Presentation

Few Spanish provinces can offer as wide an array of recreational activities as Almería. This is the result of its highly contrasted geography which in a matter of few kilometres allows you to go from a wild and mountainous landscape to another more akin to a tropical paradise with sun-bathed beaches. People keen on water sports can enjoy beach holidays water-skiing, diving in the rich and wild underwater lands of secluded coves, or taking long boat rides along the Mediterranean coast.

For those who prefer nature holidays, the province is covered with numerous cultural and archaeological routes that allow visitors to enjoy direct contact with the environment at the same time they enrich their cultural knowledge. Visitors can walk, ride mountain bike or even take a ride on a donkey along nature trails. For those who prefer an adrenalin rush the province provides some pleasant surprises, such as skiing, scaling, potholing, microlight, paragliding, and hang-gliding form the cliffs of Aguadulce in Roquetas de Mar. Cultural tourism such as learning new languages and traditions in specialised schools is also within visitors' reach.

Golf

Almeria is a major lure for golfers from all over the world, amateurs and professionals alike. Not in vain some of the best golf courses in the country are situated here. These are characterised by the tremendous variety of surroundings in which they are set, facilitating visits to the magnificent beaches of Mojácar, Roquetas de Mar or Vera as well as day trips to Sierra Gádor or the Valley of Almanzora.

Each course has individual features which make one each unique. Golfers can choose to tee off in a desert landscape and enjoy the feeling of being in an oasis, or may prefer to hit a few balls in a marine ambience, in view of the Mediterranean Sea and Almería's unspoilt beaches.

Marina and sailing

Sailing and boating enthusiats will find a varied offer from which to choose, including the option to sail along the quiet coasts of Western Almería or along the complicated profile of the beach coast of the Cabo de Gata-Nijar area.

Every type of boat, from large to small, come together at the many marinas dotted all along the coast of Almeria, each a starting point from which to sail out and ply the waters of Mediterranean.

Nature

Almería-Cabo de Gata Nijar is the most untouched and least explored area of the province of Almería, an area which finds its maximum expression in the small fishing villages steeped in ancient custom and traditions that seem to have been suspended in time, like picture post cards from the past.

As a centre for tourism, the Western Coast boasts a large number of Blue Flag beaches with the accompanying services and amenities that put the finishing touches on holidaymaking.

Sunbathing on the beaches of Almerimar or Beach Serena, or windsurfing at dawn are good ways to start the day, which can be nicely rounded out by enjoying the peace of the wide-open spaces in the afternoon, or by renting a boat at the marina from which to watch the sun set.

Climate

Almería holds the title of being the city with the most hours of sun a year, a total of 3,000. The average annual temperature is 18/19ºC, and the temperature of its waters in the winter is warmer than that of the air, which invites you to swim at that time of the year.

Almería’s climate is subtropical, Mediterranean, warm and dry. Its most outstanding feature is its cloudless, bright sky.

The mild climate which Almería enjoys makes it a tourist destination where original holidays can be programmed all year, in which you can enjoy the beaches, as well as any other kind of activities or active sports and cultural visits to its historical-artistic patrimony; natural environments, regions and caves of high cultural interest.

Gastronomy

Strolls through the hot streets and towns of the province will afford visitors, especially at meal time, a well-deserved and refreshing surprise, the varied cuisine of the area. Not in vain is this part of Andalusia one of the best areas in which to enjoy the typical tapa, accompanied, according to personal taste, by a glass of cold beer or one of the region’s robust wines. The highest quality wines of the region are produced mainly in the towns of Laujar de Andarax, Ohanes, Fondón, Alboloduy and Berja.

Within the city of Almería, the neighbourhoods of Pescadería, El Alquián and Cabo de Gata, among others, are ideal for trying the typical fried fish, fried in the excellent olive oil of Tabernas and The Alpujarra. Fried fish is a staple all along the coast, always served in a delicious combination with fresh products from the vegetable garden. Visitors preferring to try the traditional home cooking of the inland regions will find it represented in many different kinds of hot tapas, such as migas and patatas a lo pobre, and, of course, the sausages and lomo. And to finish off a fine meal, nothing better than Moorish pastries.

Festivities & Traditions

The idiosyncrasies and distinctive personality of the inhabitants of the towns are best displayed in their customs and festivals, occasions which give an outlet to festive celebration and folk heritage, the result of centuries of deep-rooted tradition.Worthy of highlighting in these festivals are the typical attire of the province, such as the “refajona” and the “curro”, which has become a symbol of the culture.

In Almería there is a certain element generally found in the manifestation of the culture, fire, and it takes a leading role during the celebration of the Noche de San Juan. Fire is very prominent in Mediterranean culture and in this Andalusian province it becomes emblematic. Romerías, or gatherings at local shrines, with both playful and religious components, in which horses play an important part, are a good example of the use of this force of nature in festivities.

But for the best example of deep-rooted traditions in different towns of theprovince, we would point to the festivals of Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians), where the ancient battles between Muslims and Christians are re-created and in which the costumes constitute one of the most elaborate and surprising factors. The festival in Mojácar stands out among all, but they are celebrated all along the Western and Eastern coasts and in the inland areas as well. A similar theme is found in the Juegos Moriscos de Aben Humeya, which takes place every summer in Purchena.

The Almería Fair, celebrated in honour of the city’s patroness, the Virgen del Mar, takes place during the second half of the month of August and lasts ten days that are divided into the daytime Feria del Mediodía, which takes place in the city centre, and the Feria de la Noche, with a wide array of casetas (tented pavilions). In the region of The Alpujarra and in a few towns in the Filabres-Sierra Alhamilla-Río Nacimiento area, it is customary to celebrate the day before Ash Wednesday, Jueves Lardero and the Día de la Cruz, around the 3rd of May. The festival of the Virgen del Carmen and the Día de la Vieja, the latter celebrated above all in thearea of Levante, complete the calendar of festivals in the province. Every 29 December a typical sea-faring festival, known as “Las Moragas”, is held at Roquetas de Mar, in which grilled fish and meat is prepared and eaten at the beach.