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Costa Almeria Introduction
Situated in the south eastern Iberian Peninsula a holiday to this part of the Spanish southern coast provides beautiful beaches which have been awarded the European Blue Flag, plenty of historical monuments, pretty Moorish villages, a rich and fertile landscape to other areas of natural beauty.
The Costa Almeria has a wonderful climate of more than 3,000 hours of annual sunshine and where you can sit back and enjoy simply doing nothing if you so wish. As well as this there are some spots of natural beauty and of course, a traditional atmosphere.
There is something here for everyone to enjoy whatever your age.
Costa Almeria Location
Situated in the south eastern Iberian Peninsula, it has the warm and gentle Mediterranean Sea lapping gently to its shores. It is only 8,774 square kilometers and benefits from long sunny Andalucian days.
Weather in Costa Almeria
The Costa Almeria has one of the best Mediterranean climates with dry, hot summers and hardly any rainfall. It benefits from long sunny days and boasts over 3000 annual sunshine hours.
Winters are mild and rarely do the temperatures go below 13 degrees centigrade. Even during the winter there is hardly any rainfall.
Costa Almeria Beaches
Roquetas Beach
Is a clean shingle beach that is patrolled by lifeguards and is fantastic for swimming. Along the seafront promenade there are a number of bars and restaurants.
Mojacar
The beach at Mojacar is long and offers good facilities such as swimming, water sports and a wide selection of bars and restaurants. Snorkelling is particularly good here as the sea is very clear.
Almerimar
This is a delightful and enchanting beach which has been put inside the natural park. There is a nudist beach here called Playa de Cerillos.
Shopping in Costa Almeria
Andalucia has a wide variety of products which are made by local craftsmen including napkins, embroidered items, shawls, leather ware, pottery and silvery jewellery. The region is well known for its production of virgin olive oil, olives, saffron and some very good wines and spirits.
Most shops are open on weekdays, but closed on Sundays and some close for a siesta for a couple of hours. Roquetas has a good choice of shops and some supermarkets, and in the evenings along the beach front there are usually some stalls where you can buy a variety of things, or have your hair braided.
Leather is a popular buy in Spain and you will find a good many shops which are purely leather specialists, but shop around as prices can vary. Guitar manufacture is something the regions of Granada and Seville are famous for, so if you are planning to buy one you might find a bargain.
In most of the smaller villages and towns it is common to see ham hanging from hooks almost anywhere like bars and restaurants.
The best towns to buy ceramics and pottery from are Albox, Nijar, Sorbas and Vera.
Eating Out in Costa Almeria
The Spanish take great delight in their eating. It forms the basis of their culture, something that you might experience if you attend one of their fiestas during the year. They usually eat a good meal at lunch time, and then take their time over their evening meal which starts late but takes hours to complete.
It would be a shame to miss out on some of the traditional Andalucian establishments, there are many to choose from in all the resorts.
The Costa Del Sol owes its superb cuisine to its delightful seasonal crops and fantastic fishing industry. Not all meals are cooked with fancy ingredients, Andalucia prides itself on having a simple, but basic cuisine cooked with care and attention, with lots of fresh herbs for flavour.
Look out for the word typicowhich means good value, or the Menu del Dia which is the plate of the day, usually 3 courses for around 7€.
Fish and seafood is a popular choice and far less expensive than in the UK. The local fishermen usually make their catch early in the day, you can watch while they haul the catch in and then you can be sure that you will be eating fresh fish that very night. The most common method with seafood is to quickly deep-fry in very hot olive oil.
Pork is also a favourite, you will often find this being spit roasted, especially at local fiestas and festivals. Its skin is often brushed with a delicious coating of herbs, garlic, and tomatoes or sometimes it is just salted and dribbled with olive oil.
There are a few tapas bars in some of the resort, these will serve a variety of hot and cold food such as olives, mushrooms, cured ham, squid salad, garlic prawns, (delicious if you like garlic) langostinos (striped jumbo prawns) and chorizo sausage. Don't get confused about what to ask for if you feel hungry: una racionmeans half a small plateful and una porcionis a much greater helping. Don't be surprised if you see pig's legs hanging from the ceiling, it is quite a common custom.
There are some good Spanish wines to try, particularly Cava - a sparkling wine. Sangria, as always on a Spanish Island, is ever popular. If you are taking a drink in a bar, these may be accompanied with tapas, which you may find as wholesome and hearty as a main meal itself. Wines such as Rioja, Valdepeñas, and Penedes or La Mancha regions are all good choices. We mustn't forget to mention about Spanish Sherry, usually from Jerez, a pure delight as an aperitif or even with your meal. As an alternative to sherry, the wines made in Axarquia are from Frigiliana and Competa, and taste similar to sherry.
