If you’re planning a trip to Almería in Spain’s Andalucía then for sure you’ll be wanting to explore the wonderful beaches as well as the rest of the province. Some of my most favourite beaches are in Almería and in this article I’ll share my tips for finding them in this quiet and massively underrated part of Spain. 

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What’s so special about Almería’s beaches?

Well the incredible beaches of the Costa de Almeria are all beautiful but they’re extremely varied so there is no one answer to this. 

Almería boasts over 200 km of coastline, 70 km of which his located within the magnificent Cabo de Gata natural park, meaning these beaches have protected status. These beaches are particularly clean, peaceful, and the marine life can be very impressive close to shore. And of course, they are flanked by volcanic cliffs and the water is a gorgeous blue and generally fairly calm. That’s petty special.

🤿 If you enjoy snorkelling you are going to love Almería’s beaches

🛶 If you love water sports, you are going to love Almería’s beaches

😎 If you want to relax on the beach all day you are going to love Almería’s beaches

🥾 If you’re a hiker looking for adventure, you are going to love Almería’s beaches

👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 If you are looking for a family fun beach vacation, you’re going to love Almería’s beaches

❌ If you’re looking for a beach covered in penguins, Almería probably isn’t for you 😉

Best time of year to visit the Almería beaches?

🌡 Expect near constant warm weather and bright sunshine all year round in Almería.

🔆 With an average annual temperature of 19.8 °C (67.6 °F), the summer season pretty much goes on forever. Even the winter months aren’t really cold, although they are wetter than the summer months (average rainfall in December is 27mm, which is still barely anything)

Average temperatures: August – 31°C & December 17 °C

The best time to visit the Almería beaches if you want to sunbathe and play in the sea is between June – September. The rest of the year the beaches will still be beautiful and great for long walks. Outside of June – Sept there will still be the possibility of sunbathing if you are from northern climes!

Accessible beaches in Almería 

There are 36 beaches that have been adapted to help people with disabilities enjoy a day on the beach with their families in Almería province.

⭐️ In Almerimar, San Miguel and nearby beaches have the possibility of requesting amphibious chairs from the local government.

⭐️ Roquetas de Mar has six accessible beaches, Aguadulce, La Bajadilla, Las Salinas, Playa Serena, the beach in the Roquetas residential area and La Romanilla. 

⭐️ In Almería city, Playa de Zapillo has an accessible bathing section on the beach.

For a full rundown of accessible beaches in Almería, check with tourist information.

Do I have to wear a swimsuit? 😉

👙 Ooooh, good question. It’s perfectly normal for people to go topless on any beach in Spain. In fact, it’s not against the law to be naked on the beach at all.

🫣 Almería has many gorgeous hidden coves that are popular with the nudists and the Cabo de Gata nature park has more nudist beaches than any other part of Almería.

🧜🏽‍♀️ Nudist beaches within Cabo de Gata include: Cala Media Luna, Barronal, Cala Chica, Cala del Plomo and more.

🧜🏽‍♀️ Around Mojácar, Playa el Sombrerico and Playa Granatilla are both accepting of nudity.

🧜🏽‍♀️ Vera Playa, further north from Mojácar, even has a naturist resort.

Getting around Almería

​🚗 Renting a car will give you the most freedom to explore Almería’s beaches. It will also allow you to pack your beach umbrella, cool box, beach chairs, towels and allllll the food & drink you need for your adventures.

→ Check rental car options

🚌 It is possible to explore some of the Almería beaches using just public transport (buses) but of course you’ll be on someone else’s schedule and won’t be in a position to carry much with you.

→ Use Omio or Busbud to check bus schedules

👣 Tours are another option to explore the beaches in Almería.

→ Use Viator and GetYourGuide to see what plan and book your adventures

Let’s now, take a look at the most popular beaches in Almería so you can figure out which beaches you might like like to add to your ‘must visit’ list of beaches in Almeria. 

🏝 Cabo de Gata-Níjar beaches

The Cabo de Gata natural park has 70 km of coastline where the natural beauty will knock your socks off (which is useful on a beach). Here, volcanic rock formations fall steeply to the beautiful blue waters of Mediterranean Sea. You’ll find beaches with golden sand dunes, beaches with gorgeous white sand, rocky beaches, gentle pebble beaches, really just the most beautiful beaches you can imagine. 

🤿 If you are interested in snorkelling or scuba diving, it’s worth knowing that this natural park is home to some of the very best seabeds in all of Europe. I took my kids on a snorkelling tour here. We barely left the shore line and the sheer variety of marine life we saw in the sea grass meadows was just breathtaking.

Virgin beaches

When we talk about virgin beaches we are referring to beaches that are ‘unspoiled’ by tourism. Virgin beaches are not entirely free of people, remember, it just means no services.

🚫 You won’t find facilities here. There are no cafes, no toilets and no wasteful feet cleaning showers.

