12 Top Things to do in Almería
The city of Almería is on the southern side of Andalusia. This beautiful holiday destination is considered to be the sunniest city in Spain. Join us to discover the things to do in Almería.
Although, its population is only around 200,000, there are a lot more people in the city during the tourism season. Due to the beauty of Andalusia, and the beautiful architecture within the city, it’s an ideal holiday destination.
How to get to Almería?
Almería Airport
The easiest way to get into the city is its own airport. If you live in one of the cities that have a direct seasonal flight to Almería, then you can come directly.
On the other hand, it’s not a very big airport. As such, the airlines flying here are limited. Most of the seasonal flights come from Britain.
Malaga Airport
For many people, the most viable option is Malaga Airport. Airlines have more direct connections to Malaga, so it’s not hard to grab a cheap flight. From Malaga, you can take a bus ride to arrive at your destination. It takes around 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete this bus ride.
It’s quite far, so you might consider renting a car instead. As Almería is located within Andalusia, a car will come in handy regardless, to explore the area.
Top Things to do in Almería
Whether you want to stay within city limits or venture out to explore, let’s check out all the fun things to do in Almería.
1. Alcazaba de Almería
One of the most impressive sights in Almería. The Alcazaba is an epic fort overlooking the city from above. This attraction cannot be missing from anyone’s itinerary.
The fortress was built in the 10th century. Since then the rulers and conquerors have kept adding new expansions until 1522. Unfortunately, in 1522 a major earthquake has destroyed most of the Alcazaba and Almería itself.
Make sure to explore the structure inside and out to discover all of its beauty. You will see the beautiful garden inside, then marvel at the city views from the top.
2. Visit the Almería Cathedral
You can find the Cathedral of Almería inside the city’s historic center. It surely is an impressive sight to look at. The cathedral’s look has been influenced by both Renaissance and Gothic architectural styles.
If you look close enough, you can notice, that the Cathedral of Almería is a little bit more robust than your usual place of worship. It’s due to a unique design choice when constructing the building.
It’s no accident, that the Almería Cathedral was built this way. Due to the location of the city, it was always in the crosshair of pirates and conquerors. As an additional function of the cathedral, it has provided shelter to the people during attacks.
You can visit the cathedral free of charge, or grab an audio tour for an affordable price.
3. The Museum of Almería
Are you a history buff? If yes, then you can’t miss the city’s museum from your things to do in Almería list. When you approach the Museum of Almería, the first thing that will stand out is the architecture. The building is beautiful and unique. Even if you don’t plan on going inside, it’s worth checking out from the outside.
The museum is filled with relics and archeological finds from the area. Due to the important content, it’s one of the most important museums you can find around Almería.
4. Visit the Air Raid Shelters
Almería has always had it hard. As we have already discussed, they built their cathedral stronger to withstand attacks. Pirates however are not around anymore in these parts of the world.
Regardless, Almería had to think about defending its population once again during the Spanish Civil War. These hard times have put a strain on the city. People lived under constant bombing and had to find a way to stay safe. The air raid shelters in Almería were created to serve this purpose.
You can visit the remains of a dark past in Almería. It’s both a very interesting and somewhat disturbing experience.
5. Climb Up to Castelo de San Cristóbal
If you feel that one fortress simply doesn’t cut it for a vacation, then you can visit Castelo de San Cristóbal. Located atop a hill, overlooking the city. Sounds familiar right? In many ways, San Cristóbal is a very similar attraction to Alcabaza.
On the other hand, this fortress is in worse condition. However, the views are better, so it’s worth the hike. There is also no gate or fenced area. This attraction is completely free to visit
6. Go to the Beach
The city of Almería is very well known for its beaches. There are multiple stretches of sandy beach in and around the town. For the easiest option, you can look at the city beach itself. It’s big and spacious to accommodate the swarm of tourists that come each year.
