Almería & Cabo de Gata

A port city on Europe's driest coast: the Alcazaba overlooks the bay, Cabo de Gata's volcanic coast hides unspoiled coves, and the Tabernas Desert keeps its Western film sets.

Almería is a seaport and provincial capital in eastern Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean coast, in one of Europe's sunniest and driest regions, with over 300 sunny days a year. The city's landmark is the Alcazaba, a 10th-century Moorish fortress; the old town has a fortress-like cathedral, the Plaza Vieja and Civil War air-raid shelters, and the tradition of a free tapa with every drink is alive and well in its bars. From about 30 km east of the city stretches the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, Andalusia's first combined marine-terrestrial natural park and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where some 60 km of volcanic coastline, unspoiled coves and white fishing villages unfold; Playa de los Genoveses, Playa de Mónsul and Playa de los Muertos regularly feature among Spain's most beautiful beaches. North of the city, the Tabernas Desert, billed as Europe's only desert, was the backdrop for many spaghetti Westerns, and three Western film sets are still open to visitors. Climate: Mar–Jun and Sep–Nov are the most comfortable; in summer the coast reaches about 30°C while the inland desert often tops 40°C, and winters are mild and dry. Getting there: Almería has an airport and a train station, and buses from Granada take about 2–2.5 hours; public transport to the natural park and desert is sparse, so driving is strongly recommended, and in summer private cars are restricted at some beaches, which are served by shuttle buses. Plan on 3–4 days: one in the city, two in Cabo de Gata (based in San José) and half a day at the desert film sets.

Top sights

• Alcazaba of Almería – A Moorish fortress built in the 10th century by a caliph. Its walls wind along the ridge, overlooking Almería's old town and bay.
• Playa de Mónsul – The most photogenic volcanic bay on Cabo de Gata, with black lava, white dunes, and giant rocks. It was a filming location for Indiana Jone…
• Playa de los Genoveses – A wide, golden crescent beach beside San José, framed by dunes and pine forest with almost no buildings. It is Cabo de Gata's signature bea…
• Cabo de Gata Lighthouse & Arrecife de las Sirenas – A white lighthouse at the tip of Cabo de Gata. Below it, columns of volcanic rock form the Mermaid Reef, a signature feature of the natural…
• Tabernas Desert – Often called Europe's only desert. Its barren gullies have served as filming locations for many Westerns, including The Good, the Bad and t…
• Almería Cathedral – A 16th-century Gothic-Renaissance cathedral that also served as a fortress. Its battlemented towers were once used to defend against North…
• Civil War Shelters of Almería – A 4.5 km network of air-raid tunnels dug under the city centre during the Spanish Civil War. About 1 km of it can be seen on a guided tour.
• Plaza Vieja (Plaza de la Constitución) – The arcaded square at the heart of Almería's old town, home to the town hall and a white monument honoring the Red Shirts liberals.
• Cable Inglés – An iron ore loading pier built by a British mining company in 1904, its steel structure reaching out over the sea, a landmark of the port's…
• Museum of Almería – An archaeological museum showcasing the prehistoric Los Millares and El Argar cultures, with a modern exhibition design.
• Salinas de Cabo de Gata – A working saltern wetland by the sea, where flamingos gather in flocks to feed as seen from birdwatching hides, with the lonely Las Salinas…
• San José – The tourist hub of Cabo de Gata Natural Park, with low white houses around a marina and beaches, the best base for exploring the coast.
• La Isleta del Moro – A small fishing village reaching out into the sea, where white houses, fishing boats and a volcanic headland come together, and its seafood…
• Mirador de la Amatista – A cliff viewpoint beside the road between Rodalquilar and La Isleta del Moro, overlooking the purplish-brown volcanic coast and the deep bl…
• Rodalquilar Gold Mines – An abandoned gold mine inside a volcanic caldera, with layers of stepped ore-processing ruins that once made it one of Spain's major gold s…
• Castillo de San Felipe (Los Escullos) – An 18th-century coastal battery built to guard against pirates, standing on fossilized dune rock and overlooking the bay of Los Escullos.
• Cala de San Pedro – A secluded cove reachable only on foot or by boat, with a castle ruin, a freshwater spring and a hippie community, and a distinctly off-the…
• Playa de los Muertos – A pebble beach south of Carboneras with bright turquoise, crystal-clear water, reached by a steep path down from the roadside.
• Agua Amarga – A white village in the north of the natural park, with a gentle city beach and charming small restaurants, and a relaxed atmosphere.
• Níjar – A hilltop white village famed for handmade pottery and colorful rag rugs, overlooking the Campo de Níjar plain.
• Oasys MiniHollywood – A western town film set built for the Dollars trilogy, now a theme park with gunfight shows and a zoo.
• Fort Bravo (Texas Hollywood) – A working western film location with a cavalry fort, a Mexican village and a frontier town set, where stunt shows are performed.
• Cuevas de Sorbas – One of the world's rare gypsum karst cave systems, explored with a guide while wearing a helmet and headlamp, with glittering gypsum crysta…
• Mojácar – A white Moorish village perched on a hilltop, its tiered white houses overlooking the Mediterranean, and the birthplace of the Indalo good-…
• Los Millares – A Copper Age walled settlement dating back about 5,000 years, with multiple defensive walls, bastions and domed collective tombs, one of Eu…

Where to eat

• Casa Puga – An old-town bar in business since the 1870s, known as Almería's most representative tapas bar, where every drink comes…
• Tony García Espacio Gastronómico – A Michelin Guide recommended restaurant using Almería ingredients for traditional and modern fusion dishes, with a full…
• Blanca Brisa Cabo de Gata – A family-run seafood restaurant in the village of Cabo de Gata, opened in 1974, holding a Repsol Solete and known for l…
• El Quinto Toro – A long-running family bar beside the Central Market, with bullfighting décor and checked tablecloths, famous for poor m…
• Travieso – Chef Dani Muñoz's auteur restaurant, listed in the Michelin Guide every year since 2023, focusing on seasonal local ing…

Itineraries

• Almería Desert and Cabo de Gata – A four-day self-drive short route through Almería's Alcazaba, the Tabernas Desert and the volcanic coast of Cabo de Gat…
• Andalusia Grand Loop Road Trip – Starting from Málaga, loop through the eastern desert coast, three historic cities, the southwest coast and Ronda, cove…