THE CENTRE OF ALMERÍA

It is the driest part of the province, here you can find among other things , the Tabernas desert, considered as the only  European desert. In spite of being a sub-desert climate, Tabernas  just as the Karst and the sierra of Alhamilla (colder than the previous two) possess a fauna and flora unique in the continent.
The principal examples of the Tabernas fauna are the adapted fowl (gangas, ortegas) and the reptiles ( the Mora tortoise, serpents).

THE TABERNAS DESERT

It is the only European desert, occupies some 12000 acres and maintains one of the best sub –desert habitats in Europe. In Tabernas you can find, between varied habitats: the ravines, the salt waters, and the salines .
In addition to having scenic wealth alone, it is also a very rich zone of geological interest, and its geo-morphological value is impressive (the so called bad-lands).
The vegetation is not in any event void, the so called tomillares, consist of esparto compositions, box, thyme, cat tail, black hawthorn or brush, emphasizing also the  Heliantemo Almeriense, typical of this region.

Tabernas Desert

SIERRA ALHAMILLA

Sierra Alhamilla is the most humid area of the centre of Almería, among its flora  you can find pasture and scrub, oaks and pine groves, with a variety of each that make an Oasis between the desert and the mountains.
Among its fauna we can emphasize the fowl, originating so much from the Cabo de Gata area as well as the Tabernas area ,among the birds of prey we find the royal owl, sparrow-hawk, partridge and snake eagle, and a variety of hawks and falcons. Also of interest are a notable amount of smaller and medium size birds in the area.
There is a variety of reptiles such as the bastard snake which can reach 2 meters in length, and several mammals can be found such as foxes, ferrets, boars, wild cats, weasels and martens.  

SORBAS “KARST EN YESOS”

The Karst are natural plaster formations that occur in the subsoil, and  due to that, the softness of the plaster and to the rainfalls, while they are filtered by the soil layers, make spectacular shapes.
Of the “KARST EN YESOS” in Sorbas  there are some 700  known caves ,of those very few are explored, the caves are normally wide and have an impressive geological value, the large walls with  karstic formations  and the plaster stalactites are one of the better examples of what an apparently barren and desert like landscape can hide.