As you leave the Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical behind you heading along the coastline of southern Spain the next Costa and province you will enter is that of the Costa Almeria and Almeria respectively. Bordering the Provinces of Murcia and Granada , Almeria is becoming more and more well known with tourists and property buyers in Spain.

Spain has lots of diverse climates and areas with very different surroundings. Almeria is a good example of this diversity.

The Costa Almeria (the Almeria coastline) is more rugged and natural than other parts of Spain that have become more popular with tourists. You will find this area far more authentic than other areas.

As you head inland the terrain becomes quite stark and almost moon like. Due to the unique landscape of inland Almeria many movies about other planets are filmed on location in Almeria. Within the desert areas of Almeria (yes there is a desert in Almeria) many westerns were filmed including the famous Clint Eastwood series of Spaghetti westerns.

As the dry landscape might suggest, Almeria is by far the warmest province in the whole of Andalucia. The area is also lucky to benefit from the protection of the elements by the Sierra de Gador mountains making it a highly productive agricultural area. In fact many of Europes vegetables are now exported from Almeria.

The Costa Almeria is relatively unspoilt and the beaches remain rustic and authentic is most places. There are some main beaches that have become very popular with tourists such as Roqutas de Mar and those at Mojacar and more areas are now becoming inhabited by expats looking for the more authentic Spain. In the eastern section of Almeria is the sparse coast called the “Cabo del Gato – Nijar”. In this area do not expect much more than 200mm of rainfall per year. The area has a very small population within the small villages scattered around.

The whole area is being developed with new roads and infrastuctures and the recent opening of international routes from Grananda Airport have made it even more accessible from the UK.

Even though the province of Almeria is still very much up and coming in terms of being a tourist attraction, there are many things to do within the area. There is the Yucca City which was the location for filming of “a fist full of dollars” and the area is like a mini Hollywood with lots of attractions and things to do. Elsewhere the natural wonders of Alhama de Almeria and Sierra Alhamilla are well worth a visit. These are Almeria’s thermal waters and the temperatures in these “baths” can vary from beween 30 and 46 degrees.

Some of the main towns of Almeria are the city of Almeria, Roquetas de Mar, Mojacar, Almerimar, San Jose, Aqua Dulce, Adra and Vera