It is more economical to stick to Spanish produced spirits rather than buying the imported ones.
Beer is usually about 300 mls if you ask for a tubo, otherwise you are more likely to get a small bottle such as San Miguel and Cruzcampo which are from Andalucia. If you ask for a clarathis is a shandy, or Casera which is low calorie fizzy mineral water.
The Spanish prefer coffee to tea and usually drink this solo (black), or cortado (with a drop of milk. If you want more milk ask for con leche.
Costa Almeria Nightlife
There is a wide selection of venues to spend your evenings. In Costa de Almeria and Roquetas de Mar life is family friendly and is not really what you could call a club scene.
The bars are lively and some stay open until the early hours and the best street to find these bars is along the Avenida de Playa Serena. Along here there are also numerous hotels.
There is a disco pub which plays a selection of English and American music, it is only open at weekends. There is no entrance fee and admission also includes a glass of schnapps.
If you are into karaoke, you will find some of these bars too so you can whet your whistle and get your vocal cords wiggling. One in particular in Roquetas de Mar is an English style pub. There is also an Irish pub which plays music until dawn and sometimes has live singing performed by Irish singers.
Some evening entertainment is laid on by the hotels and often incorporates a speciality cabaret act.
In the bullfighting arena at Roquetas Town often there are concerts of opera, classical and pop taking place. You will need to look for posters which will advertise them.
You can partake in a Medieval Night in Roquetas de Mar where you will eat your food with your fingers. There are games that take place (for this event it is necessary to make a reservation).
Lastly we must not forget to mention the many wonderful restaurants where you can enjoy a superb meal, with wine at an easily affordable price.
Golf in Costa Almeria
Golfing in the Costa Almeria is the most popular sport for foreigners and is the reason why many retire here. There are a number of golf courses in the Costa Almeria.
Alboran Golf in Retamar has a magnificent 18 hole course at championship status. It has good facilities including a bar, a driving range, buggy hire, a restaurant and a Pro shop.
La Envia has an 18 hole course of 70 par with fairways, tees, greens and bunkers. The facilities are excellent with a driving range, a Pro Shop, a bar, tuition, buggy hire and a restaurant
Desert Spring has an 18 hole course with fairways, driving range, a Pro Shop, a bar, professional tuition, buggy hire and a restaurant
Golf Almerimar is an 18 hole course where you will not only play a fantastic game of golf, but may also see some of the wildlife that inhabits the surroundings. It has a driving range, a bar, tuition, buggy hire, a Pro shop and a restaurant.
Playa Serena is an 18 hole course, 72 par with numerous water features and bunkers to provide plenty of challenges. It has a driving range, a bar, tuition, buggy hire, a Pro shop and a restaurant.
Marina Golf is an 18 hole, 72 par golf course which is next to the sea so provides excellent views as well as fantastic golf. It has a driving range, a bar, tuition, buggy hire and a restaurant.
Valle del Este is an 18 hole, 71 par golf course which is set in desert landscape and natural surroundings. It has a number of greens and water features. It has a driving range, a bar, tuition, buggy hire and a restaurant.
Car Hire in the Costa Almeria
Why not make your trip to Costa Almeria extra special by spending some time away from your resort and seeing some of the island. If you hire a car for a few days, you will immediately be able to enjoy many of the other features of Costa Almeria.
Car hire in Spain is readily available, cheap and easy to arrange through your tour operator or direct from the hire company
The bigger international companies such as Avis and Hertz are well represented at all the major international airports and you can be sure of certain quality standards. Many firms have representatives on hand at the airport and if you're traveling out of season you can normally book a vehicle on arrival.
A variety of Costa Almeria beaches become easily reached, as well as some really charming towns and smaller resorts. Many of the finest restaurants are located outside the main resorts, and are easily reached by car. Restaurants in Costa Almeria offer a cheap and superbly tasty experience.
Driving is pretty straight forward as all Costa Almeria roads use modern internationally understood road signs.
Transfers from Almeria airport
Arriving at a foreign airport can often be a strenuous affair and with most customers traveling independently these days having a pre-booked airport transfer is an essential part of your holiday package. Local taxis at the airport can sometimes be limited or with long queues, by booking a pre-booked you can not only make a fantastic saving on your transfer but also avoid all the stress of queues and haggling with taxi drivers. Book your airport transfer service here now >>
Airport shuttle bus service from Almeria airport
In most of our gateway airports you can pre-book an Airport Shuttle Service. This is a pre-booked only service that operates between the relevant airport and holiday resort. In normal times you can expect to wait up to 30 minutes for your shuttle bus to arrive however as this is a pre-negotiated service and only available to participating travel companies then expect to pay far less to get from the airport to your destination accommodation than other traditional forms or transport such as local taxis. Book your airport shuttle service here now>>
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