of the Bardenas Reales is navigable on many designated trails. However, they are mostly only roughly paved gravel roads. Leaving the paths by vehicle is prohibited. Also the breaking off of the dry earth is forbidden in the biosphere reserve.
The entrance to the park is in the village of Arguedas, north of Tudela. From the local petrol station to the Centro de Información Turística de Bardenas Reales it is about 5 km on the Camino las Bardenas Reales. A circular route of about 15 km starts and ends here. It may also be used by motor vehicles.
The Bardenas Reales are an area without municipalities. The beneficiaries are several neighbouring municipalities, the monastery of La Oliva and the municipalities of two Pyrenean valleys, which are grouped together for this purpose to form the Comunidad de Bardenas Reales de Navarra.
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Bardena Blanca
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Pisquerra Mountains
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Castil de Tierra
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A lot of traffic at Castil de Tierra
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As with earth pyramids, a capstone reduces erosion
Location of the Bardenas Reales (blue) in Navarra and the municipalities of the Comunidad de Bardenas Reales (red)
Location of Navarre (see above) in Spain
Questions and Answers
Q: What is the Bardenas Reales?
A: The Bardenas Reales is a semi-desert natural region, or badlands.
Q: Where is the Bardenas Reales located?
A: The Bardenas Reales is located in southeast Navarre (Spain).
Q: What are the soils of the Bardenas Reales made up of?
A: The soils of the Bardenas Reales are made up of clay, chalk and sandstone.
Q: How have the soils of the Bardenas Reales been eroded?
A: The soils of the Bardenas Reales have been eroded by water and wind.
Q: What has the erosion of the soils created in the Bardenas Reales?
A: The erosion of the soils has created a number of shapes, canyons, plateaus, tabular structures and isolated hills, called seamounts.
Q: Is there urban areas in the Bardenas Reales?
A: The Bardenas Reales lacks urban areas.
Q: How is the vegetation in the Bardenas Reales?
A: The vegetation in the Bardenas Reales is scarce.
