The province of Almeria, with a total popular of over 600,000 people, sits in southeastern Andalusia. Sun shines regularly in this area of Spain so tourists will find many sunny days and very little rain. In fact, Almeria sees the lowest amount of rain in all of Europe. Due to the lack of moisture, the area is almost desert-like and has a wide variety of flowers and trees that are normally unseen in other countries.  

The Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park is found along the coastline and is a favourite area with both nature enthusiasts and tourists. Almeria is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, vast mountain ranges, and includes the Andarax River through the province. While the sun dries out the soil, ancient ancestors did invest time and energy into creating natural irrigation systems that ensure there are many excellent fields for produce. Fresh produce is a staple in many homes. For this reason, the area’s culinary specialties tend to use fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions, and other vegetables alongside meats, fish, and poultry. Many feel that the foods found along the Mediterranean are the reason why the residents live so long. Wine, fish, tomatoes, and garlic are known to offer many health benefits.

Largest Nudist Beach in Europe 

While Almeria is a province, it is also the name of the capital city. Home to Almeria International Airport, Almeria hosted the Mediterranean Games in 2005 bringing the area to the limelight. The city has the largest nude beach in Europe, so families will want to be careful about which beach they visit if nudity poses an issue. While Almeria is one of the more popular cities for tourists to visit there are many other towns also worth seeing. Along the coast, Albuferas de Adra, Garrucha, Mojacar, Punta Entinas-Sabinar, Roquetas de Mar, San Jose, and Villa Ricos are also gorgeous towns to visit. It is in the coastal part of the province of Almeria that Gergal, Europe’s popular high-powered telescope, is located. Additionally, thanks to the plentiful amount of sun, the Solar Platform of American, Europe’s largest solar power plant, makes its home along the coastline. The SPA does not tend to offer tours, but some lucky tourists have been allowed inside to view the plant up close. 

Inland, tourists often rave over Albox, Cueva de los Letreros, Desierto de Tabernas, Laujar de Andarax, Los Millares, Nijar, Sierra Alhamilla, Sierra Maria-Los Velez, Sierra Nevada National Park, Tabernas, Velez Blanco, Velez Rubio, and Yesos de Sorbas Natural Area. These towns tend to be rather dusty looking, almost as though they are settings for the old western movies. In fact, Tabernas has been used as a filming location for a number of popular American movies including A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and even the smash hit Lawrence of Arabia. Historians often flock to the town of Cueva de los Letreros to view the prehistoric art work in the area’s large cave system.

 

The entire province has excellent tapas bars, Roman and Moorish ruins, and some of the most beautiful architecture in the world. Shopping is enjoyable in many of the towns; handicrafts are especially popular and very affordable mementos of a tourist’s time in Spain.