(and no, I won’t be making bad jokes about virgins, virginity is a ridiculous social construct designed to control women)

Playa de los Muertos

Los Muertos is truly one of the best beaches I’ve ever seen in Europe. It’s a bit of a trek down to the beach from the car park (and yes, it’s pretty popular in summer so you won’t be alone here) but it’s definitely worth it to swim in, or admire, the crystal-clear waters. The beach is made of small, warm pebbles and on either side, the beach is flanked by cliffs. In fact, there’s a great look-out-point from one that I recommend checking out if you have time and enjoy walking.

⭐️ Book a 4hr sailing tour from Carboneras to Playa de los Muertos and the Cabo de Gata caves with a stop to swim and snorkel at Cala de San Pedro.

​Playa de los Genoveses

This gorgeous beach is right next door to San José, just a short drive or walk away so if you want a virgin beach that’s within easy reach of a village and its resources, this is a great one.

People recommend hiking around this beach’s clifftops and don’t forget to visit the amazing fossilised dune. The beach has lovely, soft sand and the water is shallow and generally calm.

Cala de los Amarillos – a sneaky hidden cove that you access via Playa de los Genoveses. Be warned you may well find naked people here.

Playazo de Rodalquilar

A tranquil beach with easy parking, gorgeous sand and no facilities, this is a beach for those who really love to be alone. There is a fossilised dune to explore here too.

There are, of course, many other beaches worth exploring.

Fishing village beaches

San José

The small town of San José  is home to one of my favourite of all the Almería beaches.  It’s really one long beach that changes its name for various sections. I absolutely adore Playa de la Calilla. Here you’ll find lifeguard services, and showers and, I think bathrooms although my memory on this one is hazy.

The town has some good restaurants – I recommend booking in advance if you’re visiting in high season.

Las Negras

​The fishing village of Las Negras has become very popular with visitors in recent years and while it definitely is charming, its beach is not my favourite of all beaches because it’s rockier than other beaches in the area. I enjoyed watching sunset sitting on the beach with an ice cream (probs would have enjoyed a cocktail more tbh 🍹 > 🍦 ). In this area I also recommend the small Cala del Cuervo (drivable) or Cala de San Pedro (an hour’s walk from Las Negras).

Cabo de Gata

There is a long, long stretch of beach between Retamar to Cabo de Gata village to the Faro de Cabo de Gata / Mirador del Arrecife de las Sirenas. The beaches change names but really, it’s one long seemingly endless beach of fine sand, turquoise waters and gentle lapping waves. There is the occasional chinguito (beachside cafe/bar) but this beach feels pretty wild and empty.

These beaches are accessed by driving along the small main road between the coast and the Salinas de Cabo de Gata. Pull in along the side of the beach wherever you feel like and unload your beach equipment. Just don’t forget to visit the Mirador del Arrecife de las Sirenas as it’s really something special.

🏝 Playa de la Salinas, Playa Cabo de Gata, Playa de la Fabriquilla are 3 of the beaches to check out here and it’s worth knowing that this is a great sunset spot.

⭐️ Book a kayak tour around the Arraceife de las Sirenas

Urban beaches

And, of course, if you’re more interested in visiting towns on the coast, there are a few options in Almería for this too. Staying in a city like Almería is a great call if you are hoping to do more than simply sit on the beach as there are fabulous restaurants and plenty of cultural options here too.

City of Almeria

The gorgeous small city of Almería has 3 beaches: San Miguel beach, Playa la Zapillo, Playa Ciudad Luminosa. These beaches are excellent if you’re staying in Almería (it’s a great place to visit). They have all the facilities you’d expect of a city beach: bathrooms, showers, shops, restaurants, ice cream stalls and parking. There are playgrounds along here, which is great if you’re visiting Almería with kids.

Roquetas de Mar & Aguadulce

These 2 small towns just south-west of Alméria are also popular with people who want to stay in a town but also want some beach access.

🏝The main tourist beach in Roquetas de Mar is officially called Beach of Urbanización Roquetas de Mar but is generally known as the Urba. Along this stretch of beach you’ll find the majority of the city’s hotels and apartments. It becomes Playa Serena in front of some of the more modern hotels. (Playa los Cerillos here is a nudist beach).

The main beach in Aguadulce is Playa de Aguadulce, a nice long, clean beach with lifeguards, playgrounds and beachside restaurants.

Carboneras

This is a thriving area of Almería. Once a small fishing village, Carboneras has grown into a popular resort area where you’ll find great food, and gorgeous views as well as fabulous beaches.

🔆 Be warned that this place can get more crowded than other areas in Almería in the summer months.

In the town you’ll find Playa de Carboneras, Playa de los Cocones and Playa del Lancón. These three sandy beaches are all easily accessed from town, all have lifeguard stations, beach umbrellas and beach bars. From Cocones it’s possible to rent kayaks.

🌅 Book a sunset sailing tour from Carboneras

That’s a wrap on my beaches of Almería, I do hope you’ve found it a useful article and of course, wherever you wind up in Almería, I hope you have a fabulous time!

Where’s next in Andalucía?