Almería

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View of the Rambla de Belén.
Railway Station - Splendidly restored and with an interesting mural by Luis Cañada which shows the history of the last century of Almeria. One of the most significant monuments of the city which together with the port are evident signs of a recent past.
Gerald Brenan tells us that "Almeria is like a bucket of lime thrown at the feet of a naked grey mountain. (…) The Arabic castle and its exterior fortifications rise on a naked stone which dominates the city, as if it were a guardian that defended it from the desert. (…) Below the castle, the cathedral and the porticoed square rise up, with which the Christian conquerors tried to restore past glories, and around which the narrow streets still follow the outline of the Arabic quarter. But the eastern character of the place is more recent and is supplied by the streets of blue and white houses with flat roofs, built last century. The most important of them is the Paseo, a wide boulevard which slowly descends towards the sea between trees with dark shiny leaves. Here are the main shops and cafés. A disturbing street, a street that like everything in the city, is charged with peculiar suggestions, although for the superficial observer it may simply have an outdated and provincial appearance". In the background, the Port, a reflection of other times, the splendour of the mining and the grape.
Almeria Archaeological Museum. Efebo de Chirivel - It contains a great deal of objects discovered by the Belgian miNing engineer Luis Siret. Its rooms contain, among other things, materials from the Cueva de Ambrosio, Los Millares, El Cuche, Villaricos, the castle ( Alcazaba) and the old Almeria. One of the emblematic pieces is the Efebo de Chirivel or El Chirivello, as the locals affectionately call it. It was found in the Roman remains of El Villar, Chirivel. It must have been a luxurious centre or group of villas judging by the remains found. It was discovered in 1985, and is a Dionysos from the middle of the II century. It might represent Antinoo, according to the scholars, a favourite of the Emperor Adriano.
Saint Sebastian's Church - Its construction was begun in the last third of the XVII century. Neoclassical style.
Purchena Gate - Traditionally the heart of the town centre. In Al-Andalus times it was the wide space that was in front of the Pechina Gate. After the entry of the Catholic Monarchs, and it seems by mistake, it was given the name of Purchena Gate.
Arab Wells - They date from 1038 and were built to supply water to the population. They are located under the cliff El Taranto.
Santiago Church - Building constructed in 1553 in renaissance style. Its enormous tower 55 m high is Romanic and its beautiful doorway is in plateresque style. It has been declared a Historic-Artistic monument.
Saint Peters' Church - Building erected on the site of an old mosque. It was built by order of the Catholic Monarchs in the year 1494. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1790 and rebuilt in 1796 in the neoclassical style. The frescos on the dome of the high altar were painted by Fray Juan García.
Church de las Claras. Monastery from the XVII century. It has a dome of baroque architecture and a plateresque doorway from the XVIII century. Considered a Historic-Artistic monument.
Temple of Sacred Heart of Jesus - It was also a warehouse, theatre and ballroom.
Cervantes Theatre and Trading Circle.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Mar - Inside is the Patron of Almeria, Our Lady of the Sea. It is considered a Historic-Artistic monument.
After the destruction of the great mosque of Almeria, due to the earthquake of 1522, the construction of the cathedral was begun in the year 1524 by the bishop Fray Diego Fernández de Villalán, a work which was given to Diego de Siloé. A unique example in its class of a cathedral-fortress. During the first stage the fortress and the gothic part were built. The odd appearance of the fortress is explained by the frequent attacks of the Berber pirates. These attacks made it advisable that should it be needed, the temple could be used as a defensive strong point. The two doorways, designed by Juan de Orea, display an elegant classicism. The choir stalls are also the work of this artist. The main tower was finished in the XVII century and the parade ground was converted into cloisters in the XVIII century. The high altar and the tabernacle which are located in the centre of the temple are also from the XVIII century, and are made from marble and jasper designed by Ventura Rodríguez. The beautiful gothic ribbed domes of its three naves and the Diocesan Museum are also worth a mention. This museum is located next to the cloisters, is renaissance style and has a remarkable collection of works by Murillo, Ribera and Alonso Cano.
Royal Hospital - Renaissance building from the XVI century. It is built on two floors around cloisters. The doorway is neoclassical and dates from the XVIII century. It is considered a Historic-Artistic monument.
Saint John's Church - Built on the ruins of the main Moslem mosque, of which part of the mihrab, the wall of the quibla and decorative elements are conserved. Its doorway is dressed in quarry stone.
The Hayrán Wall - At the beginning of the XI century, there was an increase in the population which was settling outside the walls to the East. Hayrán, king of Almeria, circled this district with walls which reached the Rambla. This would be one of the most splendid periods of the city. Next to the remains of this wall is the Rescue Centre of Sahara Fauna, property of the Higher Council of Scientific Research, in which animals that in their original habitat are on the point of extinction live.
The Chanca Caves - A popular district full of contrasts; its facades are different colours, formed by cave-houses distributed along the hill . It has been described magisterially by Juan Goytisolo: "The district of La Chanca crouches down at your feet, luminous and white, like an invention of the senses. In the bottom of the valley, the shacks look like dice, thrown there capriciously. The geological violence, the nakedness of the landscape are overawing. Tiny and rectangular, the huts climb the slope and mount themselves on the broken ground of the mountain, carved like carbuncles."
The castle of Almeria can be seen from any part of the city. It is the biggest of the citadels built by the Arabs in Spain. Its construction was begun in 955 by Abderramán III and finished by Hayrán, "taifa" king of Almeria, in the XI century. After the Christian conquest it was reformed by the Catholic Monarchs and Carlos I. It has three walled enclosures. One of the three was built by the Catholic Monarchs. It was a royal residence and today stands at the foot of Al-Mutasin palace with all its rooms, its mosque, converted into a church since the end of the XV century, and its baths. It has only one entrance, made almost invisible by the enormous walls as well as large rooms with vaulted ceilings and gothic doors. From the top of the castle walls we can enjoy marvellous views of the city and the port .
The Old Square - Surrounded by columns in which the Town Hall is located. It is here that the banner given to Almeria by the Catholic Monarchs is kept. It originated from the extension of Arabic Almeria as the Moslem buildings used for the administration of the city were found in this square. With the Christian conquest it was considered the Market Square. Halfway through the XVII century it was remodelled to make it suitable for its position as the big enclosure for the city. Between the end of the XVIII century and the middle of the XIX the shops and columns were built.

