Circuito de Almería
Circuito de Almería at a glance
- Location
- Tabernas, Andalusia
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 4.03 km (2.505 mi)
- Turns
- 14
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Elevation change
- 164 ft
- Opened
- 1999
- Owner
- Private (Circuito de Almería / Andalucía Circuit complex)
- Address
- N-340a, km 483
- Website
- almeriacircuit.com
Track map and layout
Circuito de Almería sits in the Tabernas desert, Europe's only true desert and a favourite Spaghetti Western filming location, and combines a demanding, undulating layout with an unusually dry, sunny climate that makes it one of the continent's most used winter test venues. The original circuit is 4.03 km with 14 corners (8 right, 6 left) and elevation change of over 50 metres, among the largest of any Spanish circuit. A newer, adjacent layout, the Andalucía Circuit (5.02 km, 17 turns, opened 2016), was built alongside it, and the two can be joined into a combined 9.22 km 'Iberia' configuration featuring the longest straight in Spain at just over a kilometre. Between them, the complex is used almost year-round by MotoGP, WorldSBK, endurance and single-seater teams for winter testing.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Circuito de Almería | 4.03 km | 4.03 km, 14 turns; the original circuit |
| Andalucía Circuit | 5.02 km | 5.02 km, 17 turns; opened 2016 alongside the original |
| Iberia combined layout | 9.22 km | 9.22 km, links both circuits with Spain's longest straight (about 1.06 km) |
Events and race weekends
Almería is not a world-championship race venue but a major testing and track-day facility. MotoGP, WorldSBK, Le Mans/WEC, DTM and single-seater teams regularly use it for private winter testing thanks to its reliably dry, mild climate between September and May, while the circuit also hosts the Andalusian Motorcycle Speed Championship and other regional and national racing series plus a heavy calendar of organised track days.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campeonato de Andalucía de Velocidad | Regional motorcycle road racing | varies (spring-autumn) | regional championship round |
Getting there and parking
The circuit is in Tabernas, roughly 30-40 minutes' drive from Almería Airport and the city of Almería. There is no rail station at the circuit; the nearest useful stations are in Almería city, from which visitors continue by hire car or taxi, as the desert site has no meaningful public transport links.
- Almería Airport (LEI) · about 35 min drive
- Murcia-Región de Murcia Airport (RMU) · about 90 min drive
Parking
Free on-site parking is available for testers, teams and track-day participants.
The site is isolated in the desert with few amenities nearby, so arrange accommodation and fuel in Tabernas or Almería before travelling out for the day.
Hotels and camping near Circuito de Almería
The circuit itself offers limited paddock accommodation (basic double rooms close to the pit boxes) aimed at testing teams, but most visitors base themselves in the town of Tabernas or, for a wider choice of hotels and restaurants, the city of Almería, about 30-40 minutes away.
Where to look
Tabernas (closest, small town) and Almería city (30-40 minutes away, wider hotel choice and coastal amenities) are the practical bases; the circuit's own paddock rooms suit teams staying for multi-day testing.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Almería's dry winter climate has made it one of Europe's most popular cold-season track-day destinations, particularly for riders from northern Europe escaping wet weather at home. Several specialist operators run car and motorcycle track days at the circuit through the winter and into spring, alongside private team testing.
Who runs days here
- PlanTrackDay (Almería)motorcycle
- ProveLibere Motomotorcycle
- Trackdays.co.uk (Almería)motorcycle
Spectator guide
As primarily a testing and track-day facility rather than a major spectator venue, Almería has limited permanent grandstand infrastructure; viewing for the regional championship rounds it does host is mostly from general admission areas around the paddock and main straight.
Seating
Limited grandstand seating near the pit straight; general viewing elsewhere around the circuit for the races it does host.
Best places to watch
Areas near the pit straight and Turn 1 give the best combination of racing action and paddock atmosphere.
Weather
- November-March: Europe's driest, sunniest winter climate; mild days around 15-22°C, key reason teams test here
- June-August: very hot desert summer, highs often above 35°C
History of Circuito de Almería
A desert circuit built for testing
Circuito de Almería opened in the Tabernas desert, Europe's only true desert region and long a filming location for Spaghetti Westerns, taking advantage of a climate that is among the driest and sunniest in Europe. The original 4.03 km, 14-corner layout was designed with significant elevation change by Spanish standards, giving it a more demanding, flowing character than many flatter Spanish circuits. Its remote, arid setting near Almería quickly made it attractive not for spectator racing but for private team testing, where reliable weather matters more than crowd capacity.
Expansion and the Iberia layout
In 2016 a second, adjacent circuit, the Andalucía Circuit, was built alongside the original, adding a 5.02 km, 17-turn layout with Spain's longest straight at just over a kilometre. The two tracks can be linked into a combined 9.22 km configuration known as the Iberia layout, giving the complex exceptional flexibility for everything from short club sessions to full-scale endurance and manufacturer testing.
A winter testing hub
Today the Almería/Andalucía complex is one of the busiest winter testing venues in Europe, used by MotoGP, WorldSBK, Le Mans and single-seater teams escaping wetter, colder conditions further north between roughly September and May. Alongside private team testing it hosts regional motorcycle road racing and a substantial calendar of public and semi-public track days, with riders and drivers from across northern Europe travelling south specifically to make use of its dry-weather guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Circuito de Almería?+
The original circuit is 4.03 km (2.505 miles) with 14 corners; the adjacent Andalucía Circuit adds a 5.02 km, 17-turn layout, and the two can be combined into a 9.22 km 'Iberia' configuration.
Why do MotoGP and WorldSBK teams test at Almería?+
The Tabernas desert setting gives the circuit one of Europe's driest, sunniest winter climates, making it a reliable venue for pre-season testing when much of the continent is cold and wet.
Can the public ride or drive at Circuito de Almería?+
Yes. Alongside private team testing, several operators run organised motorcycle and car track days at the circuit, especially popular during the dry winter season.
How far is Circuito de Almería from Almería city?+
The circuit is in Tabernas, roughly 30-40 minutes' drive from Almería city and its airport.
Does Circuito de Almería host world championship races?+
No, it is used primarily for private testing, track days and regional motorcycle racing rather than world-championship rounds, though it is one of the sport's most-used winter test venues.
Other tracks nearby
- Circuito Mike G Guadix · 71 km · road course
- Circuito de Albacete · 220 km · road course
- Ascari Race Resort · 242 km · road course
- Circuit Ricardo Tormo · 308 km · road course
- Valencia Street Circuit · 319 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto · 327 km · road course
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.