por Robert Ward Harris 
A constant question is asked when out with clients who are exploring many of the different areas that Spain has to offer, why Almeria?
Most agents will use their own personal experiences of moving to Spain including their reasons for choosing Almeria as their final spot however this isn’t something I can revert back to.
I was 16/17 when my mum made the decision to “upsticks” and come to Spain and of course I’ll be forever greatful for that decision as I now know what an amazing life one can have here but this obviously wasn’t the case in the beginning after leaving everything and everyone I had known in the UK.
So why did I stay? In less than 18 months after arriving in Spain I turned 18 and could have, if I really wanted to, got on a flight back to the UK and never returned but I didn’t. In fact, I haven’t set foot in the UK for over 12 years now, and this is purely because I came to fall in love with everything Spain has to offer.
First let’s talk about the local culture. Spain is a vast country, and as with every country each region has it’s own mini-culture and that in turn evolves again depending on the village/town/city you look at moving to. We left Redditch (Worcestershire) which had a population of about 80,000 in 2005 and moved to Serón which had a population of less than 2,500. Not only that we moved into a hamlet on the outskirts of the village where we had a grand total of 5 neighbours. The shock was intense to say the least. We went from barely seeing/knowing our many neighbours in the UK to being immediately greeted with handshakes and double kisses within 48 hours by everyone in the hamlet. We tried our best to communicate with our handheld dictionaries which was answered with polite smiles and nods from the neighbours who probably had no idea what we were trying to say. Over the following year we were greeted whenever spotted, given bags and bags of whatever they were growing at the time, invited around for countless coffees and met their entire families who had moved to the provincional capital for studies and work. By the end of the year we were all out in their fields helping with the olive harvest and after a week of work we were gifted boxes of the best olive oil we had ever tasted. I don’t think I had ever experienced that level of neighbourly attention in the UK though my mum swore that this is exactly how it was when she was growing up (minus the olive picking) but sadly was being forgotten. Essentially, 12 months after arriving in Spain I was home.
We can’t talk about Almeria or Spain for that matter without talking about the weather. After almost 20 years of living in Spain I have to say that I now take for granted somewhat the climate of our local area. It’s not even something you register now until you ultimately post a couple of photos on social media of an afternoon stroll along the beach or local hiking trail in the middle of January/February and the only thing your friends in the UK can see are the shades on your sun burnt face and the huge blue skies in the back drop. It might be 15c, which for us is somewhat fresh, but I have to remind myself that this is barbeque weather in the UK! This is also something that even the Spanish from outside of Almeria come to appreciate, remember not all of Spain enjoys Mediterranean weather! I went to Madrid during the Christmas period of 2022 and on the way home (a 5 hour drive) the temperature went up by 15c. We obviously do have our spouts of bad weather though this rarely goes on for longer than a week and when we say “bad weather” it’s typically an afternoon or evening of rain and cloud cover during the day which ruins our property photoshoots!
Another reason many people chose Almeria is their intention of integration. Though I rearly get out of Almeria I have been with many clients that have and they have noted a very common theme. The lack of a “Little Britain” atmosphere here that can be commonly seen in other areas. Sure you can find your Friday fish and chip nights but what you’re not seeing are endless bars run by Brits advertising the cheapest pints in the area which you won’t fail to see full of people before 11am. Here tapas and cafés con leche reign supreme and we’ve found that those that want to move to Almería are all looking for that authentic Spanish vibe and atmosphere, not simply Southend or Blackpool in the sun. The local Facebook forums are full of local events and activities inviting everyone along and it’s great to see that local fiestas are getting the attention they deserve. Language workshops are also set up with many of the townhalls and on more than one occasion I’ve been hearing the Duolingo notifications going off in the back seat as clients practice between properties. The intention from most to integrate into the local culture is obvious every where you look and those that don’t tend to find themselves selling up and returning to the UK.
My final reason for this artile has to be the geography. We’re very blessed to be where we are and again it’s something that you can very easily take for granted if you’re not careful. I myself live in Vera Playa and from my terraces I can see the distant sea to the east and mountains to the south. Between the Mediterranean sea and the Sierra Cabrera mountains we’re looking at just 4km in distance however this mountain range reaches a peak of over 960m (3,150ft). There’s not many places in Europe that can give you such a fast change in topograpghy. A 40-50 minute drive from here will then bring you to the desert of Tabernas which is the only official desert in the whole of Europe and where many of the wild-west movies were filmed. Another 40-50 minutes from Tabernas and you’re in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Almeria where green valleys, streams and waterfalls run all year. Finally, we can’t forget the Cabo de Gata natural reserve either with unspoilt virgen beaches and salt plains where bird watching enthusiasts find themselves in their element. Hell, even if bird watching isn’t your thing, popping down to the Cabo de Gata and watching the flamingos in the lakes in the middle of December is quite a treat! You don’t need to be a mountain trail hiker or cyclist to appreciate what we have around us but if it’s a hobby you haven’t done those trails get addicting very fast, trust me!
These are just some of the reasons why I and many others have chosen Almeria as our adopted home and I’m sure I’ll share even more reasons why in the future but the best way to experience it will be coming out and seeing it for yourself.
Hasta pronto!
