Whilst the city of Almeria isn’t the most interesting in Spain and the province of Almeria is far from the prettiest area in the country some 400,000 visitors arrived at the airport last year attracted by the guaranteed sunshine, charming coastal towns and unspoilt, semi-deserted beaches of the Costa de Almeria. In spite of the barren landscape resulting from the hot, dry climate of the region there’s a thriving tourist industry centred on the popular resorts of Mojacar and Roquetas de Mar together with the less well known destinations of Vera, Carboneras, Aguadulce and Almerimar.
Over the years the semi-arid, desert-like topography of inland Almeria has attracted film producers to the region. Classic spaghetti westerns such as ‘The Good, the Bad and The Ugly’ were filmed here and the town of Tabernas has developed a thriving tourism business known as ‘Mini Hollywood’ based on the remaining Wild West town film sets. More recently a BBC documentary entitled “The Hunt for Bin Laden” was filmed here because of the similarities with the terrain of Afghanistan.
Almeria Airport Transfers
Almeria airport lies just 8km outside the city of Almeria. The majority of arrivals are heading to their hotels at popular destinations along the coast including Mojacar (80km), Roquetas de Mar (40km), Aguadulce (20km), and Almerimar (18km). Those on package deals will often have transport included in their holiday price. Whilst this is the most convenient option it’s worth checking out how many stops you can expect on the way to your hotel as you might decide to rent a car or book a direct transfer rather than taking the tour company’s coach transfer.
Almeria Airport Bus
There is an airport bus which departs from outside the arrivals area. It runs every 40 minutes into the city centre from 7am to 10.30pm but since you are unlikely to be staying in Almeria city you will then have to get anther bus to your final destination. This service is less frequent at weekends. In addition, there are plenty local taxis outside the arrivals area though prices to some of the resorts are quite steep compared with arranging a pre-booked transfer before you travel.
Shuttlebus & Private Transfers
The best option if you’re not keen on driving is to pre-book tranport from Almeria airport with a shuttle company. The cheapest way to get to your destination is on the shared shuttlebus service. For additional comfort at a slightly higher price you can arrange a private transfer and have your driver waiting for you on arrival. Specialist transfer companies such as Shuttledirect will usually be able to cater for all group sizes and destinations are catered for.
Almeria Airport Car Hire
If you’re happy enough to drive in Spain and plan on doing some sightseeing in the area during your stay then your best bet is to rent a car at Almeria airport. Not only does this provide you with return airport transfers, it also gives you flexibility during your stay and is very handy for carting heavy water bottles and the rest of your shopping to your accommodation. Of course you can leave your car hire until you arrive as all the major brokers are represented in the arrivals area but you’ll almost always get better deals by booking online before you travel.
Costa de Almeria Attractions
Cabo de Gata
One of Almeria province’s main attractions is the National Park of Cabo de Gata. The varied terrain is of volcanic origin whilst its fine beaches and coves attract many visitors in the summer months. The rest of the year it’s very quiet. The main town of San José is a pleasant base from which to explore the region and has easy access to some excellent beaches most notably Playa de los Genoveses. A number of quaint fishing villages line the coast as you head north until you reach Agua Amarga which is well worth a stop.
Almeria City
The origins of the historic city of Almeria in south-eastern Spain can be traced back to Phoenician times yet few tourists take time out to visit the provincial capital. It’s worth a half day visit if you’re staying in the region even if it’s just to see its Moorish Alcazaba fortress which dates back to 955 and can be seen from the main coast road that skirts the city. The 16th century Cathedral is also impressive but there’s little else to detain you unless you fancy seeking out the huge Crystal Cave nearby that was recently discovered in an abandoned silver mine.
Holidays on the Costa de Almeria
The ‘Costa de Almeria’ is a name created for the tourist brochures referring to the 217km coastline of the province of Almeria. It includes two main resorts (Mojácar and Roquetas de Mar), a number of smaller resorts together with a few regional attractions that will appeal to visitors such as the film sets in the Tabernas Desert, the national park of Cabo de Gata and the Sabinar Entinas Nature Reserve.
Mojacar
Mojacar lies 90km north-east of the city of Almeria. It’s made up of the lovely, white-washed village of Mojacar Pueblo and the beach resort of Mojacar Playa 2km down the hill. The village has some nice bars and restaurants amidst its winding streets and is a great place to spend the early part of the evening with a gin and tonic admiring the incredible views out to sea. Most tourist accommodation lies closer to the beach where there’s a busy resort in its own right. It has a great beach and an impressive selection of Spanish and international restaurants.
Vera Playa
Just north of Mojacar is Vera Playa which also has a nice beach of which 2km is reserved for nude bathing. The resort is fairly unique in that some of it is dedicated to naturism including a number of apartments where you can wander around naked! Nearby there’s a good waterpark (Parque Acuático Vera) but you’ll need to keep your kit on 😉
Carboneras
Heading south for 28km along the coast road from Mojacar you’ll come to Carboneras which is a great base from which to access almost 20km of sandy beaches running along this coastal strip. Approaching the Cabo de Gata national park, a favourite spot of my own is the pretty fishing village of Agua Amarga which has a great beach and some lovely places to stop for lunch.
Aguadulce
Just west of Almeria along the impressive coast road is the tourist development of Aguadulce which has one of the region’s most popular beaches thanks largely to its proximity to the city. The resort boasts an impressive marina which is central to its nightlife and attracts mainly Spanish visitors.
Roquetas de Mar
Just 8km further on is Roquetas de Mar which is the main resort of the area. It’s a fairly relaxed resort which is especially popular with Spanish visitors but still attracts plenty package tourists from northern Europe. Main attractions include a great beach, plenty choice of bars and restaurants and a good range of accommodation options.
Almerimar
To the south-west is Almerimar which is a purpose built resort with a sizeable marina, plenty access to watersports and proximity to a popular golf course. Its beach runs into the Sabinar Entinas Nature Reserve which is a 15km stretch of protected coastline between Almerimar and Roquetas.