There are places that look like they were pulled straight out of a movie—impossible landscapes that stay imprinted in your mind from the very first glance. Some lie thousands of kilometers away, hidden in the deserts of Arizona or New Mexico. And others… surprisingly, are much closer than we think. Just five minutes from the city of Teruel, an unreal landscape emerges: the Rambla de Barrachina, known to many as the Red Canyon. A maze of reddish badlands, cracked clay, razor-sharp ridges and winding gullies that feel purpose-built for a modern western.

A Far West Just 5 Kilometres From Teruel (Spain)

The Rambla de Barrachina is one of those landscapes that tricks your brain: it’s hard to believe this natural set isn’t located somewhere in the USA. Its intense red color comes from the high concentration of iron oxides in the clay and shale that shape the terrain. Millions of years of water and wind erosion sculpted this arid, fractured and spectacular setting, typical of the Iberian Range badlands.

The result is a true Spanish Far West, used as a filming location due to its striking resemblance to the canyons of Arizona. As a fun fact, the latest Dior commercial was filmed here just a few months ago, featuring none other than Johnny Depp.

An Unscripted MTB Adventure

For this episode, I arrived with one clear mission: enter the canyon, get lost, and discover new lines. No GPS track, no marked route, no obvious path to follow.

“What draws me to this place is precisely how unpredictable it is.”. “Every storm changes everything: climbs disappear, descents collapse, new cracks appear… It’s a living landscape.”

The whole atmosphere feels like a spaghetti western: soft harmonicas, dry wind, deep silence… only broken by the sound of the bike biting into the loose earth.

Treacherous Terrain, Absolute Beauty

The Rambla doesn’t give you a break. The wheels sink, the bike slides, the climbs force you to push, laugh at yourself and keep going. But every pause comes with a reward: the horizon opens into a natural amphitheater of red, orange and ochre tones, with Teruel silhouetted in the distance.

“In places like this, you feel small. You realize this landscape was here long before us… and it will remain long after we’re gone.”

At the top of the canyon, I face one of the toughest lines of the episode: an improvised climb between two eroded ridges, a terrain that crumbles under the wheels and demands a blend of technique, strength and sheer stubbornness.

A Western-Style Descent

The main descent is a mix of flow, red dust and pure adrenaline. Natural turns, blind corners and visuals so cinematic they look unreal—though they’re not.

“The Rambla changes every time you visit.”. “It’s a place that never lets itself be conquered.”

Red dust glowing in the low sun, aerial shots expanding the scale of the terrain, and an edit that blends western atmosphere with modern exploration. Search & Ride once again builds its own visual narrative: adventure, technique, emotion and a deep connection with the landscape.

Search & Ride: More Than Just a Route

This second episode cements the identity of the series: it’s not just about riding. It’s about discovering territories, telling stories and highlighting the natural and cultural richness of these unique places.

“Search & Ride isn’t about following routes. It’s about finding places that feel unreal. About getting lost, making mistakes, listening to the silence. About feeling that there are still corners of the world that look like fiction.”

Episode 2 – Search & Ride: RED CANYON (Technical Sheet)

• Location: Rambla de Barrachina (Red Canyon), 5 km south of Teruel

• Geology: Badlands shaped by water and wind erosion; clay rich in iron oxides

• Altitude: 900–1,000 m

• Terrain: Arid, loose, technical and always changing

• Typical route: 10–12 km circular loop known as the “Red Canyon Trail”

• Fun fact: One of Aragón’s most cinematic landscapes, often used for filming thanks to its

• American-western aesthetics

About Search & Ride

Search & Ride is a documentary MTB and exploration series hosted by David Cachón, where each episode blends real adventure, extreme locations, geographical interaction and cinematic storytelling. The goal is clear: to discover Spain’s most remarkable trails, landscapes and outdoor experiences through the eyes of a rider who has spent a lifetime traveling the world on two wheels.