Almería, Andalucia’s most easterly province is a great place for a family vacation but it does take some planning to ensure you make the most of your time in this gorgeous area of southern Spain. In this article we’ll take a look at some of the very best things to do in the province of Almería with kids. 

I spent a few weeks exploring Almería with my kids recently and I can tell you that we all had an absolutely magnificent time and the kids are asking (repeatedly) to go back.

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🏨 We stayed in an apartment in Almería city and then at WeCamp Cabo de Gata, a glamping site on the coast.

Getting around Almería

✈️ The Almeria airport is a 15 minute car ride from Almería city (35 minutes by bus – route 30)

→ Check flights now

🚂 The Almería train station is currently (late 2024) closed. Check with individual rail providers but trains are currently arriving in Huercal de Almería, a small area to the north of the city

→ Check train timetables & prices on Trainline

🚌 The Almería bus station is located on the Plaza de la Estación. ALSA long distance buses serve the city

→ Check bus timetables & prices on Busbud or Omio

🚗 The roads across Andalucía are in a good state of repair and it’s easy to drive around the region

→ Check car rental prices and options in Spain

Once you’ve arrived in the city of Almería, realistically you will either need to rent a car, rely on bus timetables or take tours to get you around the province. We drove ourselves everywhere but also booked a couple of tours (recommended highly below). The roads are good and there’s really very little traffic as this is not a super busy part of Andalucía. Some of the mountain roads are narrow but never once did I feel unsafe. 

🅿️ As in any other Spanish city, be sure to plan where you’re going to park before you arrive in a town. The old towns are not really made for cars. 

Almería City with kids

Almería City is a lovely small city that is easy to find your way around. It’s particularly cool that it’s a coastal city so when you stay here you have access to decent Mediterranean beaches without even leaving town. If you’re tired or don’t feel like having a big day out, just head to the beach with the kids, you’ll all have a great day.

What can we see/do in Almería city?

👣 If your kids are big enough, you could take a free walking tour of the city centre to get yourselves acquainted with the place. If they’re not, don’t worry, it’s small enough to figure it out as you go.

🚂 There’s also a small tourist train that rides around the city. It stops at the Alcazaba, Plaza Emilio Pérez, the Cathedral and Plaza Ayuntamiento.

El Cable Inglés and el Parque de las Almadrabillas

Between the docks and the beach is this fun area that anyone with kids will surely enjoy. The Cable Inglés is an interesting structure to walk along as it gives excellent views over the harbour, the docks and the park. From the end over the water you can also see the Moroccan coast.

The park (grassless) is a nice place to stroll around and to let the kids run freely. If you keep walking along towards the beach you’ll come to another park that has a playground and an exercise space where my kids spent ages playing.

Alcazaba de Almería

This is a massive 10th century Moorish fortress that has been somewhat restored. My kids enjoy a good old castle so found this fun as there are turrets to climb and spaces to explore.

👶🏽 I’m not sure I’d want to take a pushchair here as even the entrance is pretty steep and there are plenty of stairs once you are inside.

Mesón Gitano – Yacimiento Arqueológico Barrio Andalusí

This small museum is located just beyond the entrance to the Alcazaba (a few hundred metres) and was an absolute surprise win for us. Not only does it have fabulous AC (which, if you’re visiting in summer you’ll be grateful for) but it also has a very cool exhibition.

If you go upstairs you’ll find yourself standing over a ruined Andalusí street. With your mobile phone you can overlay images of what it would have looked like in its heyday. The kids really enjoyed this and not just because they got their sticky little hands on our mobiles!

Refugios de la Guerra Civil Española

Take a tour of the best surviving city-wide civil war air raid shelters in Spain and learn why they were built and what went on in them (get the kids to ask where people went to the toilet – I dare you 💩). My kids really enjoyed this walk through the tunnels.

