What to do in Almería

Almería has the driest climate in continental Europe, with less than 200 mm of annual rainfall on the coastal strip. This translates to more than 320 sunny days a year and diving conditions where visibility can reach 30 metres during calm months. Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park concentrates 12 recognised dive sites between Cabo de Gata and Carboneras: sandy seabeds, volcanic rock and posidonia with groupers, octopuses and occasional loggerhead turtles. The park is a protected area with no motorboats in the swimming zone, which preserves the underwater fauna. The Almería Alpujarras, on the southern slopes of Sierra Nevada, have a trail network that forms part of the GR7 (European E4 route). The white villages walk — from Berchules to Laujar de Andarax, about 60 km — climbs and descends through chestnut and almond groves with accumulated elevation gains of 1,000 to 1,500 m per stage. The approaches from the Almería side are less well-known than those from Granada, which means less crowded trails. For kitesurfing, Roquetas de Mar and Mojacar have reliable levante wind conditions in summer. The Sierra Nevada on its Almería flank reaches up to Veleta (3,398 m) and has the lowest-altitude access for high-mountain activities in southern Iberia. Tabernas, the only true desert in Europe, is explored by jeep, on horseback or by bike along tracks through ochre badlands and historic spaghetti western film sets. The combination of sea, mountain and desert within a 100 km radius makes Almería one of the provinces with the greatest diversity of outdoor environments.