Europe's sunniest coast, wild coves and short transfers
🌵Costa Almeria
Spain
Updated 1 July 2026
Costa Almeria is the stretch of Andalusian coast that most families fly over on their way to somewhere busier, and that is exactly its appeal. It gets more sunshine hours than anywhere else in Europe, the airport is small enough to clear in twenty minutes, and the resorts of Roquetas de Mar, Mojacar and Vera Playa sit within half an hour of it. Then there is Cabo de Gata, a volcanic natural park of empty bays and clear water that feels nothing like a package coast. It is not the prettiest sand in Spain, some beaches are coarse or pebbly and the greenhouse farming inland is a genuinely strange sight, but for warm, calm, affordable family weeks with a proper adventure attached, it is one of the best value corners of the Mediterranean.
3000+
Hours of sunshine a year
20 to 40 min
Airport to most family resorts
50 km
Of protected coast in Cabo de Gata
18 to 30C
Typical daytime range across the year
Live prices & availability
Stays near Costa Almeria, Spain
We compare Booking, Expedia, Hotels.com and more so you book at the best price. Prices update in real time.
Why it works with kids
- Almeria airport is tiny and most family resorts are 20 to 40 minutes away, so nobody melts down in a transfer coach
- Roquetas and Vera Playa have long flat beaches that shelve very gently, ideal for first swims
- Several hotels include water slides and splash zones, so you rarely need to pay for a water park
- Cabo de Gata natural park turns a beach week into a real adventure: coves, flamingos and volcanic cliffs
- It is cheaper than the Costa del Sol for the same week, often noticeably so
Best areas to stay
- 1Roquetas de Mar: the biggest family resort, with slides, clubs and a flat promenade you can walk end to end with a pram
- 2Mojacar: a long beach below a photogenic white village, quieter at the northern end and lively in the middle
- 3Vera Playa: flat golden sand and very shallow water, the calmest choice for under-sixes
- 4Aguadulce: an everyday Spanish seaside suburb, ten minutes from Almeria city and great value
- 5Almerimar in El Ejido: marina and golf, comfortable and quiet, better for older children than toddlers
- 6Cabo de Gata and Retamar: closest to the airport and to the wild coves, the base for a nature-led week
Our KidProof picks
Hand-picked and scored on the eight things that matter to families.
in Costa Almeria
Protur Roquetas Hotel & Spa
Family suites of around 60 square metres with two separate bedrooms, a living room with a sofa bed and a sea view terrace, which is the configuration that makes a week with three children survivable. Family doubles add two sofa beds to a big double.
in Costa Almeria
Barcelo Cabo de Gata
Around 230 bright rooms, many with sea views, all with a terrace, a bath as well as a shower and plenty of wardrobe space. Family configurations connect two rooms, which is the honest way to sleep five without a sofa bed argument.
in Costa Almeria
Zimbali Playa Spa Hotel
Big, bright rooms with terraces looking over gardens or the sea, plus junior suites and connecting doubles that let a family of five spread out. Cots are free and most rooms take a proper extra bed rather than a fold-out chair.
in Costa Almeria
Playacapricho Hotel
Straightforward rooms with balconies, many facing the sea, and family rooms that take two adults and two children without a squeeze. Decor is functional rather than designer, but the space and the balcony are what you use.
in Costa Almeria
Parador de Mojacar
Large, calm rooms in a low white 1960s building, most with a balcony over the palm gardens or the sea. Family rooms take up to four, and the state-run Parador standard means solid beds, blackout curtains and genuine quiet after ten.
in Costa Almeria
Playadulce Hotel
The reason to book: Wild West themed family rooms with a stagecoach bunk bed and two full bathrooms, which is a genuinely rare configuration at this price. Standard doubles are plainer, so pay the small supplement for the themed family room.
in Costa Almeria
Hotel Best Oasis Tropical
Whitewashed low-rise blocks around the gardens, with balconies and enough room types that a family of four fits without paying for a suite. The 2025 refurbishment brought the bathrooms and beds up to date, ask for a renovated room by name.
in Costa Almeria
Hotel AR Golf Almerimar
Large rooms in Andalusian style looking over the golf course or the marina, with 24 hour room service and enough floor space for a travel cot plus a spare bed. Connecting rooms exist and are the sensible booking for four or more.
Compare our picks in Costa Almeria
| Hotel | Score | Kids club | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protur Roquetas Hotel & Spa | 87 | ✅ Free kids club | 190€ |
| Barcelo Cabo de Gata | 85 | ✅ Free kids club | 235€ |
| Zimbali Playa Spa Hotel | 82 | ✅ Free kids club | 165€ |
| Playacapricho Hotel | 81 | ✅ Free kids club | 110€ |
| Parador de Mojacar | 81 | ✅ Free kids club | 215€ |
| Playadulce Hotel | 81 | ✅ Free kids club | 85€ |
| Hotel Best Oasis Tropical | 79 | ✅ Free kids club | 95€ |
| Hotel AR Golf Almerimar | 77 | — | 125€ |
Browse Costa Almeria by what matters
Family things to do in Costa Almeria
Cabo de Gata coves
Genoveses, Monsul and the little bays around San Jose: no buildings, clear shallow water and volcanic rock to climb on. Bring water, shade and beach shoes, there are no facilities.
Tabernas desert and the western towns
Europe's only true desert, where the spaghetti westerns were filmed. The film-set towns run shootouts, stunt shows and saloon dancing, and children of every age fall for it.
Flamingos at the salt flats
The Cabo de Gata salinas and the Punta Entinas lagoons near Roquetas hold flamingos for most of the year, watched from free roadside hides.
Alcazaba of Almeria
A vast Moorish fortress above the city with ramparts, gardens and cats everywhere. Cheap, shaded in parts and a good rainy-hour or windy-day plan.
Mojacar Pueblo at sunset
The white village stacked on its hill, with a mirador, ice cream shops and lanes narrow enough to feel like a maze to small children.
Parents also ask
When is the best time to go with children?
June and September are the sweet spot: hot sea, long days and lower prices than August. April, May and October are lovely for exploring Cabo de Gata but the sea is bracing, so favour hotels with a heated or indoor pool.
Are the beaches sandy?
It varies more than on other Spanish costas. Vera Playa and Roquetas are proper sand, though greyer and coarser than the Canaries. Mojacar has pebbly patches, and many Cabo de Gata coves are shingle. Pack beach shoes and nobody complains.
Do we need a hire car?
If you stay in Roquetas or Aguadulce, no, you can walk to everything and take buses to Almeria. For Cabo de Gata, Mojacar Pueblo or the desert, yes, and those are the days you will remember.
Is it windy?
Often, especially around Cabo de Gata and on summer afternoons. Plan beach mornings and pool afternoons, and a pop-up windbreak earns its space in the suitcase.
What is the greenhouse landscape people mention?
Inland from El Ejido and Roquetas, thousands of hectares of plastic greenhouses grow much of Europe's winter salad. It looks like a white sea from the plane and is odd rather than unpleasant. The coast itself is unaffected.
Is there much to do out of season?
The resorts get very quiet from November to March and some bars and slides close. Almeria city, the Alcazaba, the desert and Cabo de Gata stay open all year, so an out-of-season trip works if you plan to explore rather than lounge.
Explore all
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