→ Book tickets now (necessary to buy in advance)

Museo de Almería

Admittedly not my kids’ favourite experience but this is actually an extremely good archaeological museum that my kids would have enjoyed more on different day (you know how it is, luck of the draw).

→ If your family is into museums, I go into more museum detail in my Almería City article

Spend time at the beach

The Almería beach is a true urban beach. It has a malecon (boardwalk) running the length of it where you’ll find restaurants, ice-cream bars, small shops and more. There are also bathrooms and showers on the beach.

The 3 city beaches are Playa de San Miguel, Playa del Zapillo & Playa Ciudad Luminosa. There is play equipment on the beach every now and again (for example, at the entrance to Playa de San Miguel) and there are sand artists making large sculptures all the way along the beaches.

🏖 Opposite the Plaza de las Madres is a beach access point for people with disabilities.

⭐️ Read my full article about exploring Almería’s beaches now

Playgrounds

Parque de las Familias is a large park with a bunch of different playgrounds. It’s pretty good for little kids up to about 12 years old.

La Rambla – the long street that runs through the city has a couple of nice playgrounds on it as well as some fountains the kids can play in when it’s hot.

Beach playgrounds are, of course, also a thing in Almería.

Around Almería with kids

We’ve talked about the city of Almería but what else is there to do with kids in the province of Almería? In this section we’ll check out the rest of the province, and discuss how to visit, whether it’s a day trip from Almería city or if it’s better to stay somewhere else.

Tabernas Desert

🗺 we visited the desert as a day trip from Almería. It’s about 30km north of the city so is perfectly possible as a day trip.

🏜 This is the only true desert in Europe, which makes it interesting before you even realise it’s been a famous film location for Spaghetti Westerns since the 1950s.

The 3 main studios are: Fort Bravo, Mini Hollywood Oasys, Western Leone.

What to do in the Tabernas Desert

Visit one of the spaghetti western studios that have been converted into wild west theme parks. Choose from:

🐴 Mini Hollywood – Oasys

Visiting Mini Hollywood is more like visiting a small theme park than a film studio. There is a surprisingly big zoo, a gorgeous shallow pool (so bring your swim stuff), some cowboy shows and plenty of wild west style buildings you can explore.

I have to admit that we were a little disappointed when we first arrived because the first show we watched was a little silly but actually, by the time we left we all agreed that we’d had an excellent day and it was totally worth the visit.

→ Buy tickets

→ Buy tickets & transport tour

🐴 Fort Bravo

We did’t check out Fort Bravo because we spent all day at Mini Hollywood but it also gets great reviews.

→ Buy tickets

Desert Tour

I highly recommend taking a tour into the desert. It’s not permitted to drive into the desert without a guide but even if you did it wouldn’t be the same as you’d miss out on so much fascinating information. We took a 4×4 tour but it’s also possible to take horse riding tour into the desert.

On the tour we learned about the film industry in the region, the history of Almería and the Tabernas desert and were had the various rock formations explained to us. We took a dusk tour, which meant we got some great sun set shots. 100% recommened.

🛻 Reserve your 4×4 tour

🐴 Reserve your horse riding tour

Roquetas del Mar

🐠 Aquarium Costa de Almería

This small aquarium located just outside Roquetas de Mar is a great option for a relaxed day trip for little kids. After you’ve explored the aquarium, head to the beach here.

🚗 20 minute drive from Almería

🌊 Aqua Aventura Park & La Barraca Parque Acuatico

There are 2 inflatable obstacle courses in the sea in Roquetas del Mar not far from the aquarium.

🌊 Aqua Vera Parque Acuatico

This is a water park with water slides in the Playas de Vera area of Almería.

Los Millares

This is an important copper age settlement not far from Almería. Here you can visit an excellent interpretation centre and explore the remains of the settlement and/or a reconstruction of the village and necropolis. We just walked around the reconstructed village & necropolis as it was extremely hot when we were there.

