Almería
Almeria is a province in Andalusia, Spain. It is largely unspoilt for the time being. The province has a lot to offer, with great beach resorts, national parks, desert and mountains as well as the city of Almeria itself.
Cities
The village "Las Negras" is a nice place to have lunch facing at the sea, but it is especially worth going to a nearby beach called "El Playazo", in which you will find a small swimming-pool within the cliffs of the beach.
Other destinations
Understand
With the highest number of hours sunshine and lowest rainfall in Europe, Almeria is often regarded as one of the most desirable destinations to live. Summer days are long, warm and plentiful and even in January you might still be wearing a t-shirt if the sun comes up bright enough. The area is known as one of high unemployment but with its hot climate, new wealth is arriving in the form of agriculture; fruit, vegetables and flowers. Due to the climate much of the landscape is dry and desert-like, but lunar landscapes and fabulous rock formations are abundant and this amazing terrain made Almeria home to some of the greatest spaghetti westerns ever made.
Get in
Get around
See
Los Millares, Europe's most important settlement from the Copper Age, near Almeria.
Do
For resort type beaches try Roquetas de Mar or Mojácar north towards Murcia which has lovely sandy beaches, Med sea and in season is full of laid back beach bars and clubs.
For the more unspoilt feel, try Cabo de Gata (Nijar) which is a national park containing a stretch of rocky/ covey coastline with small villages. Los Escullos is a beach with a large Moroccan marquee bar during the summer season, a nightclub, a hotel and a hostel. A great place to see the dawn in.
Mini Hollywood is inland from Almeria (Tabernas) - the studios where many Spaghetti Westerns were shot which put on cowboy shows and have a museum of Western films there.
Eat
In Almeria near to a town called TIjola, you will find a traditional, quiet and charming village named El Higueral. Here on the main road through you will find an inconspicuous bar/restaurant called Bar Azahara; and here they serve steak that will probably be better than any you have had in years. The food is delicious, reasonably priced and your meat is cooked in a fire that dominates the rustic décor. It really is worth a detour.