Alcazaba Almeria Spain by piccavey (1)

Almeria from A-Z

After living in Andalucía for several years I feel that Almeria is overlooked when considering a trip to Seville, Cordoba or Granada. It certainly has a lot to offer. Here are a few ideas:

•Alcazaba, the fortress with spectacular views of the sea and the city. Well worth the hike up the hill, built in 955 and is the largest of the fortresses built by the Moors in Spain.

•Butterfly House on Puerta de Purchena, this house is situated in the very centre of the city, an elegant building which once belonged to the family Rapallo Campos.

•Capri, a great cake shop, stop by for a coffee and ask for a Glaseado to go with it. at C/Navarro Rodrigo 21.

•David Bisbal a recent Grammy award winner from Almeria. Very famous particularly in South American countries for his pop music with a Latin feel.

•El Ejido, a town which is known as the greenhouse of Europe, this area produces fruit and vegetables, 70 % of the produce is exported to the rest of Europe.

•Forever. Buy a padlock and declaring your undying love at Plaza Campoamor, fix your padlock to the metal railing next to the image of St Valentine. Almeria has a special connection with St Valentine, his remains are in buried in the gardens of the cathedral. At the square you can see the verse: “Es propio del amor, si es verdadero, compendiar en un ser el mundo entero”. An approximate translation would be:Love is of the nature that if it is true, the whole world is made up of just person, which is you.

Cabo de Gata Almeria Spain by piccavey

•Gustave Eiffel designed the Iron Structure for The Alquife Mines and Railway Company Limited at the end of the Rambla, particularly striking when lit at night, it was completed in 1904. Almeria´s Train station was also designed by Eiffel.

•Hotel Cathedral, a great place to stay in the very centre of Almeria. Non residents can visit the modern bar for tapas in the evening or coffee and toast with views of the Cathedral square in the morning. Almeria Cathedral is the only one of it´s kind, built as a military stronghold with hardly any windows to protect the citizens from attack.

•Indalo the symbol of the entire province. (a stick man with a curve above him) was found on the wall of famous cave ‘Los Letreros’ in Velez Blanco. There are 25 cave paintings sites in the are, they have been declared ‘World Heritage’ by the UNESCO, some paintings are dated at more than 18.000 years old.

•Jabega a refreshing drink for summer served at the Kiosco Amalia, a lemon ice drink with a touch of alcohol, this bar is outside, just opposite Puerta Purchena in the city centre. Another typical drink is the Americano, which is a short milky drink with cinnamon, lemon rind and a dash of cola cream liquer.

•King Jairán built the Arab cisterns that bear his name in 1038 (Aljibes árabes de Jairan) and they supplied water for the whole city. Nowadays it´s the home of Peña El Taranto, the oldest flamenco club in Almeria.

•Lighthouse and the Mirador las Sirenas at Cabo de Gata, if you drive these it´s not for the faint-hearted, some very narrow roads, in summer can be particularly difficult to pass other cars. Well worth the trip, see beautiful seascapes, great for photographers.

Read M to Z at www.piccavey.com/almeria