In the Western part of the province some 30 minutes car drive from Almeria city, beneath the Sierra Nevada, lies the region of Almerian ‘Las Alpujarras’. Actually Las Alpujarras is shared between the province of Granada and the province of Almeria. Plenty of small rivers and springs, small whitewashed villages, the tranquility of Mediterranean oaks and vineyards reflect its Arabic past.

Declared a Natural Park in 1987, it was listed by the UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve in 1997. It has an area of 29,000 hectares, reaching from the villages Retamar to Aguamarga, while over 12,000 hectares belong to the protected marine zone. Within the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata you'll find its magnificent beaches and hidden coves, many of which were used as film locations for famous movies. Other locations in the park inspired famous authors like Federico García Lorca. The Natural Park is one of the most attractive tourist attractions in Spain.

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Another unique area on the list of 'tourist attractions in Spain' is the Desert of Tabernas. Located some 30 km from Almeria city and 404 metres high, it is Europe’s only strip of desert that comprises about 2000 km2. It is a desert landscape with almost 3000 hours of sunlight per year, a landscape that has been used as backdrop for many movies and advertising. Some of the movies that were shot in this desert are: "A Fistful of Dollars", "For a few dollars more", "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "King of Kings" and many more. The desert of Tabernas is officially protected since 1989 .

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Situated in the far north of the Province of Almeria, the park has a spectacular beauty. A highlight of this region is the greenery of it's forests, the best preserved in all Almeria province. Moreover, in the Natural Park Sierra María-Los Vélez there are significant archaeological sites and cave paintings. Maybe the "Cueva de los Letreros" (cave of the signs) and other caves are the most important tourist attractions in Spain, found in this area, which is where the famous INDALO was found.

The action of ancient rainwater on the casts of the depression of Sorbas (Almeria) built an underground landscape which is unique in the world. In this karst topography environment there are over 1,000 caves, some quite spectacular carved in alabaster, with miles of galleries full of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as rock crystals that reflect the light that visitors carry on their helmet. The Natural Gypsum Karst of Sorbas is an officially protected area since 1989 and is one of those unique tourist attractions in Spain.

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The reserve is a Mediterranean ecosystem with different natural habitats. There are sandy beaches protected by well preserved dunes reinforced by scrub vegetation, and an area of salt marshes and ponds which provide a rest stop for many species of water birds during their migration. The area also supports a salt industry.

Between the city of Almería, and the Tabernas desert stretches the 8500 hectares natural area of Sierra Alhamilla. It was declared a Nature Reserve and Special Bird Protection Area (ZEPA) in 1989. It's holm-oaks and pines provide an ideal ecosystem for its rich fauna and flora. In the most easternmost part of the Sierra there are the Alhamilla Bath’s, where water flows at a temperature of 57 º C. This spring was known by the Phoenicians and later by the Romans.