Almería travel guide
A Moorish Alcazaba, free tapas and the Cabo de Gata coves
A sunny provincial capital on Andalusia's dry south-east coast, with a hilltop Alcazaba, free tapas with drinks and the volcanic coves of Cabo de Gata nearby. Spring and autumn are best, as midsummer often tops 40 °C. Plan two or three days, with a car for the coast and the Tabernas desert. Costs are above average.
Almería sits on the Mediterranean in Spain's dry south-east, with the Sierra de Gádor at its back. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded it in 955, and its port grew rich on silk and oil; the name is usually traced to an Arabic phrase meaning mirror of the sea. Today it is a relaxed provincial capital with a huge Moorish fortress above the rooftops and some of the least developed coast in Andalusia close by.
The Alcazaba, a vast fortress spread over terraces on a rocky ridge, dominates the town. Most of its stucco is long gone. The restored gardens and fountains are shaded and calm, though, with views across the port, and in summer the evening session is the time to go. Below it, the cathedral looks more castle than church, rebuilt after the 1522 earthquake with towers and battlements to deter pirates.
Evenings revolve around tapas. In many bars a small free tapa still comes with each drink, and the cuatro calles just under the cathedral fill up late. For swimming, drive east into the Cabo de Gata-Níjar natural park, a volcanic shore of quiet coves. Inland, the Tabernas desert, where spaghetti westerns were shot, keeps film sets you can visit.
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A Moorish fortress, a fortified cathedral, free tapas, and wild coast and desert nearby.
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Best time to visit Almería
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Warm sun for the Alcazaba and Cabo de Gata walks, without the summer heat.
Long and hot, often above 40 °C in July and August; visit the Alcazaba in the evening and swim in the morning.
Very mild, around 18 °C by day, and a good escape from colder parts of Europe.
In summer the Alcazaba opens 09:00 to 15:00 and again 19:00 to 22:00; the evening session is cooler and the light over the port is better.
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Getting there
Surbus line 30 from LEI, Talgo from Chamartín
Almería Airport (LEI), east of the city, has Iberia domestic links plus year-round and seasonal flights from easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair, with more international routes in summer. City bus 30 runs to the centre and the Intermodal station, and car hire desks are in the terminal. Málaga Airport (AGP), 214 km west, has far more flights; take the bus into Málaga and an ALSA coach to Almería, 3 to 5 hours depending on stops. Trains are limited, as Almería sits at the end of a long branch line: a Talgo comes from Madrid Chamartín in almost 7 hours, and regional trains arrive via Granada. Ferries sail to Morocco and Algeria.
- Bus 30
- Airport to the city centre and the Intermodal station
- Málaga airport (AGP)
- Bus into Málaga, then ALSA to Almería, 3 to 5 hours
- Intermodal station
- Trains and coaches by El Cable, 10 to 15 minutes' walk from the centre
- From Málaga airport, plan on changing in Málaga city rather than counting on a direct coach.
Where to stay
Puerta de Purchena, El Zapillo or a Cabo de Gata village
Two questions decide where to sleep: do you want to walk to the Alcazaba and the tapas bars, and will you have a car? Without one, stay central, because buses are not frequent and the old streets are where the evenings happen. With a car and a beach in mind, the seafront districts east of the centre are newer and have easier parking. Some visitors skip the city altogether and base themselves in the national park, driving in for a day.
- Centre around Puerta de Purchena and Plaza Flores
- Alcazaba, cathedral and cuatro calles on foot; little parking
- Avenida del Mediterráneo
- Larger chain hotels east of the old centre, convenient by car but a bus or long walk to the sights
- El Zapillo
- Seafront district with the town beach and promenade; quieter evenings and a longer walk to the centre
- San José in Cabo de Gata
- Village base for the coves and walking trails; needs a car and is quiet out of season
- In July and August, check that a room has air conditioning; nights stay warm.
Getting around
Walk and Surbus
Almería is mostly flat, and the dry climate and shaded streets make walking the easiest way around the centre, the cathedral and the Paseo Marítimo. Surbus runs a comprehensive but not very frequent network of city buses, with routes and timetables on its website; bus L1 stops at the bottom of the steps up to the Alcazaba. For Cabo de Gata, the Tabernas desert and the film sets, a hire car is by far the most practical choice, and it is easiest to pick one up at the airport.
- Bus L1
- Stops below the Alcazaba steps
- Hire car
- The practical way to reach Cabo de Gata and Tabernas
- The Alcazaba climb is steep and unshaded in places, so carry water.
Know before you go
What makes Almería worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Alcazaba gardens in the evening summer session, when the heat lifts and the port lights come on.
- A caña with its free tapa in the cuatro calles bars below the cathedral.
- The John Lennon monument, a nod to his 1966 stay in Almería, when he wrote Strawberry Fields Forever.
