Almeria Guide de Voyage

Almeria Airport is located approximately 9 Km outside of Almeria. There is no rail service to the city. A bus service operated by Surbus is located outside the terminal. Journey time is approximately 25 minutes; the cost of a single ticket is approximately €0.85. Further information is available at www.surbus.com. A taxi service is available from outside the terminal; journey time is approximately 15 minutes; cost is €12.

Alcazaba: A garden fortress

Abd al-Rahman III ordered its construction in 955. The Alcazaba was built on the ruins of a fortress. The Citadel is a palace of Arab origin. The one in Almeria consists of three enclosures. The first of them included houses and baths. Second, there was the urbanised area, although today it is occupied by several gardens. Within this area, the Saliente Bastion, the Vela Wall and the bell of Santa María la Mayor, founded in 1763, are outstanding. The second area contained the palace rooms. The califal Los Aljifes building is probably the best preserved of this group. A Mudejar hermitage, the troop baths and a typical Muslim house that has been reconstructed from its foundations are also outstanding. In its time, the Palace of Almotacín stood here. Now in the third enclosure, we find the remains of a castle ordered to be built by the Catholic Monarchs after the city was taken in 1489. Its interior is arranged around the main courtyard. The main elements in this enclosed area are the Keep, the Noria del Viento tower and the Pólvora tower.

Cabo de Gata - Níjar Natural Park

Cape Gata is located in the south-eastern end of the province of Almería. Its coastline is marked by cliffs, coves and beaches. This space, declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1997, includes the Cape Gata-Níjar Nature Park, as well as some of its surroundings. The sierra of Cape Gata is of volcanic origin and its relief is characterised by sharp points of rock, dykes, craters, cornices and domes. This particular geologic formation has resulted in one of the most stunning coastal sceneries in the Spanish Mediterranean. In the southern part of the Reserve, there are coastal salt marshes, a habitat of great importance for numerous migratory bird species. The summertime is remarkable, which is when numerous species arrive, such as flamingoes, wading birds, and seagulls. Thickets and herbaceous plants form the local flora, with many indigenous species among them. As for the sea bed, it is home to species like the large-scaled scorpion fish, the comber and the cardinal fish. As well as including the entire territory of the Nature Park and its surroundings, the Cape Gata-Níjar Biosphere Reserve was declared a Special Bird Protection Area (ZEPA) and is included in the Ramsar Agreement under the category of Wetlands of International Importance. Surface: 26000 Hectares

Almería's cathedral

This is the first Almeriense temple perceived as a temple-fortress, with a predominantly Gothic style. It was built to defend the town against pirate attacks. There are battlements and embrasures for defence purposes. The transition period is Gothic and its design is attributed to Diego de Siloé. Its apse is polygon in shape and the tower is Baroque. Inside the naves are Gothic with wing chapels that have really beautiful altarpieces. The reredos of the high altar is Baroque and decorated with paintings and sculptures of remarkable quality. There is a Renaissance cloister that was once the old parade ground of the fortress. Timetables: Hours of worship

Sierra María - Vélez Natural Park

Sierra María's nature heritage consists of a forest mass of pines, unique plant species, and over a hundred species of birds. The sierra offers an extensive variety of plant communities. This is due, in part, to the characteristics of the soil, which is limy and has given rise to caves and cracks. Surface: 18962 Hectares The forest masses of Sierra María are populated by aleppo pines and indigenous forests of maritime pines. The area offers a highly interesting artistic and monumental heritage. Unrestricted access to the Nature Park and its surroundings. For more information: Visitor Centre - Almacén del Trigo. Address: Avda. Marqués de los Vélez s/n. Vélez Blanco, 04830. Almería. Visitor Centre - El Mirador de la Umbría de María. Address: Carretera local María-Orce, km 2,7. María, 04838. Almería.

Cave paintings in Los Vélez

The region of Los Vélez is located to the north of the province of Almeria. In the region of Los Vélez, to the north of the Almería province, there are sites of cave paintings that have been declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO, within the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula. This region represents an outlying southern area delimited by the Levantine Mediterranean Basin. Demonstration belonging to a society with a hunting and harvesting economy.