What to do in the City of Almeria.
We spent 3 days in Almería. Why visit Almería? And what to see and do in Almeria? I cover that in this post.
Why visit Almeria in the first place?
This region is the driest in Europe and has some impressive landscapes. Coming in on the train (we took the train from Granada) we passed rugged, dry cliffs with sharp ridges. From the city of Guadix to Almeria you’ll see sparse brush, dry river beds, and tunnels/caves in the cliffsides (some inhabited by people, others used by commercial enterprises). It is a fascinating landscape and Almeria province has the only desert in Europe; the Desierto Tabernas is located about 30 km northwest of the capital and is famous as a shooting destination for many Hollywood cowboy movies including the Sergio Leone westerns starring Clint Eastwood.
The city of Almeria’s most recognizable highlight is the Alcazaba of Almeria, the 2nd largest Moorish fortress in Spain after the Alhambra in Granada. It was the Moors that founded the city (in 955 AD) and it grew into a busy port trading slaves, silk, copper, wool and linen. The fortress was built under the orders of Abd al-Rahman III (the Umayyad Emir of Córdoba from 912 to 929, self-proclaimed ruler of the Islamic World. See my post on Medina Azahara for more). Its purpose was to protect Almeria’s huge fleet and, unlike the Alhambra (which was both a fortress and a palace), Almeria’s Alcazaba was only used for military purposes.
Almeria was only taken by the Catholic monarchs in 1489, 3 years before the fall of Granada (the last stranglehold of the Muslim empire on the Iberian peninsula).
The end of Islamic rule led to economic stagnation in Almeria which was only revived in the 18th century when iron was discovered in the area. English, French and German companies came to mine the iron: the most visible legacy of that being the Cable Inglés, a loading dock (and popular tourist highlight) at the port. It was in use from 1904 to 1970 to move ore onto ships.
What to Do in Almeria
The Alcazaba
As I say above, the 2nd largest Moorish fortress in Spain. An easy walk up from the old town. Don’t expect the Alhambra…the Alcazaba of Almeria is a bit of a shell within those walls. But you can’t help but be impressed by the massiveness of the walls and the spectacular views of the city, the port, and the views towards Cerro de San Cristóbal and the mountains in the background. The most impressive thing for me is the water pouring through water trenches throughout the grounds, watering the gardens of the fortress…the water originating still today from cisterns built by the Moors. An incredible piece of engineering.
The bottom half of the Alcazaba is Moorish built…the top half was built by the Catholics after the Reconquesta and you’ll see towers and fortifications which are in better shape (the Alcazaba had a lot of damage during the 1522 earthquake). If you enjoy climbing towers and enjoying views you’ll enjoy this part of the Alcazaba.
Note: we were there in February 2025 and there was a lot of construction in the Alcazaba and because of this (I assume) entrance was free. Most of the grounds were open to tourists but there were a lot of mini construction sites…
Cerro de San Cristóbal
A separate Hill from the Alcazaba, Cerro de San Cristóbal has more great views. Just a few months ago (again, another project) the city completed a set of stairs that take you through gardens and lookouts up to a huge mirador…from where you can continue to a giant monument “Sagrado Corazón de Jesús” at the top. Again, the views here are stupendous and I hiked up here a couple of times (along with a lot of people who came up to see the sunset and look across at the lit-up Alcazaba).
Note: prior to the steps put in place, I read a lot of reviews from people going to the monument complaining of having to hike along the road and of a seedy and unsafe neighbourhood. With the steps in place, it doesn’t feel anything like that now; it is modern, clean and brightly lit.
Mediterráneos de La Hoya Garden
Between the two hills (one with the Alcazaba, the other Cerro de San Cristóbal) is a recessed area that the city has recently turned into an attractive garden space. There’s not a lot to it but you get a different view of the two hills and monuments on either side of you.
I’ve covered the highlights above the city, now the highlights in the city center.
Cathedral of Almeria
An impressive but simple cathedral with a beautiful exterior façade (built 1524 – 1562). What’s unique; it’s a cathedral within a fortress structure. It was built to repel attacks from pirates. After you buy your ticket (side entrance at the gift shop), you go up a series of stairs which takes you to a large courtyard. From there you enter a side door into the Cathedral.
Note; I’m always on the hunt for free times for Cathedrals. The Catedral Primada in Toledo and the Mezquita in Cordoba for example have free times early in the morning. But I couldn’t find any free times for the Cathedral of Almeria (unless you’re a resident of Almeria, in which can you can get a free visit. Otherwise you’ll pay 7 Euros)
Monasterio de las Puras
Just a block up from the Cathedral is this 500 year old monastery. A nice cloister and pretty church. Is it worth visiting? Well, when you buy your ticket for the Cathedral (7 Euros) they tell you that you can get the Cathedral and Monastery for 10 Euros. That’s what we did. Was it worth it? We didn’t think so. You might feel differently if you like religious art.
