Spain's dry south-east corner: a volcanic coast, the Tabernas Desert and a road to 2,168 metres where the Vuelta has finished three times.
Photo: Eduardo Milla · CC BY-SA 4.0
Almería is dry: the coastal airport station records only about 25 rain days a year. On the coast, the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is the largest protected coastal area in Andalusia – a rugged, volcanic landscape of sharp peaks and crags. Inland lies the Tabernas Desert, often described as the only desert in Europe.
Above it all rises Calar Alto (2,168 m) in the Sierra de los Filabres, crowned by an astronomical observatory. From Gérgal the road climbs 22.4 km and 1,432 m; the Vuelta a España finished there in 2004, 2006 and 2017. Closer to the coast, the Sierra Alhamilla offers shorter hill days, and the white hill town of Mojácar watches over the sea further north-east.
The appeal is space and light: long roads and about 3,100 hours of sunshine a year at the coastal station (see the table).
Editorial Provisional – to verify Our judgement, based on the sources below. Disagree? Ask or suggest a correction.
Coast, desert and high sierra within a short distance: the volcanic Cabo de Gata on the coast, the Tabernas basin inland and the Sierra de los Filabres rising to Calar Alto (2,168 m). The Sierra Alhamilla sits between the city and the desert.
Calar Alto is a genuine high-mountain climb; elsewhere expect rolling roads with long, gentle drags.
Published figures vary slightly with start and finish points; we show one sourced version for each. GPX: [PLACEHOLDER] GPX collection – Release 2
From Gérgal up the Sierra de los Filabres to the observatory on Calar Alto (2,168 m). A second side via Aulago is longer and gentler: 29.2 km at 4.9 %.
Figures: Climbfinder; summit and Vuelta: WikipediaVolcanic coast and quiet roads inside the natural park. Route, distance and elevation – to be added after a GPX check
Shorter hill rides between Almería and the Tabernas Desert. Route, distance and elevation – to be added
Editorial Base-town choice is our editorial judgement.
[PLACEHOLDER] Boutique and cyclist-friendly hotels: bike room, workshop corner, early breakfast
[PLACEHOLDER] Villas and group accommodation with secure bike storage
[PLACEHOLDER] Swimming pools, spas and recovery options near the base towns
Every ride needs a stop. We only list places we have checked – this chapter is being researched for Almería & Mojácar.
October to May is the season – at the coastal station, winter highs are around 17–19 °C with only about three rain days a month. June to September is hot. Calar Alto is 2,000 m higher: expect cold and possible snow on the summit in winter.
| Almería Airport (AEMET) | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °C | 17.0 | 17.6 | 19.4 | 21.3 | 24.3 | 27.8 | 30.5 | 31.2 | 28.2 | 24.5 | 20.3 | 17.9 |
| Avg low °C | 8.7 | 9.2 | 10.9 | 12.9 | 15.8 | 19.3 | 22.2 | 23.1 | 20.2 | 16.6 | 12.3 | 9.8 |
| Rain mm | 21 | 23 | 21 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 25 | 25 | 32 |
| Rain days | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| Sun hours | 195 | 198 | 242 | 270 | 307 | 336 | 353 | 329 | 261 | 226 | 192 | 186 |
| Rating | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Hot | Hot | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Station: Almería Airport (AEMET), 1991–2020 normals. Almería airport is on the coast; the Sierra de los Filabres (Calar Alto, 2,168 m) and Sierra Alhamilla are far cooler, and Mojácar, further north-east along the coast, is not covered by this station. Rain days = days with ≥ 1 mm. Source: Wikipedia – Almería, climate table (source: AEMET OpenData), retrieved 14 Nov 2026. Rating rule: how we rate months.
Desert light, a volcanic coast and a 2,000 m Vuelta summit. Editorial
[PLACEHOLDER] Villages, festivals and traditions worth knowing
[PLACEHOLDER] Walks, swims, wineries, museums – to be researched
Fly: Almería (LEI) is closest; Málaga, Alicante and Murcia are larger alternatives with longer transfers. Direct routes from Switzerland and transfer times – to verify
Bike: bring your own or rent locally. Named rental options – to verify
Independent recommendations only. If we ever earn a commission, the link will be labelled – and it never decides what we recommend.
Availability: Medium Editorial Provisional – to verify
[PLACEHOLDER] Named rental shops and workshops, with date last verified
[PLACEHOLDER] Local bike shops and mechanics, with date last verified
[PLACEHOLDER] Airport transfers for bike boxes, taxis, luggage transfer, public transport
Estimated cost level: € Editorial Provisional – to verify – a relative editorial estimate, not a price.
Estimate your trip budgetReady-to-ride 3-, 5- and 7-day plans – not yet available for this destination. [PLACEHOLDER] price and release date not set
Ask about routes, the best month, rentals, accommodation or logistics. Good questions may become a public FAQ – only with your consent.
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