Almeria Cruise Holidays
By the standards of many Spanish cities, Almeria doesn’t have the longest history after first been established by Caliph Abd al-Rahman III and it was during its Islamic era when the city would flourish and go onto become a ‘World City’ with Almeria trading silk, oil, and raisins.
It was during that era when the city became wealthy and many of the main sites found there now are from that era but despite offering a different experience for visitors when compared to the more ‘fun in the sun’ style resorts offered as ports of call nearby, there are only a limited amount of cruise lines offering stops in the city.
If you do want to visit Almeria on a cruise, the chances are that you will need to fly to one of the bigger ports in the Med to start your holiday and for the most choices of itineraries, you may need to choose a premium line.
Cruises To Almeria
Almeria Cruise Guide
If you are in the planning stage of your next cruise and would like to visit the city on a cruise of the region and are looking to see what your options are or if you are just trying to decide whether a stop in the city is the right choice for you then out guide brings you all of the information that you need to make an informed decision and to book the best cruise for you.
On the other hand, if you have already booked a cruise that includes a stop at Almeria as part of its itinerary and are wanting to make the most of your time onshore, our guide gives you all of the details you need to do just that.
Type of Cruises Available
If you are wanting a cruise to the Andalusian city, the chances are that you will have to be flexible as there are only a limited amount of options with little to no cruises operating out of the UK.
Most cruises that call into city will be on round trips of historic cities in the region that usually start in large cities either in Spain or Portugal, with Barcelona and Lisbon leading the way.
Another option is to enjoy a repositioning cruise in the Med as these types of cruises usually include more ports of call and less sea days and that means more lines offer smaller ports such as Almeria.
Almeria Cruise Port Location
The port of Almeria is more regularly used a ferry port for services across the Mediterranean Sea to Africa. That means visitors on a cruise will often have to shuttle bus from their berth into the city centre, although it is only a short drive away.
Almeria Attractions
One of the main sites of interest awaiting visitors to the city is the Alcazaba, a 10thcentury fortress that whilst mostly destroyed by an earthquake in 1522 it still remains the 2nd largest Muslin fortress in the region after the Alhambra.
Its more recent history can be seen in the Almeria air raid shelters which were built during the Spanish civil war and which are the longest in Europe that welcomes visitors to explore.
As is the case in the majority of Spanish cities, its Cathedral is a stunning piece or architecture but unlike many, its Cathedral has the look of a fortress about it due to the high crime in the region at the time it was originally built as a mosque.
Other sights include the Renaissance church of Santiago, the Chanca, the Castle of San Cristobel, the museum of Almeria, the Cable Ingles and the Paseo de Coaches promenade complete with beautiful gardens and palm trees.
There are a number of museums in the city that focus on a variety of different parts of the city’s history and culture including the Museo Refugio de la Guerra Civil and the Museum of Almeria, both of which are good options if the weather isn’t great.
For a different experience, Oasys MiniHollywood features a number of movie sets from Westerns and Spaghetti Westerns and it is also a functions filming location which makes it a must visit for fans of the Western genre.
As a city on the Med coast, many may simply want to spend a day at the beach when visiting Almeria and that can be easily achieved as there are a number of beautiful beaches found in and around the city with the Playa de los Genoveses amongst the most popular.
Almeria Shorex
There are a few options available for those wanting to head out of the city on a shore excursion during their time onshore including visiting the nearby historic city and fortress of Alhambra or to the beautiful caves of Nerja.
Another option is to visit the nearby Parque Natural del Cabo de Gato-Nijar- a beautiful coastal national park and area of outstanding natural beauty.
Best Time To Visit
With only a handful of cruises calling into the port each year on the major cruise lines, we would have to say that the best time to visit is when a ship calls in their but as with so many ports on the south coast of Spain, it can be overly hot in the height of summer so if you do have a choice, we would recommend visiting in May/June or September.
Transport
The city has good long distance transportation links including air links to Europe, train links to Madrid and ferry links to north Africa but locally things are mostly restricted to bus services and not really of sue to holidaymakers.
Almeria Cruises From UK
Unfortunately, the opportunities for cruising directly from the UK to Almeria are infrequent at best and that means the majority of visitors will start their cruise from other ports in the Med.
If a cruise itinerary does appear that starts in the UK and calls into the port the chances are that it would be a repositioning cruise that ends in the Med and that has a focus on the smaller and more historic ports in the region.
Almeria Cruise From Southampton
With cruises to Almeria been relatively limited from the United Kingdom, the chances are that you will have the widest range of itineraries, ships and line assailing there from the port of Southampton.
