Las Bardenas Reales

We’ll start in the north of Spain, where you can spark your imagination with visions of Khal Drogo. Make your way to Navarre to explore the Bardenas Reales. This semi-desert region in Spain has an almost lunar landscape, and it was used to film parts of the Dothraki sea, home to the horseback Khalasar warriors in Game of Thrones. Known as the Spanish badlands, this 100,000-acre Natural Park is made up primarily of clay, chalk, and sandstone. This is one of the few deserts in Europe, and it is definitely the most striking! You may not think of a desert as a place of fantasy, but this one is different. Thanks to centuries of erosion from both water and wind, the badlands boast surprising and impressive shapes, canyons, and plateaus. Get out of your car and explore these unique geological formations on foot — there are plenty of hiking and biking trails throughout the park. While you won’t find any dragons here, you may see a golden eagle (or a golden vulture, which just doesn’t sound as impressive). The Bardenas Reales is also home to a bombing range used by the Spanish Air Force. Again, no dragons overhead, but you may see a fighter jet zoom on by. Just squint your eyes and pretend.