Description

Situated on the bay of the same name Almeria is a luminous city, whose origins go back a long way into the past. Presided over by its impressive castle, uneven in appearance, from its battlemented parapets there is an extraordinary panoramic view of the city and the port. At the feet of the castle is the most typical district: La Chanca with its colourful and picturesque houses.

Almeria is a city that faces the sea, and for this reason the port forms part of the city in its physiognomy and its daily life. Within the port, the mineral landing pier, known as "El Cable" is especially interesting.

In the centre, the Cathedral, built as a fortress to protect the city from pirate attacks, has an interesting interior.

Furthermore you can visit the Malecon Gardens (Jardines del Malecón), the district of Muelle de Saint Pedro, Puerta de Purchena square, the old Square (Plaza Vieja) or the Virgin of the Sea Square (Plaza de la Virgen del Mar).

Almeria also has good beaches for enjoying the sun and part of its area is included in the Natural Beauty Spot Sierra de Alhamilla Natural Beauty Spot, a place of great ecological and scenic interest due to its abundant vegetation (consisting of a well-preserved holm oak wood and replanted pine woods) and for its ornithological importance.

General information

Tourist Area: Almería y su Entorno Province: Almería Altitude above sea level (m): 23 Area (Km2): 296.21 Nº of inhabintants: 187521 name for people: Almerienses o urcitanos Postal code: 0400x Web: www.aytoalmeria.es

Forecast

Wednesday 17/03/10

partly cloudy

18 ºC 10 ºC

Thursday 18/03/10

slightly rain

19 ºC 10 ºC

Friday 19/03/10

slightly rain

20 ºC 12 ºC

Saturday 20/03/10

slightly rain

21 ºC 14 ºC

Sunday 21/03/10

cloudy

19 ºC 14 ºC

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Almería

Description

General information

Forecast