About Almeria

The province of Almeria is situated in the south east of the Spanish peninsula and borders with the provinces of Granada and Murcia.

The Costa de Almeria is tucked away between the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol. Almeria is steeped in Andalusian tradition, with the historic villages of Mojacar, Turre, Los Gallardos and Garrucha all within easy reach of Cabrera.

Almeria retains its Moorish Heritage and takes its name from a word meaning, 'mirror of the sea' was an important settlement a hundred years before the building of the 'Alhambra' in Granada and the capital of the Moorish Kingdom. The province, taking its name from the town, has escaped the mass tourism of the Costa Brava, Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol and has retained the old world charm and atmosphere of the traditional Spain.

This area has been colonised by all the great Mediterranean peoples from the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians and the Romans to the Moors who were in occupation for some 800 years, creating a wealth of culture and knowledge and leaving relics and ruins which are among the wonders of the world. Evidence has been found of one of the earliest settlements of primitive man and throughout the province can be found vestiges of the Stone, Bronze and Iron-ages. From a cave in the North of the Province comes the 'INDALO MAN' taken from a prehistoric cave painting. This sign has become synonymous with good luck and is used extensively in jewelry and souvenirs and is painted on doors or etched on walls of houses.

The highest number of sunshine hours in Europe is recorded annually in the Province of Almeria which with its pristine atmosphere and clear skies was a natural selection for the first experimental solar power station in Europe, a space tracking station and one of the main European astronomical observatories. This region offers a wealth of leisure activities for all tastes: swimming, sunbathing, sea fishing, scuba diving and windsurfing, superb mountain walks and archaeological exploration, golf, tennis, lawn bowling and horse riding. For boating enthusiast, there is a marina in Garrucha. Within a few hours drive are the famous ski-slopes of the Sierra Nevada, the Altitude of which allows a long season of winter sports and within easy reach are the famous historical landmarks such as the Alhambra at Granada and the Mosque at Cordoba.

Eating and drinking whiles away many pleasant hours with beautifully baked local bread, wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly caught fish, prawns, mussels and crayfish, lamb or kid nurtured on the aromatic herbs in the mountain. For most of the year meals are enjoyed on the terrace, patio or under the bougainvillea or grapevine covered pergolas. Vintage and excellent everyday wines, sherries and brandies can be enjoyed at amazingly low cost. A host of small restaurants serve from the traditional Paella and Sangria to superb French cooking and there are numerous local bars for drinks and Tapas all at a fraction of the UK prices.

Shopping is a pleasure with inexpensive farm produce, clothes, shoes, pots and pans, ceramics and handicrafts sold by the charming local country folk from stall in the open air markets. In the villages, small supermarkets carry most requirements and there are good bakers, butchers and fishmongers. Larger departmental stores are to be found in Almeria and Murcia.

The clear blue Mediterranean can be enjoyed with its miles of sandy beaches enhanced against the spectacular backdrop of mountains. There is a stark grandeur to the local scenery with its arid plain, dry riverbeds, hills and mountains, interspersed with fertile zones of olive and almond trees, orange and lemon groves. Inland, Almeria has an almost lunar landscape of desert, sandstone and dried up riverbeds and has long been a popular choice for filming American style spaghetti westerns; (The all time Peter O'Toole classic, Lawrence of Arabia was also shot here). You can visit Little Hollywood or Yucca City, just outside Tabernas, which was the set of A Fistful of Dollars and various other films and is open daily to visitors. In the hills and mountains shepherds roam with flocks of sheep and goats with their bells sounding against the stillness of this timeless rural countryside.

The coastline is largely unknown, due once to the lack of water and good roads. This situation is changing, however, and now a number of good beaches are accessible by bus and are worth considering, even right out of season. Some of the most popular coastal resorts include Roquetas de Mar, Aguadulce and Mojacar; the latter being the town with the largest number of foreign residents in the province. The coastal village of San Jose is one of our favourites. Almeria's thermal waters of Alhama de Almeria and Sierra Alhamilla also deserve a special mention. The natural temperature of these baths varies from 30 degrees to 46 degrees centigrade and their fame dates from Roman times.

There are many places of interest and a large number of activities to be enjoyed in Almeria. However, the beauty of it is that you can make it as active or as relaxing as you wish during your stay!

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