Mojácar

This is a gorgeous small village high up in the mountains on the east coast. I took my kids there for a day trip and they really enjoyed themselves. I wasn’t sure that they would so I *ahem cough cough* bribed them with the promise of ice cream when we arrived and spending money for the souvenir stores here. It worked.

We did check out the small museum and we walked up to the castle mirador. Mainly, they liked leading me around the narrow streets, eating ice cream and pizza.

🚗 1 hr from Almería. You could easily pair this with a stop at one of the many, many excellent beaches between Almería and Mojácar should you wish to do so.

⭐️ My kids asked to do this 5 hour jeep tour of the Sierra Cabrera but we didn’t have time. It does look excellent though .

Níjar

Níjar is another pleasant village to visit for a day trip. There’s very little here, which is part of its charm. We enjoyed browsing the little souvenir stores, bought a rug and some candy, ate lunch, and had excellent ice creams. We also climbed up to the Atalaya de Níjar just for the views over the city. It was a pretty steep walk.

There’s also a butterfly park on the outskirts of the village (Mariposario de Níjar). My kids decided they didn’t want to visit but it would be excellent for smaller kids.

Instead, we went to:

Crater de Hoyazo

This is an old volcanic crater you can explore. The ground is absolutely littered with garnets, which is wild to see. We walked around for maybe an hour and collected a few. Between the climbing rocks, walking in a volcano and finding precious stones, the kids though this was an incredible afternoon activity.

Pulpí & the world’s largest geode

This was probably the win of our entire trip. I only discovered that this even exists because of an exhibition in the Sevilla science museum. That’s right, sitting quietly in Almería is the world’s largest geode and you can visit it!

⚠️ The tour is only open to kids over 8 years old

The tour takes around 90 minutes during which time you’re led through the cave system where you learn about various types of minerals and geodes before eventually you get to see the real thing. It. Is. Astounding. I cannot even begin to explain to you how it feels to see even the tiniest bit of this enormous geode (because that’s the reality, it isn’t possible to see the whole thing) You basically get to lie down on a plank inside the section behind me in the photo above. It might not sound special but believe me, it is. We were all absolutely blown away by its size and its beauty.

🚗 1hr15 from Almería

→ Book tickets (and by the way, these tickets MUST be booked quite a long time in advance. Do NOT show up expecting to get a ticket on the door).

What else to do near Pulpí

Sala Negra

Actually in the town of Pulpí is the biggest display of luminous minerals in the world. I thought it was pretty excellent but my kids lasted maybe 10 minutes after the lights went out before they were done.

Lunar Cable Park

This is a really fun place to take the kids if they enjoy water based activities. There is an enormous water obstacle course, which is crazy fun for everyone, adults and kids alike. There are wake boarding courses including a beginners’ one & there is a nice cafe where you can have lunch, ice creams and more.

Cabo de Gata Natural park – one of the lesser known coasts 

OK, the big one. The reason I imagine many people come to Almería, for the gorgeous beaches and the Mediterranean Sea in the Cabo de Gata Natural park.

If you’re looking for gorgeous, rugged beaches with very little in the way of big tourism then this is your ideal location. We spent our time here exclaiming over the beauty, marvelling at the views and wondering if we should buy a house and never leave.

The natural park is a UNESCO Biosphere reserve 460km², of this, 120km² is protected as a marine reserve.

Where to stay in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park

🏕 Top glamping recommendation – WeCamp

Just outside Las Negras, this glamping site has it all. We chose to stay in a super posh tent (with AC, beds, bathroom and kitchen) but there are also apartments and cabins on site. There is a kids’ club, a restaurant, 2 swimming pools and a kids’ playground. We absolutely loved our experience here and will absolutely return to stay again.

→ Reserve now

🏠 Top country house recommendation – Cortijo la Molina

Located by the Cabo de Gata beach, this country house is particularly rated highly by people who were looking for a tranquil get away. People admire the mountain views, the pool and the well appointed house.

