The city of Almeria is located at the foot of a mountain range which is crowned by the magnificent Alcazaba, an Arab fortress built by the Calph of Cordoba, Abd-erRahman 111 with three huge walled enclosures (in the second of which are remains of a mosque, converted to a chapel by the Catholic kings). In times of war, the Alcazaba could hold an army of more than 20,000 men. From here, there is a good view of the city's famed cave quarter, "Barrio de la Chanca" and of the strange fortified Cathedral with its gothic style construction and renaissance facade. In 1489, the city was taken over by the Catholic Monarchs and its Muslim populace expelled soon thereafter. In 1522, Almeria was devastated by an earthquake and rebuilding and recovery didn't really get underway until the 19th century.

Gastronomic specialities include "Gurullos" (stew with pasta), "Trigo" (stew with grains of wheat, pork, beans and herbs), "Gachas" (hot and spicy clam stew) and "Escabeche e Sardines" (fresh sardines in hot sauce). As well as cultivating tourism over the past decade, Almeria has also cultivated innumerable plastic covered greenhouses and now produces the bulk of the province's fruit and vegetables, much of it for export.

Today Almeria is a bustling city with all the modern attractions that can be expected. The modern Paseo de Rambla splits the city right down the middle and many well known shops and superstores can be found nearby on the Paseo de Almeria. There is a vibrant night life and just cruising the many tapas bars can be a very rewarding experience.

Almeria has a modern airport and train station where most destinations can be achieved with relative ease.

CLICK HERE to go straight to the home page of the new Ibernets (Iberian Property Networks) searchable Web site with thousands of properties to browse both in Mojacar and the rest of the Almeria province. More than 120 different villages and towns to choose from. From Comsec Networks Inc.