Almería – City of Fortress
Photos of Almería, a city shaped by the Alcazaba, the sea and the port. The Moors called the city “Al Mariyah” — mirror of the sea. The name still fits Almería, with its many hours of sunshine and cool sea breeze.
Almería lies in the east of Andalusia, in the southeast of Spain, in the province of the same name. The city is located on the Almería Coast, which stretches for 219 kilometers and is an area known for its deserted beaches and rugged cliffs. Low annual rainfall gives the landscape around Almería a desert-like character. Just over 200,000 people live in the city. Almería has a quieter atmosphere than many larger Andalusian cities.
Almería combines historic fortifications, Mediterranean views and wide urban spaces. The calmer atmosphere gives the city a different rhythm from larger Andalusian cities. Cruise ships and ferries arrive in the port of Almería. Ferries connect southern Spain with Morocco and Algeria. These routes keep Almería connected with North Africa.
On this page you can explore the city’s landmarks, urban scenery and cityscape views. You will also find historical monuments, castle walls and views of the port of Almería in the Mediterranean light.
The Alcazaba of Almería: a gigantic Moorish historical landmark
The Alcazaba of Almería is a Moorish fortress complex from the tenth century, to which parts were added in later centuries. It is a fortress of 35,000 square meters that could provide protection for 20,000 people. In addition to being a tourist attraction, it is also a place where concerts and cultural events regularly take place. The Alcazaba of Almería is the second largest Moorish structure in Spain.
Above: The gardens of the Alcazaba of Almería form an oasis of tranquility within Spain’s largest Arab citadel. The gardens are located in the first walled section (the first enclave) of the fortress. The gardens were redesigned in the late 20th century by the restoration architect of the Alhambra, inspired by the famous Generalife gardens in Granada.
In the gardens of the Alcazaba are water channels, ponds, and fountains, which are typical of Moorish garden architecture to create coolness. There is a varied flora of palms and cypresses, fig trees, azaleas, and fragrant beds full of rosemary and lavender. In spring, the iconic Judas tree blooms here with bright pink flowers.
Above: The wall on San Cristóbal Hill, better known as the Jayrán Wall, is what remains of the old city wall. The wall is three meters thick and five meters high, and has a total of seven towers.
Below: the Alcazaba offers a magnificent panoramic view of the city, the coast, and the harbour of Almería.
The monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can be seen above. The statue, sculpted from Macael marble, was installed in 1928 atop San Cristóbal Hill. It was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War but rebuilt in 1944. Finally, it was restored in the year 2000. The monument offers a wonderful panoramic view of the city and the Alcazaba.
Statue of Jayran al-Amiri in Calle Descanso in front of the Alcazaba of Almería. Khayran al-Amiri—or Jairán—was the first Muslim king of the Taifa of Almería. The Taifa of Almería was an independent Muslim kingdom that emerged in Al-Andalus in 1012. Al-Andalus was the Islamic society that formed on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.
Al-Andalus existed between the years 711 and 1492, the time when the Reconquista (or the fall of Al-Andalus) brought Muslim rule to an end. The Reconquista consisted of a series of military campaigns waged by the Christian kingdoms of the northern Iberian Peninsula against Al-Andalus, which was under Muslim rule. Consequently, many Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity.
The Port of Almería: the cruise terminal, the English cable structure and an old Deutz locomotive
At the entrance to Nicolás Salmerón Park in Almería, you will find the vertical planter. The vegetal sculpture is in the shape of the letters “ALMERÍA”. It is 1.20 meters (4 feet) high, two meters (6.5 feet) wide, and just over seven meters (23 feet) long. This decorative planter welcomes visitors to the city. It was designed by Almería’s Department of Water and Greenery with the aim of giving the city a unique character, in a strategic location within the Port-City project.
Below, you can see the port of Almería, with the Port Authority building, the cruise terminal – and a port police patrol vehicle.
The Almería cruise terminal is located at the Levante Quay of the Port of Almería. Almería is part of the luxury and mid-sized cruise circuit covering the Western Mediterranean and the Atlantic, including destinations such as Málaga, Cádiz, Barcelona, and Valencia, as well as Tangier and Casablanca (Morocco). The port offers year-round direct routes to North Africa, connecting to destinations such as Melilla and Nador.
