Living in Costa Almeria
Why move to Costa Almeria
The Costa Almeria is desert brought to bloom, attracting residents with a relaxed, bohemian temperament looking for an adventurous, affordable and uncrowded shoreline.
The hottest and driest coast in Spain, the Costa Almeria includes the Levante Almeriense, Almeria and Pimento Almeriense regions. The high average temperatures have created a combination of desert scrubland, greenhouse crops, rugged cliffs and sandy beaches. Popular beach resorts include Vera, Mojacar, Roquetas de Mar and Almerimar.
Mojacar is the most well-known; it was virtually abandoned in the 1950s, so a new Mayor offered to give away the town’s empty houses to anyone willing to fix them up, thus attracting the artisans that rebuilt this now bohemian community. Almeria is the capital city and the gateway to the Costa Almeria due to its international airport. The city has myriad tourist sights, most notably, the vast Islamic fort called the Alcazaba. There are fast-growing urbanisations in or near the towns of Tabernas, Albox, and Desert Springs — a renowned golf resort. Travelling between towns is easy with regular buses and road connections. Trains connect the larger towns to Madrid and beyond. The expat community thrives here, so searching for schools and jobs is relatively easy.
Almeria’s coastline has escaped considerable development and remains largely unspoilt. The Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar to the South protects the Sierra del Cabo de Gata mountains as part of a huge nature reserve. These summits drop directly into the Mediterranean Sea, creating jagged, towering cliffs, riven by gullies that result in hidden coves with white, sandy beaches. Whereas to the North, you’ll find flatter ground, with quaint towns and modern resorts hosting vibrant beach fronts and sands. Golfers never get rained off and film fans can visit Oasys’ Mini Hollywood theme park which is built in the desert used as a location in films such as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘Cleopatra’, ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’, ‘Death had a Price’ and ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’.
