There are so many things to do in Almeria City that you’ll need around 3 – 4 days just in the city itself. If you want to do a day trip or 2 (and trust me, you do), then you’ll need to schedule longer. In this article we’ll take a look at the best things to do in in Almeria city, as well as the best day trip options around the province of Almería. 

⭐️ If you’re looking for a kid-friendly version of this article, you know I’ve got you covered with all the information on exploring Almería with kids.

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Where is Almería city?

🧭 Almería city is the capital city of Almería province in Andalucía, southern Spain. 

✈️ The Almería 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

🅿️ 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. 

How to get around Almería

👣 Take a free walking tour of the city centre to get yourselves acquainted with the place.

🚂 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.

​Finding things to do in Almería city

I always recommending taking a walk around a new city to help you get your bearings, especially if you’re not planning on taking a free walking tour.

Streets to notice

La Rambla de Almería

The Rambla runs the length of the city, all the way to the port and it’s a delight to stroll along here. Along the length of the Rambla you’ll find plenty of shade, fountains, play spaces and monuments. It’s a wonderful place for people watching.

🎡 Do be aware that the famous ferris wheel is no longer on the Plaza de las Velas.  

Paseo de Almeria

This street runs from Plaza de la Purchena all the way to the base of the Rambla and the Plaza de las Velas. It’s a lovely street to stroll down, checking out the shops. Be sure to notice the absolutely enormous ficus tree that covers the street about half way down. She’s magnificent.

Calle de las Tiendas

This small street is deep within the old city. Here you’ll find the small souvenir stores you need.

Plaza Vieja

This quiet plaza is the city’s main square. It’s a lovely place with a monument in the centre and shaded cafes around the edges.

El Cable Inglés & el Parque de las Almadrabillas

The Cable Inglés is a disused 1km railway running from shore to the sea that was used as a loading dock. It was built at the beginning on the 20th century and has recently been restored as a walking path. From the end, depending on which direction you turn you’ll see out over the Mediterranean Sea to Morocco, the Alcazaba or the modern city harbour.

If you want to enjoy a view of the Cable Inglés in all its glory, head into the delightful Parque de las Almadribillas for a stroll.

What to visit in Almería?

Alcazaba de Almería

This is a massive 10th century Moorish fortress that overlooks the city. It has been somewhat restored and is a wonderful place to spend a few hours. It is one of the biggest fortresses built by the Moors in all of Spain. Construction began in 955 by Abderramán III and was completed by Hayrán in the eleventh century.

➕ Opposite, on the Cerro de San Cristobal is a mirador that looks directly over the Alcazaba. I didn’t go up because a) I got similarly excellent shots from the Alcazaba over to this point (see photo above), and b) it was extremely hot and I didn’t feel like it!

Catedral de la Encarnación

This is an enormous 17th century fortress cathedral right in the centre of Almería. It was built both for churchy-stuff and to defend the city from Berber pirates.

You can visit but note that the entrance is not at the front on the plaza but around the back. 

Mercado Central de Almería

This small market is a great place to browse the fresh produce and even, pick up fresh fruits and good coffee.

John Lennon statue

There are some lovely statues and sculptures around the city but the most famous might just be the one of John Lennon. That’s right, the famous Beatles dude actually lived in Almería for a little while. You’ll find the statue on Plaza Flores. (I did not 😂 because I don’t care about the Beatles very much)

Baños Arabes / Spa

If you feel like treating yourself to a little luxury while in Almería, why not visit the Arab baths and luxuriate a la old timey Moorish royalty? I escaped my family for a few hours to have a nice massage and soak in the various pools in the small hammam in Almería. It was a nice change from my usual days of marching around.

→ Check the website

Museums in Almería

For such a small city, there are a decent number of museums to visit. I visited the first three and loved them all.

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 10th century Andalusí street, part of the city of Al-Mariyya. With your mobile phone you can overlay images of what it would have looked like in its heyday.

Refugios de la Guerra Civil (Spanish Civil War Air Raid Shelters)

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. The tour takes you on a 1km walk through the tunnels under the city of Almería. Around 40,000 people took shelter in these long, thin passages. You’ll see the storerooms (above), the hospital area and private citizen entrances as you explore.

🗣 Tours are in Spanish but I seem to remember there being some English option.

→ Book tickets now (necessary to buy in advance)

Museo de Almería

This is an excellent archaeological museum. It’s a great find for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the region and how the Indigenous people lived prior to the arrival of the Phoenicians and the Romans.

Casa del Cine

This Cinematic Museum records the cinematographic history of the state of Almería. The Cortijo Romero is also here, a house for actors while they film in the area. Clint Eastwood, Brigitte Bardot and John Lennon (see above) all stayed here.

Museo de la Guitarra

Hidden down a back street the tourist entrance to the cathedral is this small guitar museum that considers the life of the important guitar maker, Antonio de Torres.

Museo del Realismo Español Contemporáneo

This is a small art gallery displaying Spanish art from the 20th century to today.

Visit the city beaches

The Almería beaches are true urban beaches. The malecon (boardwalk) runs the length of the coast and here 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. I highly recommend enjoying an evening meal or drink along here.

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

Day trips from Almería

A highlight of visiting Almería is, of course, getting out to explore the rest of Almería Province. There are a few tours available from Almería but the best way to explore the region is with a rental car.

→ Check rental car options now

Tabernas Desert

It’s easy to visit Europe’s only desert from Almería. There are 2 ways people generally do this:

🎬 Visiting either Fort Bravo or Mini Hollywood – 2 of the Spaghetti Western film studios that are open to visitors. That’s right, the Tabernas Desert is a major film location right here in Almería.

🛻 Taking a guided tour of the desert

When we were in Almería we opted to do both. The kids obviously wanted to see the studios and I really wanted to get properly into the desert. So we compromised by doing both.

​

Film Studios

🐴 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 swimming pool (so bring your swim stuff), some cowboy shows and plenty of wild west style buildings you can explore.

If you’re visiting Almería with kids then this is an absolute must of a day trip. We did see plenty of child-free people here but personally I probably wouldn’t have gone without my kids.

→ 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. From what I understand this is less of a theme park and more of a day exploring a film studio.

→ 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 sunset shots. 100% recommended.

🛻 Reserve your 4×4 tour

🐴 Reserve your horse riding tour

Explore the small towns of Mojácar or Níjar

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. We checked out the small museum and we walked up to the castle mirador to admire the views over the area.

🚗 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.

⭐️ We considered doing this 5 hour jeep tour of the Sierra Cabrera but we didn’t have time.

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 but the views are wonderful.

Ancient history – 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.

Explore the Cabo de Gata Natural Park

This natural park is an absolute joy to explore and spending a day or two on its beautiful beaches will elevate your trip from amazing to, “omg this is the best place ever, we must move here now”. 

🚗 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.

🌅 Sunset cruises are another fabulous way to experience the Cabo de Gata natural park.

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. This part of Andalucía is on the Mediterranean coast so the sea tends to be calmer and warmer than the Atlantic beaches of Huelva and Cádiz.

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.

→ 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

⭐️ Read the full article about Almería’s beaches now

Pulpí

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 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).

Water parks

There are a few water parks and inflatable obstacle courses in Almería and why shouldn’t adults go without kids? They’re fun.

🌊 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.

🌊 ​Lunar Cable Park

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.

So, there you are, Almería, in my opinion is an amazing destination for anyone looking for something slightly off the beaten path in Spain.

Where next?