Cerro de San Cristóbal & Cable Inglés
The hill of San Cristóbal sits directly above the Alcazaba and rewards a short, steep climb with an unobstructed 360-degree view: the city grid below, the sea to the south, the Sierra Nevada snowfields to the north-west and the rust-red badlands of the Tabernas desert to the north. Down at sea level, the 19th-century iron ore loading pier known as the Cable Inglés stretches into the harbour like a
The View from the Top
A whitewashed chapel dedicated to San Cristóbal crowns the summit; locals leave flowers and candles at the small shrine inside, and the terrace in front of it is the best place in the city to watch the sun set over the Cabo de Gata headland.
The walk up from the Alcazaba gate takes about 15 minutes on a signed path; the route is exposed so bring sun protection in summer, but in spring the hillside is carpeted with wild rosemary and thyme.
The Cable Inglés Below
Built in 1904 by the British-owned Alquife Mines and Railway Company, the Cable Inglés is a 1,200-metre iron trestle that carried iron ore from inland mines directly into ship holds. It stopped operating in 1974 and has been a listed monument since 1998.
You can walk out along part of the lower pier structure on guided visits organised by the Almería city council; check the municipal tourism website for dates, as access is restricted to protect the structure.
At golden hour the pier photographs magnificently against the deep blue of the harbour — it has appeared in several Spaghetti Western films shot in the region.
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