Laura Harrison

TEFL Course Advisor

Cactus Worldwide Ltd

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Almería, a small city on southeast coast of Spain, is a great place to study Spanish with a variety of language schools, fine beaches, a lively night life, interesting architecure, and a Mediterranean climate.

History

Almería is the capital of Almería Province and was founded by the caliph of Cordoba, Abd ar-Rahman III, in 955. The name Almería comes from the Arabic المرية (Al-Mariyya), which means “the mirror” – the Moors compared it to a “mirror of the sea”. Towards the end of the 10th century the caliph had a great fortess built – the Alcazaba – which still stands and is well worth a visit.

Sights

Other sights worth a visit include the cathedral, which resembles a fortress and was built in that way to defend the city and it’s inhabitants against pirates, many others churches and other religious buildings, and La Rambla, a park that runs through the city from the mountains to the port with the old part of the city on one side and the new part on the other. In the old part of the city there’s no shortage of bars and restaurants to choose from, as well as the Olive Oil Museum and other interesting sights.

In the nearby Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park you can explore a protected part of the coast with a great wealth of flora, fauna, beaches, small islands, wetlands, cliffs and a semi-desert area. There are also picturesque small fishing villages.

Climate

The climate in Almería is sunny, warm and dry with over 3,000 hours of sunshine and only 25-30 wet days per year. Average temperatures during the summer are 28-34°C and rarely fall below 20°C, while the sea is around 26°C, so great for swimming. In the winter there tends to be a few short, heavy showers and the temperature are a warm 14-20°C.

Getting there

Almería is connected to the rest of Europe via its international airport, which is a short bus or taxi ride from the city. There are also ferries from Almería’s port to Algeria, Morocco and Melilla, one of the Spanish enclaves on the north coast of Morocco.

Spanish courses

The Spanish language schools in Almería offer general and intensive Spanish language courses, and also combinations of Spanish with activities such as sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving, riding, dancing and cooking. Some also offer exam preparation courses and business Spanish courses. Even if you don’t do a combined Spanish and activities courses, the schools can arrange evening activities and weekend trips.