almería: a budget student's desert coast misadventure

i landed in almería with a backpack that smelled like desperation and a wallet that wept every time i thought about tapas. i'm a student, so my travel philosophy is: if it's not free, it's not for me. that said, i managed to scrape together enough for a hostel bed in the city center-which, by the way, is basically a grid of white buildings that blind you if you look directly at them. the sun here doesn't play; it's a full-on spotlight.

i just checked the weather and it's... there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. actually, the stats are weird: 18°c on the thermometer, but it feels like 16.73? i think the air is trolling me. humidity's sitting at a dry 33%, pressure 1022 hpa-whatever that means, it's probably why my skin feels like parchment. the temp_min and temp_max are almost the same, so it's basically a steady, lukewarm blanket over the city. i'm not complaining; it's better than the rain i left behind in germany.

so, almería. it's a port city on the southeastern coast of spain, but it feels like a forgotten corner of the desert that accidentally meets the sea. the vibe is lazy, with fishermen mending nets in the morning and tourists (few, bless them) lingering at the few cafes that have wifi. i'm here for three days and i've already walked the entire beachfront, which is basically a long strip of sand that gets weirdly crowded on sundays. someone told me that the local kids play a game called 'bull' which is basically tag but with more shouting-i witnessed it near the pier and it was chaos.

i've been trying to eat on a student budget. breakfast: a pastry from a panadería for 1.20€. lunch: the 'menu del dia' at a hole-in-the-wall called bar paco-5€ for a plate of something mysterious but delicious. dinner: i usually skip or just grab a banana. i found a list of budget eats on yelp that actually helped: Yelp's cheap eats in Almería but beware, some places close after 3pm and don't reopen until 8pm, which is ridiculous if you're hungry at 4. i also booked my hostel through TripAdvisor's cheap hostels list because they had photos and reviews from actual budget travelers. it cost me 15€ per night for a bunk, which is steep but the location was prime.

i overheard a british tourist in the hostel kitchen saying the alcazaba is free after 6pm but the guard will let you in if you slip him 2 euros. i didn't test it, but it sounded like something from a movie.

a local bartender warned me that the beach at night gets covered in jellyfish. i thought he was joking until i saw a sign that said 'cuidado con las medusas'. so, no midnight swims for me.

someone on a tripadvisor forum claimed that the bus to cabo de gata leaves only twice a day and if you miss it, you're stuck. i missed it. they were right.

the alcazaba itself is a moorish fortress that overlooks the city. i went at sunset, and the view was insane-the whole city sprawls below, and the mediterranean glows orange. there's a tiny garden inside that smells like jasmine and dust. i sat there for an hour, just breathing. it cost 1.50€ for entry, which is basically a steal. you can check the official site for opening hours and tickets before you go.

i also took a day trip to cabo de gata-níjar natural park. the landscape is like another planet: volcanic cliffs, white villages, and beaches that look photoshopped. i took the bus from the main station (it's the number 3, leaves at 9am and returns at 5pm). bring water, sunscreen, and a hat. i learned the hard way that the sun here doesn't care about your SPF. i got a tomato-red nose that lasted two days. pro tip: the park's visitor center has free maps and they'll stamp your passport if you ask nicely. also, the bus schedule is a mystery, but this site Almería bus schedules saved my bacon.

now, about those images i promised (well, i didn't promise but i'm sharing anyway). here's what the beach looks like with the mountains in the distance:

and here's a storm rolling in over the city-which actually happened on my second night. the sky turned green, then purple, and it rained for about ten minutes. the whole city panicked as if it never rained. it was hilarious.

if you're itching for a bigger city vibe, Granada's only about two hours east by bus, and Malaga's a straight shot west if you wanna trade desert for coast. but honestly, almería's got a slow pace that's kind of infectious. i find myself napping after lunch like the locals do. the concept of 'siesta' is real here; shops close from 2 to 5, and everyone just... stops. it's annoying if you need something, but it's also kind of beautiful.

i've been using this local forum called 'almería secretos' to find hidden beaches and cheap homestays. it's in spanish, but google translate gets you 90% there. also, the tourist office near the cathedral has free maps and they'll recommend things that aren't on the main websites. i asked about a cheap place to buy a bottle of water, and they pointed me to a supermarket that's 0.50€ cheaper than the corner stores. little wins.

i also got lost trying to find the market one day. ended up in a residential area where an old lady invited me in for lemonade. she didn't speak english, but we communicated via gestures and she gave me a bag of almonds. that's the kind of stuff that happens here.

overall, almería is a weird mix of desert and sea, of old moors and modern spain. it's not the typical postcard spain, which i love. as a budget student, i spent about 40€ a day including accommodation (hostel bed was 15€). that's doable if you avoid the tourist traps. i'll probably come back in the winter when it's even cheaper and the crowds are gone. until then, i'm just going to sit on this bench and watch the fishermen. someone told me that if you bring a bottle of local wine to the pier at dusk, they'll let you help haul in the nets. i haven't tried it yet, but i'm tempted.

what are you waiting for? book a bus ticket, pack a hat, and get here before everyone else discovers it. just check the weather first-it's doing its own thing.