The route of abandoned Hollywood film sets in the south of Spain that can be done on foot

Almeria province in the Andalucía region in the south of Spain is synonymous with the Spanish film industry, especially in the Desierto de area, which is still the setting for countless films. For the filming that took place in the 1960s, western towns were built, and some film sets have been converted into theme parks such as Oasys Mini Hollywood and Fort Bravo Texas Hollywood, while others have been abandoned.

These places are relatively close and can be visited on foot. Different routes for walking can be found on the internet but it is important to remember that some of these sites are located on private land to which access is prohibited. They are also in natural spaces and as such there are restrictions on vehicle access.

The fort of El Condor which was built for the film of the same name is located on private property, very close to the western town of Leone. It is practically in ruins but there are still traces of the set where Lee Van Cleef and Jim Brown appeared in a production directed by John Guillermin and released in 1970.

The village is located on a private estate, to which access is forbidden, in addition to the danger of entering the old buildings. Even so, film lovers still go to take photos of the iconic Bar Coyote or the archway at the entrance.

The village is part of the history of cinema in Almeria and the Tabernas desert. After the filming of El Condor the sets were not dismantled and were reused in later films such as A Reason to Live and A Reason to Die (1972), March or Die (1977), The Blind Vigilante (1971) and Conan the Barbarian (1982).

Relatively close by is the Oasis of Lawrence of Arabia, which can be accessed from an unused road leading to the Captive's Bridge. Directed by David Lean and released in 1962, it is set in the Middle East, but most of the scenes were shot in the Tabernas desert.

This production was the first large-scale film to come to Almeria province. It involved more than 1,000 extras, 750 horses and 159 camels imported from the Spanish Sahara. The technical team was made up of nearly 400 people, 250 of whom were Spanish, and an artistic team of more than 150 people.