Almeria

Introduction

San Jose - Almeria

© DiegoJesus

Almeria is a city in the southeast of Spain. Founded in 955 it was founded as Al Mariyya (meaning the mirror), it served as one of the main harbours of the caliph of Cordoba. Today it serves as a popular beach resort, but it is also the gateway to the Tabernas desert and the Cabo de Gata National Park.

Sights and Activities

Alcazaba of Almeria

The Alcazaba is the second largest of the Muslim fortresses in Andalusia, after the Alhambra in Granada. It was built on top of a 70-metre-high hill and is divided into three fortified sections. The third enclosure is at the very top of the hill, housing the palace which once was thought to rival the Alhambra. After the reconquista it was enlarged to its present size. The original mosque was consecrated to the Archangel St. Michael by the catholic monarchs. The Alcazaba is closed on mondays.

Tabernas Desert

The Tabernas Desert is located in the southeast of Spain, in the province of Almeria. The Tabernas Desert is situated between the Sierra de los Filabres to the north and the Sierra de Alhamilla to the south and southeast. It is a protected wilderness area with fantastic desert landscapes and as a desert is receives around 150-200 mm a year. It is isolated from the humid winds of the Mediterranean Sea. On top of that, evaporation is much higher than that, especially during the long and hot summers when months without a single drop of rain and 12 hours of sunshine a day occur. This is when temperatures can exceed 45 °C in the shade (if you can find any!). Because of its splended desert wilderness, it was the location of many Spaghetti Westerns and an Indiana Jones movie as well.

The Natural Park of Cabo de Gata Níjar

The Natural Park of Cabo de Gata Níjar, located in the province of Almeria, is a volcanic landscape and brags about have the best and most unspoilt beaches of this Mediterranean coastline. The interior of the park is scattered with wild plants and cactuses.

Events and Festivals

'La feria de Almeria' is during the last two weeks of August that last 7-10 days. These include 'La feria del mediodia' during the heat of the day and from six in the evening until early in the moring there is a temporary theme park along 'Avenida del Mediterraneo' which has rides and attractions for everyone.

Weather

The weather in and around Almeria is arid. Even during the wettest months, on average there are no more than 3 days with precipitation. With an average of around 180mm of precipitation. It is no surprise that Almeria features the driest climate in Europe. Almeria is also the sunniest place in Europe with an average of around 3,200 hours of sun annually. Almeria is the second warmest place in Europe, after nearby Seville. The average maximum temperature in winter lies around 17 °C and in the summer maximum temperatures are around 35 °C. Daytime temperatures even on coastal areas can exceed 40 °C in the shade during July and August. Inland, being a hot desert, temperatures can still be a few degrees higher. Almeria's minimum temperatures at dawn vary between 9 °C in the winter and 24 °C in the summer.

Getting There

By Plane

Almeria has an internation airport (IATA: LEI, ICAO: LEAM) which is located 9 km east of the city. From the airport bus line 20 goes to the city centre.

By Train

For more information and timetables, check the website of Renfe.

By Car

You can reach Almería by the A-7 Mediterranean Highway, which connects the Mediterranean area (from the border of France) and Spanish A-92 that unites it with the rest of Andalusia.

By Bus

a nationwide bus terminal is at the train station.

By Boat

By boat there are connections to and from Melilla, Algeria and Morocco.

Eat

There are numerous tapas bars located around the town, offering a choice of meat, fish and seafood as well as some typical tortillas and potato dishes. Tapas bars are typically visited by the locals before the night fiesta.

Drink

Most of the bars are located in the area known by the locals as cuatro calles (the four streets) in the very centre of the city and just under the Cathedral plaza. Depending on the day, a litre of beer could cost down to 2 euros in some bars.

Sleep

Upscale

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet is widely available within Spain. Most airports have wifi-zones and in most towns there are internet cafés or shops where you can use internet for a fixed price. Wi-Fi points in bars and cafeterias are available after ordering, and most hotels offer Wi-Fi connection in common areas for their guests.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The international access code for Spain is +34. The emergency number for police, ambulance and the fire brigade is 112.

In cities you can find plenty of public phones, and 'locutorios'. The latter are small shops where you can use the phone and use internet. Most of them also sell prepaid cards for mobile telephones. These shops are used a lot by foreigners to call to their mother country.

The main mobile network operators in Spain are Yoigo, Vodafone, Movistar and Orange, as in most of Europe voice and data coverage is generally good in urban areas however it can be patchy in rural locations. Cheap mobile phones (less than €50) with some pre-paid minutes are sold at FNAC or any phone operator's shop (Vodafone, Movistar, Orange). Topping-up is then done by buying scratch cards from the small stores, supermarkets, vending points (often found in tobacco shops) or kiosks.

Post

If you want to post a card, you can head to the post office (Correos). The Spanish post is not yet as efficient as colleagues in other countries so receiving a card can take a bit longer than the number of days that it should take. On the website of Correos, you can find the locations of nearby post offices.
Post offices are generally open from 8:30am to 2:00pm, although times will vary according to the size of the city/town and the main post offices might be open until the early evening. Most will also open again on Saturday mornings, but in the smaller towns will close as early as 12 noon. When posting a letter, look for a yellow box and, if possible, post at the post office itself where there will also be divisions for local, national and international mail. Be prepared for long queues at the post office. This is why tobacco shops sell stamps and many will also have the facility to weigh packages. Standard letters/postcards of up to 20 grams sent within Spain are €0.34. However, non-standard letters/postcards of up to 20g are €0.39. Letters/postcards of 20 to 50 grams are €0.45. In the case of international shipping, the price is €0.64 to most countries within Europe for standard envelopes (letters/postcards) up to 20g, for a few European countries and outside Europe it is €0.78. If you want to send a package you are probably better off with a private courier company like TNT, DHL or UPS, as they offer quick and reliable services against competitive prices.

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