The climate here is sub tropical Mediterranean with the most hours of sunlight in Europe (around 3,200 per year).

Despite this climate (the healthiest in Europe according to the World Health Organisation) and some beautiful beaches it escaped the depredations of the package boom in the 60s and 70s essentially due to the lack of a convenient international airport, as Alicante is some three hours away. 

Nowadays Almeria's own airport, called naturally enough Almeria, is now operational and very convenient being situate just outside Almeria city with direct motorway access. 

Apart from scheduled flights the budget airlines run direct flights especially during the holiday season. 

It is an area of tremendous interest to tourists and residents alike and has been shelter to diverse peoples and civilization from pre history onwards. 

The metal age culture brought all Mediterranean cultures into contact and Almeria was well placed to benefit from this. 

There are numerous Phoenician and Carthaginian remains in the province, which fell under Roman control during Scipio's campaign. (click for more)

IBERIAN PENINSULA

With the Roman occupation came, organisation, roads and the exploitation of the provinces mineral resources especially Macael marble (to this day Macael produces 95% of Spain’s marble).

With the fall of the Roman Empire Almeria was later occupied by Vandals then Visigoths and a very brief occupation by Byzantines.

A few centuries had to pass before the Province reached its historical and political peak with the arrival of the Moors in Andalusia (El Andaluz).  

The region was under Muslim rule from 955 to 1489 with a brief period of Christian occupation from 1147 to 1157.  This was a period of great tolerance and learning and it is said that, during “The Dark Ages”, Europe’s store of knowledge was totally reliant upon the Muslim influence.  Muslim, Jew, Christian and others studied together in harmony at the universities. 

Equally there was some magnificent building work including of course the famous Alhambra palace (which is not in Almeria but is within El Andaluz).

Also click The Alhambra Granada for more views 

In the late 15th  century

Christian armies attacked Moors throughout Southern Spain where the battles were long and bloody but eventually they triumphed although  it was really the early 1700s before sporadic outbreaks of violence were suppressed.  [ more info  ...Moors in Andalucia ]

Thus began a period of fundamentalist Roman Catholicism,  which justified many atrocities committed around the globe as the Spanish Empire became established. [ Timeline ] 

From the destruction of the South American Civilisations through to the Spanish Inquisition there was a trail of death , and bigotry blazed. 

It is interesting that the Conquistadores always had a priest handy to provide justification and absolution for their deeds.

Of course, the odd ton or so of gold to send back to the Spanish King was quite helpful. 

This also aided the prosperity of the British “self employed” buccaneers and privateers based around the Caribbean who longed for the sight of a lumbering Spanish treasure ship in the sights of their cannon in the fast moving war ships which they preferred.  

Today  we see a significant South American influence in the region although nowadays they are more likely to be the beneficiaries of the arrangement. 

Fast forwarding  to 1936  the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War [...more info]saw the region thrown into turmoil  and even today,  in the words of John Cleese “ Don't mention the War”   This is a hot blooded country and old enmities and allegiances  die hard!

Now for a brief mention of the upheaval caused by the invasion in the 1960s!

In those days some grasp of the Spanish language was an essential as indeed it was as little as 8 years ago.  The attractions especially on the coast included (in our local seaside resort of Mojacar)  free property  (provided one gave an undertaking to refurbish the building)   The light was considered extremely good and a thriving artist´s colony was established, boosted no doubt by the importation of exotic smoking materials from Morocco!

It is quite fascinating to see how film sets are made, for example one building is a bank on the outside but once through the door becomes a jail.  If ever you visit Almeria it is well worth a pilgrimage to walk along the streets in the footsteps of Clint Eastwood...

2010...

Mini-Hollywood and the Almería Film Industry

I was reading recently of Sergio Leone and his Spaghetti Westerns,  which launched Clint Eastwood to International stardom produced on an extremely low budget (that for Fist Full of Dollars, was a mere 200,000 for the entire movie) and Eastwood had to bring his own clothing boots, hat poncho and all for the filming and slept with his gear every night so it wouldn’t be stolen.

Interestingly Leone spoke no English and Eastwood spoke no Italian an interesting beginning perhaps.  When the script called for a tree with a noose tied to it they had to scour the countryside to find one, not easy in Europe´s only desert and it is said that they finally found one, cut it down and stole it from a farmer’s yard! 

FOR MORE CLICK HERE !

Unlike the other Costas, Almeria has remained essentially bi lingual with English being very much the second language rather than the polyglot societies of the other Costas. 

This has resulted in a charming seaside resort with fine beaches and catering for all ages.  Many city Spaniards have holiday homes in the region where wives and school children spend the three months or so of the summer holidays whilst the poor old Hombre continues slaving in the heat of Madrid or wherever except for a welcome break at the weekend.

This development and modernisation continues although we take a dim view of certain aspects for example the introduction of speed bumps, and yellow lines etc even in our little pueblo!

On the other hand at least there is now a two-lane bridge to get here as until about 4 years ago access was afforded only by a single-track bridge which could produce some interesting situations as there were no rights of way signals etc.!

To see more click this link  ... ALMERIA 

As I have commented before Almeria is in the process of dragging itself into at least the C20 with mixed benefits. 

I have pointed out that speed bumps are cropping up regularly and initially our neighbours in the pueblo discovered a solution. 

As you can see from the photograph above the council initially installed bolt down ‘sleeping policemen’ ...

...but what goes down must come up and if it bolts down then it unbolts up as the people of the pueblo discovered as shown below !

Its not that easy to fool the authorities however, and the bolt down bumps have since been replaced by tarmaced  jobs. 

Oh well there’s always a down side!

 
Regarding snakes, yes we do have them although far fewer than when we first arrived probably due to the increased development of the area.  It is said that they are generally of no danger to humans because local species are "back fanged"

I am not going to put this to the test!

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DIARY DAYS IN SPAIN