Good to know
- Summer heat is serious: July and August often pass 40 °C, so sightsee early and late.
- Rail links are slow; Almería sits at the end of a long branch line, so a flight or the bus is usually better.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Almería, month by month
Almería averages 31°C in July and 17°C by day in January. December brings the most rain, only about 32 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Almería (Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia, via Wikipedia).
Alcazaba terraces, Cabo de Gata coves and the Tabernas film sets
Three days cover Almería. Spend the first in the city, with the Alcazaba early, the cathedral and an evening tapas round in the cuatro calles. Drive to the volcanic coves of Cabo de Gata on the second, and to the western film sets of the Tabernas desert on the third.
Spend the first morning in the Alcazaba, climbing its terraces before the heat builds, then walk down to the fortress-like cathedral and the old palaces around it. After a long lunch and a siesta, look for the John Lennon monument, then work through the tapas bars of the cuatro calles in the evening, where a free tapa usually arrives with each drink.
On day two, drive east into the Cabo de Gata-Níjar natural park for its volcanic coves and quiet beaches; take water and food, as services are thin along the wilder stretches. On day three, head inland to the Tabernas desert, where film studios keep the sets used for spaghetti westerns and later productions. Back in town, walk the Paseo Marítimo at sunset for a last drink facing the sea.
A free tapa with every caña in the cuatro calles
Order a drink and a free tapa arrives with it, a habit many Almería bars still keep, so an evening crawl can replace dinner. The densest cluster is the cuatro calles below the cathedral square; Calle Mayor has more unusual plates, including vegetarian ones.
The plate is sometimes chosen by the bar, sometimes from a list on the wall. Expect meat, fish and seafood, plus Spanish tortilla and other potato dishes. Locals go out for tapas before heading on to the late-night bars, so the crowd builds as the evening goes on.
Three areas to know. The cuatro calles, the four streets just below the cathedral square, hold the densest cluster of bars; move on after one drink in each. Calle Mayor, between the Rambla and the Paseo de Almería, has more unusual tapas than most, including vegetarian choices. The Paseo Marítimo, the seafront walk, is the place for breakfast, fresh juice or an evening beer with the sunset.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Almería.
General
Yes. City bus 30 links the airport, east of the city, with the centre and the Intermodal bus and train station.
A huge Moorish hilltop fortress over the city, with restored gardens, fountains and wide views. In summer it opens 09:00 to 15:00 and again 19:00 to 22:00.
Many of them: a small plate comes free with a caña or a glass of wine across most of the four streets below the cathedral, as it does in plenty of bars elsewhere in town.
Yes. Several studios where spaghetti westerns, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Game of Thrones scenes were shot have sets open to visitors.
Often above 40 °C. March to May and October to November are far more comfortable, and winter days still reach around 18 °C.
Almería is generally peaceful with little crime, though locals may advise avoiding a couple of neighbourhoods late at night. Keep to the centre and the seafront after dark.
Yes. The port runs passenger services to Morocco and Algeria.
Almería is mostly flat, and the dry climate and shaded streets make walking the easiest way around the centre, the cathedral and the Paseo Marítimo. Surbus runs a comprehensive but not very frequent network of city buses, with routes and timetables on its website; bus L1 stops at the bottom of the steps up to the Alcazaba. For Cabo de Gata, the Tabernas desert and the film sets, a hire car is by far the most practical choice, and it is easiest to pick one up at the airport.
Getting there
It works if flights to Almería are scarce. Málaga airport is 214 km away; take a bus into Málaga, then an ALSA coach, which takes 3 to 5 hours.
The natural park begins just east of the city, so a short drive brings you to its volcanic coves and quiet beaches. Carry water and food for the wilder stretches.
Almería Airport (LEI), east of the city, has Iberia domestic links plus year-round and seasonal flights from easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair, with more international routes in summer. City bus 30 runs to the centre and the Intermodal station, and car hire desks are in the terminal. Málaga Airport (AGP), 214 km west, has far more flights; take the bus into Málaga and an ALSA coach to Almería, 3 to 5 hours depending on stops.
Timing & weather
Almería sits at the end of a long branch line with no high-speed link, so a flight or the coach is often the better choice.
The best time to visit Almería is Mar to May, Oct to Nov. Warm and sunny without the 40-degree heat of July and August.
- Best overall: March - May, October - November (Warm sun for the Alcazaba and Cabo de Gata walks, without the summer heat)
- Summer: June - September (Long and hot, often above 40 °C in July and August; visit the Alcazaba in the evening and swim in the morning)
- Winter: December - February (Very mild, around 18 °C by day, and a good escape from colder parts of Europe)
Booking
Plan two or three days, with a car for the coast and the Tabernas desert.
Visa & documents
Spain follows Schengen entry rules. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