As in many Spanish city ports, a large Spanish flag can be seen:
The Deutz locomotive of Almería (above), known as Locomotora Deutz Nº 2, is a historic diesel locomotive built in 1929 by the German manufacturer Deutz AG. After being used in the Port of Almería from 1930 to 1967 for moving goods and minerals on the docks, it was restored and placed as an industrial heritage monument near the entrance to the Muelle de Levante.
The “English Cable Structure” (below) dates from 1902 and is located at the quay in Playa de las Almadrabillas. It is also the terminus of a railway branch.
The English Cable Structure is an example and a masterpiece of iron architecture from the early twentieth century. Its construction was made possible by the development of the port and the railway line. It is characterised by the use of new materials, such as iron. The structure is a bridge connecting the quay to the train station, near Almería Beach. In 1998, it was declared a cultural heritage site due to its historical, symbolic, and aesthetic value.
As can be seen below, Almería has many apartment buildings from the late Modernist period, particularly those built during Spain’s rapid urban expansion in the late 1970s and 1980s. This building is located on the square of Calle Canónigo Molina Alonso and Calle Hermanos Machado in the Oliveros district of Almería, near the port.
The modernist architecture utilizes stepped vertical balconies that optimize shading and naturally protect the apartments from the bright Andalusian sun. Although these apartments present a stark contrast to the old city center, they offer residents views of the surrounding area and easy access to local attractions such as the Alcazaba of Almería.
The City Centre of Almería: Avenida Federico García Lorca, the Rambla of Belén and modernist architecture
Avenida Federico García Lorca is one of the main thoroughfares in the Spanish city of Almería. The avenue was built over the bed of a dried-up river and connects the north of the city with the port and the beaches.
Local residents call the long, wide Federico García Lorca Avenue—with its rows of trees, fountains, and pedestrian areas—”La Rambla” or “La Rambla de Belén” (see the photographs below).
The urban boulevard section of the Rambla in Almería (or the “Rambla de Belén”) spans approximately 2 kilometres (1.24 miles) from the foothills of the city down to the Mediterranean Sea.
One of the streets adjacent to Federico García Lorca Avenue is Rambla Obispo Orberá. Further along, at the entrance to the Central Market car park, one can see an original form of “three-dimensional” street art that contrasts with the grey asphalt.
In the photo below, you can see the Apolo Theatre, located on the same street. Built in 1881, the theatre was designed primarily in the historicist architectural style. This was a popular movement in 19th-century Spain in which architects combined elements from styles of earlier eras.
Above, you can see the courtyard of the School of Art and Artistic Crafts in Pablo Cazard Square. Below: the Cervantes Theatre on Poeta Villaespesa Street, in Almería’s historic centre.
Above you can see the entrance of the Central Marketplace (Mercado Central) in Calle Circunvalación Ulpiano Díaz. Below: the Paseo de Almería.
The statue “Esperando” (Waiting), by Catalan sculptor Javier Huecas, in San Sebastián Square. It pays tribute to the city’s grandmothers and working women:
Puerta de Purchena: a pedestrian area with Modernist architecture
The Puerta de Purchena in Almería is a pedestrian zone with several examples of late 19th architecture and early 20th-century modernist architecture. The area has a layered urban character, with historic façades, hidden details and elegant city buildings. This pedestrian zone is also located in the city center of Almería. However, this chapter focuses primarily on the pedestrian zone and the adjacent streets.
On the Puerta de Purchena square, you will find well-known shops such as the gift and gadget store ALE-HOP and the bridal boutique Pronovias Almería. Leading off from this square is the Paseo de Almería, the main shopping street, which is lined with major brands and boutiques.
Above you can see the pink Carmen Algarra residential building, a colourful example of modernist architecture. Next, you can see the pink building in the background from Rambla Obispo Orberá Street, where a beautiful watch shop (relojería) located in a kiosk can be found.
Below: Coffee bar Amalia in Almería’s Plaza Pérez García, next to the Puerta de Purchena.
Another example of modernist architecture on the Puerta de Purchena square is the beautiful Casa de las Mariposas (“House of the Butterflies”) below, which now houses Cajamar Bank.
