Things to do in Almería
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Almería
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months: warm sea, everything open, manageable beaches and good hiking weather.
Beach season at full pressure, mid 30s heat in the city, Feria in late August and Cabo de Gata access queues.
Quiet bargain winter: sunny 16 to 20 degree days and empty sights, but a cold sea and a sleepy San José.
Spring builds back up, with Semana Santa processions the peak event in March or April.
What's on
- Semana Santa Holy Week, March or April
Serious traditional processions, far less touristed than Seville's Holy Week.
- Noche de San Juan 23 June
Bonfires and midnight swimming on Playa del Zapillo and the city beaches to open summer.
- Feria de Almería late August, about a week
Fiestas in honour of the Virgen del Mar: day fair in the centre, night fair, flamenco and concerts.
- Festival Internacional de Cine de Almería November
FICAL, the film festival built on the province's cinema heritage, with screenings across the city.
Best things to do in Almería
Conjunto Monumental de la Alcazaba
One of the largest Moorish fortresses in Spain, with the best views over the city, the port and the sea.
Museo Refugio de la Guerra Civil
A guided walk through the Civil War air raid shelters under the Paseo, with an operating theatre and store rooms.
Catedral de la Encarnación de Almería
A cathedral built like a fortress against pirate raids, with thick walls and battlements above a Gothic interior.
Museo de Almería
The best material from Los Millares and El Argar, two defining prehistoric cultures, in a modern museum.
Cable Inglés
A vast iron ore loading pier restored as a walkway, and the best free sunset stroll in the centre.
Mercado Central de Almería
The city market for red prawns and greenhouse produce, where stalls will cook what you buy at a market bar.
Barrio La Almedina
The Moorish medina quarter of whitewashed lanes below the Alcazaba, best walked on the way up to the fortress.
Cerro de San Cristóbal
The hilltop viewpoint for the classic postcard angle back across the Alcazaba walls and the old town.
Where to stay in Almería
Centro Histórico / Paseo de Almería
first trip, food trip, no car
Everything in the city is a walk: the Alcazaba, the Refugios, the market and the tapas grid around Puerta Purchena.
El Zapillo / Paseo Marítimo
summer beach base
The city's own beach and promenade with a residential Spanish feel, a walk or short bus from the centre.
Retamar-El Toyo
resort, golf and family stays with a car
Low rise resort hotels and Alborán Golf, 15 minutes east with an easy drive into Cabo de Gata.
San José, Cabo de Gata
Cabo de Gata focused trips
The park's main village, with the marina, the kayak operators and the beach road to Genoveses and Mónsul.
Think twice about
- La Chanca-Pescadería
A deprived fishing quarter below the Alcazaba with no real hotels and steep, poorly lit lanes at night. Visit by day, do not base there.
- El Puche
A far peripheral estate with no sights, no hotels and poor late night transport. There is no visitor reason to stay there.
Best restaurants in Almería
Tony García Espacio Gastronómico
The city's serious tasting menu, built on Almería product like red prawn, bluefin tuna and local lamb.
Travieso
A small chef led restaurant listed by the critics, cooking produce first Mediterranean Spanish food.
La Gruta
Dinner in a cave like grotto known for grilled meats, the city's old school special occasion address.
Jovellanos 16
Inventive modern tapas like fried cheese and grilled octopus, with the best service reputation on its street.
La Mala
A big buzzing tapas bar near the cathedral, famous for its croquetas and built for groups and mixed tastes.
Restaurante Albar
A proper sit down Mediterranean restaurant showcasing local fish and greenhouse vegetables at mid prices.
Marhaba
Proper Moroccan tagines, couscous and pastilla, part of the city's real food culture across from Morocco.
Casa Puga
The city's defining tavern since 1870, pouring Alpujarras wine and serving the classic tapas canon.
Outdoor things to do in Almería
Playa de los Genoveses
A wide, unbuilt sandy bay with shallow calm water, the gentlest great beach in Cabo de Gata for families.
Playa de Mónsul
A volcanic bay with a huge dune and a lava rock in clear water, famous from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Playa de los Muertos
A long pale pebble beach with exceptionally clear water, reached by a steep 15 minute path with no services.
Arrecife de las Sirenas
Volcanic reefs in glass clear water below the lighthouse, for the viewpoint, photos and a calm day snorkel.
Cabo de Gata Activo
Guided sea kayak routes under the lighthouse cliffs, past caves only visible from the water, with a snorkel stop.
Cala de San Pedro
A spring fed cove with a ruined castle and no road, reached by an hour of coastal path from Las Negras.
Oasys MiniHollywood
The original Leone western town in the Tabernas desert, with daily shows, film museums and a zoo reserve.
Fort Bravo Texas Hollywood
A still working film set with a western town, a Mexican village, stunt shows and a scruffier authentic feel.
Best hotels in Almería
AIRE Hotel & Ancient Baths
The city's best hotel, with a rooftop pool facing the Alcazaba and the Ancient Baths circuit in the basement.
Barceló Cabo de Gata
A large modern beachfront resort at Retamar with big pools and a spa, at the edge of Cabo de Gata.
Hotel Catedral Almería
A well run hotel on the cathedral square with large bright rooms and the whole old town at the door.
NH Ciudad de Almería
A reliable modern hotel near the station with basement parking, a gym and a short walk to the Paseo.
Hotel MC San José
A small well kept hotel in the middle of San José, a short walk from the marina and the beach road.
Hotel Costasol
A simple well kept budget hotel on the Paseo itself, walkable to everything in the centre.
Hotel Sevilla
A small family hotel by Puerta Purchena, ten minutes from the Alcazaba, with 24 hour reception.
Is Almería expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €110 a person |
| Splurge | €240 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Museo Refugio de la Guerra Civil: a few days ahead
- Tapas, Drinks and the Culture of Almería: a few days ahead
- AIRE Ancient Baths: a few days ahead
- Cabo de Gata Activo: a few days ahead
- Cuevas de Sorbas: a few days ahead
- Alborán Golf: a few days ahead
- Desert Springs Golf Club: a few days ahead
- AIRE Hotel & Ancient Baths: weeks ahead
- Book the Refugios de la Guerra Civil days ahead, as groups are small and tours are in Spanish only.
- Book AIRE Ancient Baths sessions days ahead, and weeks ahead for weekends.
- Reserve Travieso and Tony García ahead at weekends, and San José hotels weeks ahead in July and August.
Is Almería safe?
- Carry water on every Cabo de Gata hike, as paths are exposed with no water sources.
- Watch for strong currents at Mónsul and Los Muertos on windy days, and leave Mónsul before the sunset mosquitoes.
- Tabernas regularly reaches 40 degrees in August, so visit film sets early or late. Emergency number 112.
Almería travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Reseller markups on Tabernas film set tickets: buy official or at the gate instead.
- The Alcazaba at midday in summer has no shade on the upper levels, so go early.
- The famous Cabo de Gata beaches have no bars, showers or shade, so bring shade, water and food.
- Do not day trip Almería from Granada or Málaga, as the driving alone takes over four hours return.
Getting around Almería: public transport and more
- Walk the centre: the Alcazaba, market and tapas grid are all within 15 minutes.
- Rent a car for Cabo de Gata, Tabernas and Sorbas, because buses are infrequent and beaches sit at the end of dirt roads.
- In summer, reach Genoveses and Mónsul before 11am or take the shuttle bus from San José, as car access is capped.
- Almería is about 2 hours by car from Granada and 2 hours 15 from Málaga, and trains are slow with no high speed line yet.
Who Almería suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Almería your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store