The easiest way to see the Bardenas Reales is by car, on the perimeter track of the Bardena Blanca: about 25 km of dirt road around the firing range which, with stops, takes about two hours. You don't need a 4x4, but you do need to know where to go in, where to stop and which days it's closed. We'll take you through it stop by stop, just as we explain it to our guests.
Before you set off: what to check
- The day's notices. The official website publishes closures for military exercises, rain, hunts, rallies or cycling events under notices and recommendations. Check them the day before and on the morning itself.
- Park opening hours. It's open from 8:00 until one hour before dusk. In winter, that means leaving before 16:30.
- The car. The tracks are gravel and dirt, fine for ordinary cars, but Navarre's tourism website advises against sports cars and very low cars. After rain, the clay turns into very sticky mud: if it has rained heavily, go another day.
- What's inside. Nothing: no water fountains, no shade, no bars, no petrol stations. Bring water, a cap and plenty of fuel in the tank.
Stop 1: Los Aguilares Information Centre
From Arguedas, take the NA-134 towards Tudela and, 1 km out of the village, turn left onto a narrow tarmac road. About 6 km along is the Information Centre, on the Los Aguilares estate. There they'll give you maps and tell you what the tracks are like and whether anything is closed that day.
It usually opens from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 17:00 in autumn and winter, and until 18:00 in spring and summer; at Easter, it stays open over lunchtime. Check this year's opening times on the official website.
Stop 2: Castildetierra
A kilometre after the Centre, at the Alto de Aguilares, you can follow the tarmac to the gate of the military base or take the track that goes straight to Castildetierra. The two routes meet at the butte, about 10.5 km from the Arguedas road. It's the most photographed clay chimney in the park and has a car park right next to it. The best light is first thing or at sunset.
Stop 3: Barranco de las Cortinas
From the same Castildetierra car park starts the Barranco de las Cortinas, a 1 km walk with hardly any climb along the bottom of a narrow gully. It's the star walk with kids. The official guide advises against it after rain and asks you to come back alongside the gully, keeping some distance from the edge.
A little further on is the Cabezo de las Cortinillas, a viewpoint with a long concrete staircase, left over from an old military observatory. Its path was closed in 2021 because of the risk of rockfalls: ask at the Centre whether you can go up.
Stop 4: around the firing range
From Castildetierra, the perimeter track goes around the firing range, a military zone that you're not allowed to enter on foot or by vehicle. You can drive it in either direction.
Exercise days. On some days, with scheduled air exercises, the Guardia Civil controls the passage of vehicles and people on the southern section of the perimeter track, between the entrance to the base and the Carcastillo junction. Dates and times are announced in the notices and are sometimes cancelled at the last minute. If it coincides with your visit, do the rest of the circuit or the Bardena Negra.
Stop 5: towards El Paso, between Pisquerra and El Rallón
At a signposted junction, the “Carcastillo” direction leaves the perimeter track and climbs towards the Blanca Alta. On one side are Pisquerra, El Rallón and La Ralla, some of the most spectacular formations; on the other, the peaks of La Estroza and Cornialto.
These sites are in a special protection area for birds. From late January until September it's forbidden to approach them by any means, so as not to disturb the griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures and eagle owls that breed on the cliffs. In 2026 they reopened on 16 September, on foot only and along authorised paths. You can see them well from the track: don't leave it.
The track ends at El Paso, the northern gateway to the Bardenas, with the monument to the Bardenas shepherd. This is where the transhumant flocks of the Cañada Real de los Roncaleses (the ancient drove road) come in from 18 September. Following the signs for Carcastillo you come out on the NA-128. The full circuit from Arguedas to Carcastillo is about 44 km.
Go in via Arguedas or via Fustiñana?
- Via Arguedas (Bardena Blanca): the access for a first visit, for Castildetierra and the perimeter track. From the house, the Information Centre is about 35 minutes away and Castildetierra about 45.
- Via Fustiñana (Bardena Negra): leaving the village towards Tauste (NA-126), an authorised gravel track turns off on the left and climbs to Portimayor, on the edge of the Bardenas, about 10 minutes from the house, then drops down to the Tudela to Ejea road (NA-125). It's a different landscape: limestone plateaus, pine woods and far fewer people. In dry weather it's fine in an ordinary car, but after several days of rain, and especially in winter, it can be muddy: if it has rained, better leave it for another day.
- Plana de la Negra and Sancho Abarca: from km 17.3 of the NA-125, a signposted route of about 38 km there and back leads to the Sancho Abarca sanctuary, already in Aragon. The climb up to the Plana de Alfarillo has an uneven surface: take it slowly, especially in low cars.
- El Fraile: at km 22 of the NA-126, just before Aragon, a 4.3 km track leads to the Bea corral. From there starts the walk to the Cabezo del Fraile (4.6 km there and back, 200 m of climb).
More ideas for the Bardena Negra and walks with kids in our Bardenas Reales guide and on the Fustiñana page.
Track rules
- 40 km/h maximum, only on the tracks signposted for vehicles and never in groups of five cars or more.
- Park only where signposted, without blocking the way for tractors, flocks or cyclists.
- No camping, fires or drones. Dogs on a lead.
With kids
Several short stops work better than one long hike: Information Centre, photo at Castildetierra, Barranco de las Cortinas and back. In summer, go in at 8:00 and get back before the heat; pick your season with our guide on when to visit the Bardenas Reales.
FAQ
Can you drive the perimeter track in an ordinary car?
Yes. The authorised tracks are gravel and suitable for cars without 4x4, although some stretches are uneven. Sports cars and very low cars are not recommended, and after heavy rain it's best not to go in.
How long does the Bardenas Reales driving route take?
The Bardena Blanca track is about 25 km and takes around two hours with stops. If you carry on to El Paso and Carcastillo, or add the Bardena Negra, allow half a day or more.
Can you go to Pisquerra and El Rallón?
You can see them from the track that runs from the perimeter track to El Paso. Getting close to them is forbidden from late January until September, while birds of prey are breeding; the rest of the year, on foot only and along authorised paths, never by bike or car.
On which days is the track by the firing range closed?
There's no fixed calendar: closures are announced in the notices on the official website, with dates and times, and are sometimes cancelled. The control affects the southern section of the perimeter track; the other access routes stay open.
Fancy driving the track at your own pace and coming back to relax in the garden? Ask us for a price for your dates.