Almeria is a pleasant, relaxing city with a relatively modern infrastructure. It has become a popular tourist destination, largely because of the amount of sunshine it gets; over 3000 hours per year! The waters here are usually crystal clear and normally warmer than the air.

The range of activities in Andalusia, Spain is endless, especially aquatic sports. The waters off Almeria make for great dive spots; the visibility here is incredibly good. You can also go hiking, paragliding, horse riding or play golf.

Almeria was founded by the Phoenicians and has also been occupied by the Carthaginians, Romans and Moors over the years. It is located in the east of the province, at the foot of a mountain range. It is crowned by the magnificent Alcazaba - an imposing Arab fortress.

There are fantastic views from the Alcazaba out over the city, especially over the well known cave quarter and the fortified cathedral. During war times, it could hold more than 2,000 soldiers. The Alcazaba dates as far back as the 16th century. It was built to ward off Turkish and North African pirates.

Almeria is renowned for its desert like landscape. Film production companies discovered a long time ago that the landscape was ideal for recreating western sets. Lawrence of Arabia was shot here along with hundreds of spaghetti westerns.