Colourful sunset over Castildetierra, in the Natural Park of Bardenas Reales, Navarre, Spain
© Inigofotografia/iStock/Getty Images Plu
A stunning Spanish sunset. A stunning Spanish sunset
Today’s image might look like the perfect setting for a classic American western, but you’ll have to travel a little further to visit this desert. The Bardenas Reales, located in the north of Spain, is home to plenty of lunar landscapes which surfaced millions of years ago - during a time that the inland sea which occupied the territory withdrew, leaving behind sediments that gradually eroded into amazing geological formations.The example we see today is the “cabezo” (head) of Castildetierra, one of the region's most popular spots - recognised by UNESCO. The highest part of the column is composed of hard sandstone and limestone, barely supported by soft clay and plaster that have been losing volume due to the scourge of air and rain. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that these lonely hills will collapse in the years to come due to their own geological nature - as the base becomes unable to support the weight of the column head.In the meantime, The Bardenas are being immortalised in the works of Hollywood. Films such as James Bond’s ‘The World is Not Enough’ and television series ‘Game of Thrones’ were both shot here.