Almeria Area Guide

 

Located on the southeast coast of Spain in a beautiful bay, Almeria was once a thriving Moorish capital said to rival Granada in splendor. It has a 10th-century Moorish castle (the Alcazaba), which is probably the best remaining example of Moorish military building.

Brimming with beautiful nature reserves and parks, dotted with whitewashed Moorish villages like Mojacar, the sun always seems to shine on this stunning corner of Spain and according to reports, the highest number of sunshine hours in Europe is annually recorded in Almeria, some 2,965 of them and an average yearly temperature of 22ºC

 

The Almeria area has many beaches, castles, and quaint villages. For beach lovers, warm weather comes even earlier here than in the rest of mainland Spain, so Almeria should be considered for early or late season beach trips. In summer, it can become blazing hot.

 

The capital of the region, the city of Almeria, is watched over by the Alcazaba, a large Islamic fort, which gives you spectacular views of the coastline and surrounding countryside.

 

The city has a bustling port, cathedral and a cave quarter, the Barrio de la Chanca, famous for its coloured cubic and cave houses which are still home to the descendants of the gypsies and fishermen who long ago built these memorable dwellings. The Barrio is also the place to go for an evening out, with excellent tapas bars and flamenco shows, where you can experience the real flavour of Almeria

While in the Almeria province, also consider visiting the Tabernas Desert, which was used for a number of the spaghetti western movies as well as the film ¨Lawrence of Arabia. Some of the old film sets still remain.