Almería – indescribable beaches

Although Almería is probably best known in most other European countries as a destination for a wonderful beach holiday on one of the magnificent beaches on the Gulf of Almería, often called the “Costa de Almería”, a 217 km stretch of coastline in the south-east of Andalusia in the province of Almería, between the provinces of Granada and Murcia, there are also many historical sights in this Andalusian province.

The climate of Almería is subtropical, Mediterranean, hot and dry, with over 3000 hours of sunshine a year, and an average temperature of almost 20 degrees!

Almería’s picturesque desert landscapes have been the backdrop for numerous Hollywood films, mostly westerns, but also for world-famous film classics such as “Indiana Jones” or “Conan the Barbarian”.

Almería has a lot of important historical sights like the fortress of the Alcazaba, the city’s landmark, similar to the famous mosque of Córdoba converted into a church, the Al-Mutasin Palace, the historical baths and walls along with the Cerro de San Cristóbal.

And don’t forget the 10th-century quarter of La Medina, a labyrinth of narrow, colourful streets, with many buildings, monuments, squares, the Orange Tree Courtyard, and numerous tea shops and tapas bars worth seeing. In the south of Almería, you will find the beautiful Nicolás Salmerón Park, where benches and fountains invite you to linger and enjoy the sea breeze and the proximity of the port. From Calle la Reina to Avenida del Mar, from east to west, Almería’s layout has not been changed to this day.

A walk through one of the city’s other emblematic neighbourhoods is also a pure holiday experience, for example through the monastery quarter, east of Calle Reina, to Avenida de Federico García Lorca, or to the north of San Cristóbal hill. Discover numerous old mosques, churches, convents, squares and streets from the 11th century! And don’t forget the fishermen’s quarter of La Chanca, to the west of the medina, a 12th-century suburb that was still outside the city walls at the time. From the Avenida del Mar, this quarter stretches west to the city limits of Almería.

In the centre of Almería, also known as Almería Conventual, the route passes churches, some of which were built on the site of former mosques, such as those of San Juan, San Pedro, Santiago or the Virgen del Mar pilgrimage church. And when you visit Almería, you should not miss the Puerta Purchena, which is not a gateway as the name suggests, but a passageway to the historic quarter.