The Costa Almeria consists of 200 kilometres of coastline fringing the south east corner of mainland Spain. Come to this particular ‘Costa’ if you’re seeking uncluttered beaches and an altogether more relaxed sun and sand holiday than you’ll find on the far busier Costa del Sol.
The cost of living is also considerably lower meaning that your holiday budget or funds for a holiday home in the sun go a lot further than other more pricier parts of Spain.
Almeria is the richest province in Andalucia due to its economy based on intensive agriculture producing 3.7 million tons of fruit and vegetables annually with an annual export value exceeding €2.2 billion in 2024. The region is home to Europe’s only desert and hundreds of Spaghetti westerns were filmed here along with some mega movies including Lawrence of Arabia and Raiders of the Lost Ark as well as Dune Part Two in 2023.
The Costa Almeria’s busiest tourist resort is Mojacar, to the north east of Almeria city. The bustling beachfront is a hive of activity throughout the summer months and there are plenty of watersports, bars, restaurants and entertainment facilities to keep foreign visitors happy. The coastal resort is overlooked by the charming hilltop town of old Mojacar – a sugar cube confection of Arab-style houses clustered beneath an impressive Moorish fortress.
At the very south eastern tip of Almeria province lies a wild and untouched nature reserve called Cabo de Gata – home to various exotic flora and fauna and a magnet for scuba divers who come from far afield to marvel at the wealth of marine life to be found in these crystal-clear waters.
August is the hottest month in Almeria with an average temperature of 26.5°C (80 °F) and the coldest is January 12.5°C (55°F) with 320 days of sunshine a year. Almeria´s skies are also some of the clearest in Europe. Europe´s most powerful telescope has been installed here, near Gergal in the Sierra Alhamilla mountain range with an annual average of 3,000 hours of sunshine.
The Almeria coastline is probably one of the least crowded and one of the most spectacular in Spain. Beaches of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park are in an area of protection, a place where nature is of key importance. Many of these beaches are so isolated they can only be reached on foot, their natural beauty is well worth the effort required to reach them.
The more touristy areas of Almeria offer a fabulous all-round holiday destination with quality resorts that remain typically Spanish in tradition. All of the resort beaches in Almeria are well maintained, and offering all the amenities one would expect with life guards, red cross services, water sports, play areas for children, showers, and plenty of bar and restaurant facilities. In 2024, Almería was awarded 36 Blue Flags for its beaches and marinas, reflecting its commitment to environmental quality and safety standards.
The most well-known nudist beach in Almeria is the Levante beach of El Playazo Vera Playa, here not only the beach is naturist, there is a designated area of the resort which includes urbanisations, restaurants, and bars that are also naturist.
The province of Almería with its long Mediterranean coastline is a relative latecomer to the second home market. Until the early 2000s, resorts like Almerimar, Mojácar, San José and Vera were the domain of hotels and properties belonging to families for generations rather than popular places to buy a holiday home. The arrival of the property boom in
Spain changed the panorama completely and all resorts saw new developments spring up as Almería made its mark on the Spanish second home market map. Over 20 years later, the province is a well-established holiday destination. In 2024, Almeria Airport recorded over 1.1 million passengers, with tourism numbers reaching an all time high of 2.8 million. Visitors were drawn to its natural parks, unspoilt beauty, culture and gastronomy. Foreigntourists represented 25% of tourist arrivals up from 16% in 2008 with the majority from the UK and Central Europe.
This popularity is echoed in the holiday home sector, which like the Spanish second home market generally, has seen steady recovery since 2015. Almeria’s relative obscurity has kept property prices in the region much lower than in high profile resort areas such as the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol. Affordable holiday homes and a proliferation of ‘off-plan’ developments have combined to bring an increasing number of expats to live here, either for part of the year or on a permanent basis to either work or retire. International buyers, particularly from the UK, Germany, and Scandinavia, account for 30% of holiday home purchases. The extension of the AVE high-speed train to Vera, set to be completed in 2026, is expected to further boost tourism and property interest in the area.