Centro Andaluz de la Fotografía
Entry is free and we found this very interesting. Founded by the government of Andalusia, they promote photography by both Spanish and international photographers. When we were there, the two floors were dedicated to photos by American artist Lous Stetttner: it featured photographs of New York city and Paris in the years after World War II. Very interesting.
Paseo de Almeria
The main commercial drag featuring some of the city’s most beautiful buildings. It’ll take you from the heart of the Old Town down to the Rambla de Almeria. Highlights along the way include the Teatro Cervantes (built in the late 1800’s – early 1900’s), the Almeria “Walk of Fame” (right next to the theatre – it highlights actors featured in movies shot in Almeria) and – one we enjoyed – La Dulce Alianza (a historic café is that’s very popular for cake and coffee).
Mercado de Almeria
Right off Paseo de Almeria is the city’s market. An attractive building with 2 floors of stalls including fish stalls in the basement where you’ll see all kinds of marine creatures. A good place to pick up fresh vegetables.
The Rambla de Almería
A long north-south promenade in the heart of the city with sculptures, fountains and greenery. Walking down will take you to the port and the Cable Inglés.
Cable Inglés
As mentioned above, this loading dock was built by the English to load ore onto ships between 1904 – 1970. Now it’s a popular tourist attraction, allowing you to walk from the main road skirting the port all the way to a pier looking over the water. Note: Almeria’s port is not attractive…this is the one attraction to see here and it’ll give you a good perspective and views over the city.
Old Train station
The city’s old train station was built in the late 1800’s by a French architect. It is known as one of the most beautiful train stations in Spain. Inside are beautiful murals (which unfortunately Renfe has covered up somewhat with a modern ticketing booth)
Note: if taking the train to Almeria (as we did), the train will stop about 20 minutes outside the city center and you will be shuttled into the city center by bus (that’s due to some renovations on the line). Note also that the bus station is right behind the train station. You’ll hear references to “Estacion Intermodal” in Almeria – it references this area where train/bus connections originate. Very convenient.
A couple of things we didn’t see:
– Shelters of the Spanish Civil War Museum (es. Los Refugios de la Guerra Civil). There you can tour the underground system of concrete air-raid shelters used during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Tickets have to be bought in advance (here) and you are taken by guided tour.
– the Museum of Almeria (formerly known as the Archaeological Museum). Website. It’s free.
The above were the main highlights for us in Almeria. I’ve done a rough map below which covers it all (click to enlarge)
Practical Information
How to get to Almeria: As mentioned above, we took the train from Granada which took us just outside Almeria’s city center…from there Renfe put us on a bus which dropped us off in front of the old train station. Total time 2 ½ hours.
You can also take the bus to Almeria. Alsa has 8 buses per day doing the Granada – Almeria route (takes 2 hours). Malaga – Almeria also has 8 buses/day and takes between 2 ½ – 3 hours.
Where to stay in Almeria? If looking for a nice apartment stay, I recommend Ho Paseo de Almeria 9. For a Hotel stay, try out Murallas de Jayrán Hotel Boutique.
How much time does Almeria warrant? I’d say 2 days is ideal but if rushed you can see all the highlights in 1 full day.
Related: What’s it like living in Almeria?
Really enjoying the tapas scene. The two tapas places we have visited have been our favorites in Spain.(so far). Visited the Alcazaba today, which has had a lot of restoration done, since I last visited 22 years ago. The central market is right in the center, very modern and clean. The city is compact enough to walk everywhere.
Great about the tapas Jan, that’s one thing we didn’t do. Feel free to share the names of where you want if you have them, always useful for other readers.
Two of the tapas bars we particularly enjoyed were, El Quinto Toro, with a dark wood interior, and tables in the back, where you can order raciones, or stand at the bar and get tapas. It’s offerings are somewhat more sophisticated than some of the other spots. One item I particularly liked was a seafood/ rice mix. The other place was called Bar Bonillo, a bare bones place with standing room only, serving simple but delicious tapas. Watching the crowd was as enjoyable as drinking the cold cañas and snacking on the tapas. Very old school type of place, the man behind the counter was serving drinks, taking orders while writing the order in what appeared to be a giant ledger, and dishing out the tapas to the throng, after they were passed through a window from the kitchen. Will definitely return to Almeria on our next trip to Spain.
Fantastic! Thank you Jan, really appreciate it.
As a local i can add that the Alcazaba is always free , but yes there are renovations ongoing. You dont memtion the huge Paseo Maritimo..its 7km long with great beaches. Hotel Catedral is a nice place to stay. There are loads of decent restuarents too. The intermodal station is being rebuilt to accomodate the high speed train link from Murcia opening next year. The paseo is also currently being remade to be pedestrian only with a parque running through it like the Federico Lorca route but without traffic at all.
Oh and you missed off the new Spanish Museo de Realismo, its big and interesting if you are into art and its near the fotografia gallery.
Thank you for the tips Dave! Very helpful.
we arrived in Almeria today. The timing of your article was fortuitous. We will be visiting some of the attractions tomorrow, then up the coast towards Valencia.
Great! Let me know what you think Jan 🙂