The Royal Bardenas Natural Park is a desert in north Spain. It's hard to believe it's only 70 kilometers from the vast forested Pyrenees. The charm of northern Spain is its rich natural scenery. Within a 2-hour drive, you can cross from the coast to the desert and then to the mountains.
It takes about 75 minutes by car from Zaragoza to the natural park, the nearest village to the scenic spot is Arguedas. Since it is a desert area, the recommended travel time is between mid of April to mid-June, and the entire park is free.
The main scenic spot of Bardenas is a 35KMS circular route from the visitor center to the landmark Castildetierra. It is best to go there by car. Highly recommended to enjoy the sunset there, which makes you feel like you are on another planet. If you have enough time, “Peña del Fraile” hiking trail is a good choice, from the parking lot to the top of Fraile and back is about 5.5KMS, elevation gain 236M, the whole journey takes about 2 hours.