Fort Bravo
1960s western set, now Fort Bravo / Texas Hollywood · Tabernas Desert, Almería, Spain
Photo: Luis Rogelio HM / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0), as published on Street Art Utopia (The Movie Ended, the Set Stayed (10 Photos), 31 October 2026).
Fort Bravo began in the 1960s as the western village of Juan García, then owner of film sets in the Tabernas Desert, during Europe’s spaghetti-western boom. In 1981 stuntman Rafael Molina and Paco Ardura bought the set, and it now hosts both film shoots and visitors watching western shows. Source Source Source Checked
Seen Sep 2026 — The newest dated evidence is a report: La Voz de Almería’s 29 September 2026 obituary of owner Rafael Molina describes the set as an existing site, where photos “pueden verse hoy en el saloon del Fort Bravo” (can be seen today in the Fort Bravo saloon). The newest dated photograph we checked dates from 9 January 2010. Source Source Reported
💡 4 things to know
- Juan García’s western villageThe set began as the village of Juan García, who then owned film sets in the Tabernas Desert. The provincial tourism site says García built it in 1966. Source Source Checked
- Which film came first?Fort Bravo’s own history says the first film shot there was The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), followed by De hombre a hombre in 1967. The provincial tourism site names De hombre a hombre (1967) as the first film shot there. We lean to the operator’s account, which lists both films in sequence rather than naming only one. Source Source Conflicting
- A stuntman bought itIn 1981 film stuntman Rafael Molina and Paco Ardura bought the village. La Voz de Almería puts the price at six million pesetas. Source Source Checked
- Gunfights on Main StreetThe first stunt shows for visitors were staged in 1984. Under the name Texas Hollywood in the early 1990s, the site added a military fort and an Indian camp. Source Source Checked
📍 Where it is
Paraje del Unihay s/n, 04200 Tabernas, Almería, in the Tabernas Desert. The provincial tourism listing gives the location code 2HXH+JC. Fort Bravo says it opens daily from 9:00 to 19:00 with paid entry. Private vehicles are not allowed inside the protected desert area itself. Source Source Source Checked
🗓️ Sightings
- 1966
Part of Leone’s film shot here
- 1981
Bought by Rafael Molina, Paco Ardura
- 1984
First western show for visitors
- 20109 Jan
Western street photographed
- 202629 Sep
Owner Rafael Molina dies, aged 74
Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.
🗞️ In the sources
“Éste sirvió como decorado de diversas películas del género en los años sesenta y setenta.”
It served as the set for various films of the genre in the sixties and seventies.
“El poblado del Oeste cuenta con parte Americana y Mejicana, un fuerte militar (Fort Bravo) y una zona con tepees de los nativos indios americanos.”
The western village has an American and a Mexican part, a military fort (Fort Bravo) and an area with Native American tipis.
“En 1981 adquirió por seis millones de pesetas junto a Paco Ardura”
In 1981 he bought it for six million pesetas together with Paco Ardura
✅ The facts
- Built
- Mid-1960s, per La Voz de Almería; begun before the 1966 shoot, per Fort Bravo; 1966, per the provincial tourism site Source Source Source Checked
- First film
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), per Fort Bravo; De hombre a hombre (1967), per the provincial tourism site. We lean to Fort Bravo’s account. Source Source Conflicting
- Sold
- 1981, to stuntman Rafael Molina and Paco Ardura; La Voz de Almería gives the price as six million pesetas Source Source Source Checked
🔗 Related
- The Movie Ended, the Set Stayed (10 Photos) — Street Art Utopia
- Wikipedia: Texas Hollywood (gives different purchase details)
- All Artwork Files
All sources & image credits
- fortbravo.org: Historia de Fort Bravo, the operator’s official history (updated March 2026)
- lavozdealmeria.com: obituary of Rafael Molina by Evaristo Martínez (La Voz de Almería, 29 September 2026)
- turismoalmeria.com: Fort Bravo – Texas Hollywood listing (Turismo Costa de Almería, provincial tourism site)
- almeriawesternfilmfestival.es: cinema and tourism guide (Almería Western Film Festival, 2026)
- andaluciainformacion.es: profile of Rafael Molina (Andalucía Información / agencies, 23 January 2014)
- commons.wikimedia.org: photo of the western street by Luis Rogelio HM, taken 9 January 2010 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
- Image: Luis Rogelio HM / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Bravo_-_Cinema_Studios_(Tabernas)_-_017_(30064545553).jpg; as published on Street Art Utopia (The Movie Ended, the Set Stayed (10 Photos), 31 October 2026); a 16:9 share version was made from it.
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Last checked: 31 October 2026. How we verify art