What's on in Almería

Almería is the sun-baked capital of the far south-east, a port city beneath a vast Moorish fortress, the Alcazaba, that's second in size only to Granada's Alhambra. Its old quarter of tapas bars (where a free tapa still comes with your drink), the cathedral built like a fortress against pirate raids and the dry, cinematic light of the surrounding deserts give it a character all its own. It's a proper Andalusian working city, not a resort, with the wild Cabo de Gata coast on its doorstep.

The week-long Feria de Almería in August is the city's big blowout of music, casetas and fireworks, while Cooltural Fest brings a major indie and pop line-up earlier in the summer. Here's what's on while you're here.