🏝 Perfect beach access – El Faro de los Genoveses

Perfectly located between San José and Playa de los Genoveses, these apartments are a great option for families who are mainly interested in a beach vacation. With sea views, a pool, a family-friendly restaurant on site (as well as well appointed kitchens in the apartments), these are an ideal pick for families.

→ Reserve now

🗺 If these recommendations don’t work for you, you can use my helpful interactive accommodation map to find something that fits your needs.

What to do in Cabo de Gata

🚗 The best way to explore Cabo de Gata is with your own car because a car brings freedom to move at your own pace, & to change your mind about your itinerary.

🤿 Of course, if you’re here for the beaches then you may also wish to snorkel, kayak, SUP, or take boat trips. We wanted to do it all but only ended up snorkelling. I wish we’d had time for more. You can rent equipment or you can take tours.

Explore the beaches

There are many more beaches than I mention here, these are the highlights of our trip – chosen through research, reading and talking to people. You can read my full article about Almería’s beaches here.

Playa de los Muertos

This is one of the best beaches I’ve seen in Spain despite being a pebble beach. The stones, somehow, weren’t annoying or hard. Rather they were gentle and warm to the touch.

It isn’t super easy to access as it’s a 20 minute walk down the cliff (and then back up again, obviously). There is a fabulous look out point on a cliff side and there are no amenities once you’re on the beach. There is one small kiosk selling drinks and snacks in the car park.

🚌 It’s possible to get a bus to / from this beach from Almería.

🚗 There’s a paid carpark nearby.

Cala de San Pedro / Las Negras / Cala del Cuervo

Cala de San Pedro is another beach that requires a long walk (approx 1 hour) to reach it from the town of Las Negras. Wear good shoes and remember that you have to walk back again at the end of the day!

We didn’t visit but we did check out both the Las Negras beach and the Cala del Cuervo that is right in front of WeCamp, where we stayed. We liked our Cala del Cuervo very much.

Mirador del Arrecife de las Sirenas & Playa Cabo de Gata

Pass through Cabo de Gata pueblo, drive between the Salinas de Cabo de Gata and the coast to visit here for the magnificent views. It’s possible to book both kayaking and snorkel tours around this gorgeous point (you can see people snorkelling in the photo above).

This isn’t exactly a beach as it’s a viewpoint but it’s possible, should you wish to walk down the cliff, to get to the ocean to snorkel here.

Along the way you drive the full length of Playa Cabo de Gata. It’s really magnificent but given its length it isn’t as gentle as many of the bays. We stopped to check it out a couple of times and each time decided to keep driving to find somewhere more gentle.

→ Book a kayaking & snorkel tour around the Arrecife de las Sirenas

Playa de los Genoveses

This is a beautiful bay with a good sandy beach and perfectly clear water. There are hiking trails around it, too.

🚌 It’s possible to get the bus to/from here from Almería. Just don’t miss the last one home.

🚗 There is a paid car park here.

San José

Right around the corner from Playa de los Genoveses is San José, one of the most picturesque fishing villages of Almería and its absolutely gorgeous Playa de la Calilla. We spent a day here. We played on this gorgeous beach and in the water for hours, had a fabulous lunch at one of the few restaurants in town (you’ll need to reserve a table) – we ate at Casa Pepe, which has amazing views over the coast.

And then we took our snorkel tour around the most fabulous protected area of sea grass. We saw all sorts of fish and we (as in my son and I, not even the tour guides) spotted 2 octopuses! It was really absolutely a phenomenal experience. They felt safe with the guides (who paid extra attention to them, helped them when they were tired, made sure they could see all the marine life they were pointing out ) and learned so much.

→ Book the snorkel tour (we also booked a star gazing walk with this company but ended up having to cancel for medical reasons).

→ Book a kayak & snorkel tour from San José

So that’s how to make the most of a trip to Almería with kids! It’s an absolutely marvellous place to visit. I hope you have a trip that’s as epic as the one we had.

Where else to visit in Andalucia?