On the other hand, if you are looking for the most famous beach you must check out Playa Cabo de Gata. You have to get out of the city towards the east to arrive at Cabo de Gata. It’s a huge beach that goes on for a very long time. You will have no difficulty in finding a secluded spot.
As you can tell, Almería is not short of beach options. The city is a very popular holiday destination, but due to the multiple beaches available, there will always be a place for you.
7. Shop at the Central Market
Going to a real and bustling market in the Mediterranean regions is always a fun experience. As a things to do in Almería, you can visit the Central Market.
It’s a closed-off building that has all the vendors inside. Walk around the market and shop for fresh produce or handicraft items. Don’t be afraid to haggle when discussing the price.
The Central Market is also the place to try street food. When you stroll around, you will see the various vendors selling amazing-looking food. Pick out your favorite and try it out.
8. Explore La Rambla
Did you think Barcelona is the only city with a street called Las Ramblas? Almería has a La Rambla as well, and it’s in the center of tourism. You can walk around the streets, explore side alleys, and find charming cafés.
This is also the main shopping center of the city. You will find most of the major fashion brands here. So, if you love shopping La Rambla is the place to be in Almería.
9. Marvel at the Bull Ring
If we are honest, we don’t support the act of bullfighting. Regardless, it doesn’t matter how you or we feel about bullfighting, it’s undeniable that it’s part of Spain’s cultural heritage.
For this reason, we can recommend visiting the local bull ring of the city. You can check out this historical building and enjoy it from the outside.
If you are interested to see actual bullfighting action, then you can check the schedule and grab some tickets. Even today, this is an active bullring, with events held.
10. Take Pictures at Cable Ingles
When you visit the pier of Almería, you will definitely notice Cable Ingles. It’s a very old loading dock. The loading dock was originally used to load iron onto ships.
Today it serves as a Cultural Heritage Site. The Cable Ingles is an important landmark in the history and economy of the region.
11. Visit a real desert
The region around Almería has the only real desert in Europe. It’s called the Tabernas Desert and you can find it towards the north from Almería.
The whole area is a Protected Nature Reserve. It proves as a perfect spot for hiking and walking in nature. Although it’s a desert, you will be able to observe signs of life in this seemingly dead landscape.
We like to recommend this attraction to anyone who likes hiking and being close to nature. For extra fun, you can even go on a guided horse tour of the area.
12. Mini Hollywood
Did you know that many western movies were filmed around the city? That’s right! Due to the natural desert in the area, it proved to be a good filming location.
If you love western movies you need to put Mini Hollywood on your things to do in the Almería list. Due to all the filming, a fake city was built in the area. It portrayed the frontier towns in movies like A Fist Full of Dollars or The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Once the production of the movies wrapped up, the enthusiastic staff has purchased the set from the company. They didn’t tear it down but made an attraction out of it. Thanks to them, you can visit this fake filming city and be immersed in the western atmosphere.
13. Get Some Free Tapas
Did you know, that in Almería you get some snacks to accompany your drink? Almost all of the restaurants and bars have tapas on the menu. Whenever you order wine or some beer, you will be treated to some amazing tasting tapas.
Whether you get to choose or they give you a surprise is up to the place. Sometimes there is a separate menu to choose your tapas from. Other times, the restaurant will bring you something fitting for your choice of drinks.
14. Casa del Cine de Almería
The Casa del Cine is another attraction that shows the connection to movies in the city. It’s a museum dedicated to cinematography.
The building itself is famous for housing Hollywood guests. Among the stars that have been here, we have Clint Eastwood or John Lennon.
The admission price is a very reasonable €3. For this, you can check out a historical building and learn about the movies that were filmed in Almería.
A city well worth the visit
Almeria is a historic city, with a lot to offer. You can easily spend a week-long holiday here. The beach will always be available during the summer, but the city and surrounding area are not short on things to do.
The location has very favorable weather even during winter. You can think about Almeria as a city break to warm up a little and do sightseeing.
