Following a bit of a hiatus, I’m sharing more of my September road trip around northern Spain with my friend Becky. After starting in Bilbao and journeying south to the wine region of La Rioja, we headed east into the province of Navarra. Our destination was the Bardenas Reales Natural Park – a hauntingly beautiful semi-desert that I’d wanted to explore for ages. It’s also home to a unique design hotel that had been on my travel wishlist ever since it opened in 2007, and where we’d booked in for a night’s stay: Aire de Bardenas.
Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Bardenas Reales covers 42,0000 hectares of rugged plateaus, canyons and rock formations, all sparsely vegetated and almost entirely uninhabited. It’s one of the driest places in Europe, and it looks more like northern Africa than northern Spain. Aire de Bardenas sits on its southern edge and consists of minimalist single-storey cubes with mirrored windows, clustered around a central patio and protected from the prevailing wind (after which the hotel takes its name) by stacks of wooden palettes.
I have to confess I was a bit nervous about finally getting the chance to visit both the park and the hotel. And my concerns had been compounded by Aire de Bardenas’ social media posts, which seem to revolve around people who are mostly young and slim (neither of which apply to me) and mostly in couples. Would I feel like a fish out of water? Is this the kind of place you can come to with a friend rather than a partner? And would everything live up to my long-held expectations?
On the first two points, I needn’t have worried. Other than being asked to pose for a Polaroid to add to their ‘guest wall’ when we first checked in, the hotel didn’t feel ‘Instagrammy’ at all. The clientele was much more mixed than I was expecting, with couples, families, groups of friends and solo travellers of all ages, and there are rooms with twin beds. As to whether the experience met my expectations… Well, read on to find out!
Aire de Bardenas is the work of Barcelona-based architects Emiliano López and Mónica Rivera, who took inspiration from the simple shells of local agricultural buildings. From the outside it resembles some kind of moon base, but inside it’s comfortable, calm and filled with natural light – a relaxing oasis in the desert. Importantly, the whole place is made largely from recyclable panels with no permanent foundations or fixings, meaning it can be dismantled at the end of its life without leaving a trace on the landscape.
Most of the 22 rooms sit in the cubes, some freestanding with sweeping views towards the park, others linked to the main reception, bar and restaurant building by corridors punctuated with picture windows. There are also several tent-like domes called ‘Bubbles’ behind the pool, where you can gaze up at the stunning night sky (there’s very little light pollution here) through transparent roofs.
We had one of the rooms in the main building. It was simple but well designed, with white walls and bed linen, a plywood room divider / headboard with lots of built-in storage, a plywood-framed window seat looking out over a private courtyard, and a wonderful alfresco bathtub made from Corten steel. My only niggle was the shower, as it sat behind curtains within the main space – not ideal when staying with a friend, and it meant the room quickly filled up with steam. Thankfully the toilet was completely separate!
You can explore the natural park in your own car, by bike or Segway, or on a private 4×4 tour arranged through the hotel. We chose to do the latter, as it meant both of us could enjoy the views without having to drive. We had originally reserved this for our first evening, but it ended up being cancelled after the vehicle broke down. I was initially disappointed as I was hoping to take photographs of the landscape during golden hour, but the staff handled it brilliantly, rebooking us for the next morning and offering us free drinks in apology. What’s more, the change of plan meant we got to experience one of the hotel’s perks – a mini barbecue where guests can grill txistorra (the local version of chorizo) over an open fire. It made a delicious appetiser, enjoyed with glasses of Navarrese rosé on the fairylight-strung patio. And I didn’t miss out on the sunset vistas entirely, as the gaps between the cubes provided stunning glimpses of the park as it glowed yellow then orange then pink in the changing light.
Dinner in the restaurant – a dark, almost cave-like space that contrasts with the otherworldly scenery beyond the windows – was another treat. Navarra is known for its fruit and vegetables and the hotel also has its own kitchen garden, so the menu is packed with freshly picked ingredients, as well as local meats and cheeses. I had chilled gazpacho followed by sirloin steak with grilled green peppers, and both were fantastic.
The next morning I woke early and crept outside to see the sunrise before anyone else was up and about. The golden light and the raucous birdsong emanating from the trees dotted around the patio made for a magical start to the day, and for a while I felt as if I had the entire place to myself.
Becky eventually joined me for breakfast (a fantastic spread of fruit, cheeses, scrambled eggs, pastries, preserves and tostada with tomatoes and olive oil), and then it was time for our rescheduled tour of Bardenas Reales. And it was well worth the wait!
The park encompasses three distinct zones. To the south is the Bardena Negra, which is made up of steep scrubland, and to the north is a vast plateau called El Plano. Between them lies the arid, lunar-like Bardena Blanca, whose chalk, sandstone and clay terrain is being continually shaped by the weather. All are heavily protected to preserve their fragile ecosystems, and visitors aren’t allowed to venture off the marked roads and trails (most of which are unpaved).
Our informative guide Iñaki took us to all three areas, regularly stopping to show us the best views, lesser-known corners and interesting flora and fauna. Over the course of the morning, beneath a vast sky, we saw cave-pocked canyons with vultures circling overhead, storks swooping up from salt marshes, and sandstone platforms jutting precariously over deep ravines. Perhaps most impressive were the wind-sculpted towers of rock, known locally as cabezos (‘heads’) and given evocative names such as Castildetierra (‘Castle of Earth’) and The Friar. Mid-way along, we broke our journey at an abandoned shepherd’s hut, where Iñaki set up a table and chairs for coffee and snacks.
So, to return to the big question, did the 24 hours in Bardenas Reales meet my expectations? Yes, most definitely. The park itself was incredible – an ethereal, constantly shifting landscape unlike anything I’ve seen before, and exploring on a private tour meant we got as much out of our short visit as possible. As for Aire de Bardenas, Becky declared it her favourite hotel of the entire trip, and I decided it was my joint-favourite along with Casa Grande. I’d love to go back someday for a longer stay, and take my husband to experience this beautiful part of Spain too. It’s a very special place indeed.
Book Hotel Aire de Bardenas here [AD – affiliate link]. Rates start at €240 per room per night, and private 4×4 tours cost around €90 per person. If you’re visiting the park without staying at the hotel, you can book a tour here [AD – affiliate link]. Alternatively, you can self-drive around the park, but make sure you stick to the signposted routes – and if you’re hiring a car then double-check you’re allowed to take it onto unpaved roads.
Please note this post contains affiliate links (clearly marked), which means I will receive a small commission on any resulting bookings. You won’t pay any more by clicking on these links than you would by visiting the websites directly, and it helps to support the free content I create here.
Image two courtesy of Hotel Aire de Bardenas; all other photography by Abi Dare
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