Almeria

I've done a search but found no information on this port of call. Can anyone offer advice please? Is it interesting in it's own right or a place from where you recommend an excursion to elsewhere? And if so where? I'd be very grateful for any feedback.

Try Google for a description, etc. of Almeria.

I am going there in 'Adonia' later this month and found some good information in Google.

Poole

Try Google for a description, etc. of Almeria.

 

I am going there in 'Adonia' later this month and found some good information in Google.

 

Poole

Thanks for that. :) I'll do another search.

Is your 'name' indicative of where you live? If so, you're just down the road from us - and it's all looking pretty grey today. Again! :rolleyes: Will be good to get somewhere a little sunnier - hope you enjoy your trip. :) We go next month so hoping it's still fairly warm.

The trip to Granada is a must do. But the last time we visited Almeria, several of the people we knew just spent the day in town. You can see most of the town from the ship. And the view of the Alcazar from the ship is fantastic. I am taking another tour but hope to walk around a little bit of Almeria before going back to the ship. The town is on a hill so there would be quite a bit of uphill walking.

The trip to Granada is a must do. But the last time we visited Almeria, several of the people we knew just spent the day in town. You can see most of the town from the ship. And the view of the Alcazar from the ship is fantastic. I am taking another tour but hope to walk around a little bit of Almeria before going back to the ship. The town is on a hill so there would be quite a bit of uphill walking.

Thanks for that Storylady. We visited Alhambra on a previous visit (from Malaga) and I agree it's a great trip. Having done that particular excursion though, we were looking for something different to do in the area this time. We have tentatively planned to do a half-day trip from here to Mojacar (ship's excursion) but this will give us some free time in Almeria in the afternoon. Thank you for your comments - it seems as though we will find a few hours spent in Almeria of interest. That's good to know. :)

you could look at going to 'Mini Hollywood' where they filmed some of the Clint Eastwood movies.

Went there a few years ago, DW loved the re-enactments of the cowboy scenes. It had quite an effect on her :)

http://spainforvisitors.com/archive/features/aa081501a.htm

maybe hire a car for the day?

you could look at going to 'Mini Hollywood' where they filmed some of the Clint Eastwood movies.

Went there a few years ago, DW loved the re-enactments of the cowboy scenes. It had quite an effect on her :)

 

http://spainforvisitors.com/archive/features/aa081501a.htm

 

maybe hire a car for the day?

Thanks, that's an interesting alternative! Decisions, decisions - but all part of the fun of anticipating the trip! :)

Just thought I'd report back on our experience of Almeria in case it's of any help to others.

Clearly a trip to the Alhambra Palace is the big attraction here although it could only be done by ship's excursion, private tour or car hire I think as it is some way distant. When we went previously, there were timed entry tickets to the Harem so for anyone doing it independently it would be worth checking this out before you go in case you need to book ahead.

The trip we did this time was a half-day excursion through the Tabernas Desert where as has been already mentioned are the 'towns' created for the Spaghetti Westerns of the 70's. Many have now been converted into theme parks. we were able to view one from outside at a photo stop. The drive through the desert was interesting and with a good guide, very informative. We then stopped at a small village Sorbas(?) which was very quiet as it was a Sunday. However we went to a pottery where there was an extensive range of very reasonably priced items for sale - pity about the luggage allowance!

Next door was a bar where two coffees with complimentary doughnuts were 3.50E - a bargain and a place with some character too.

The final destination was Mojacar, a pretty little town with fantastic views. we enjoyed our excursion immensely.

The afternoon we had planned to visit the Alcazabar in almeria - an extensive building which commands an imposing position in the town. unfortuantely because it was sunday it closed early. But a must-see if we go again.

We thought Almeria was lovely - and the ship berths right in town. We would enjoy a repeat visit there.

If anyone has previously rented a car in Almeria, could you tell me how it went? I want to take the coastal road to Cabo de Gata and am curious if it is an easy drive and if the direections are clear. Also, will the rental agencies pick cruise passengers up at the port, or must we get to the airport independently?

Also, if there is public transportation along the coastal road, I'd be interested. I just haven't found much info on this option.

THANKS!

Hi,

It has been some time since my inquiry and I wanted to pass along some info since this is not the easiest port for which to plan.

I was hesitant about renting a car because I had never been there. There were some good deals to be had in advance online, but the closer I got to our departure, they were exponentially more expensive and I had trouble communicating the finer details when I called the local offices. I wasn't keen on taking a taxi to the airport for some of the agencies. So I waited. We visited the local tourism office upon arrival (it's within walking distance from the ship), hoping they would help us find a rental. They were very nice and helpful. Being a weekend, all agencies were fully booked. Lesson learned: if you want to rent a car in Almeria, make arrangements in advance.

We ended up having a fantastic day anyway! We went back to the ship where we had picked up a local taxi tour brochure. I'll try to find the brochure, but as I recall it was about 50 Euros total per car for several hours. We were driven to the Lighthouse (Faro) of Cabo de Gata and it was a beautiful coastal drive. We stopped several times along the way, including at the flamingo habitat.

The taxi company offered several tours/routes at reasonable rates. I would use them again in a heartbeat (the only issue: communication. But we pointed to the specific tour we desired on the brochure and he used hand signals to indicate our free time at our stops.) They were lined up outside the ship.