The Spanish town that stole John Lennon’s heart: Almeria 60 years after Beatlemania

It’s where spaghetti Westerns were filmed and John Lennon wrote Strawberry Fields Forever. Today, sun-drenched Almeria makes for a perfect autumn break.

Tucked in Spain’s south-east between Europe’s only desert and the Med is a coastal city with a star-studded past.

In the 1950s and 1960s this was the ‘Costa del Hollywood’, with many a spaghetti Western shot in the adjoining Tabernas Desert starring the likes of Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef.

The ‘scene’ even inspired a Beatle. John Lennon arrived in 1966, accompanied by his wife Cynthia, to film the black comedy How I Won The War, fresh from a sell-out US tour.

Back then, as Cynthia later recalled, General Franco’s Almeria was a deeply traditional city where donkey carts plied the streets and widows wore black.

Now, though, Almeria is transformed. The city centre, a tangle of handsome pastel-hued buildings, has become a hub of art and creativity – and the autumn is a great time to go as temperatures hover around 20C (68F). So it’s warm enough for alfresco lunches and cool enough to explore the 1,000-year-old Alcazaba fortress.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the so-called ‘Costa del Hollywood’ was the backdrop for How I Won The War, in which John Lennon (left) appeared

A sculpture of John Lennon in Almeria which pays tribute to his time here in the 1960s

One of the big cultural draws is the new Art Museum of Almeria, which showcases works by contemporary Almerian artists, while the recently opened MuReC is dedicated to the contemporary realism movement.

For a splash of history, step back into the 11th century at the Barrio Andalusi archaeological site. 

The nearby, oh-so-sleek Aire Hotel and Ancient Baths, where I’m staying, is a hushed, low-lit haven, with flickering candles; an ideal base. The building’s vault has been converted into Roman-style baths, while the rooftop features a plunge pool and solarium.

Yet for all Almeria’s new gloss, there’s plenty of authentic Andalusian charm. Join locals at the Central Market, where fresh seafood sizzles on grills. Take a seat by an old wine barrel and enjoy a decent drop with a slice of jamon at one of the alluring tiled tapas bars.

It’s all so Spanish, until you stumble upon a bronze statue of Lennon guitar in hand in Plaza de las Flores.

It was during his stay here that Lennon cut his hair short and began wearing those metal-rimmed granny glasses (initially for his acting role as Private Gripweed) but he loved them so much, he kept them.

A Tabernas Desert mini Hollywood film set demonstrates the cultural feel of Almeria. Right: Fresh seafood abounds, with fried fish a delicacy

The Aire Hotel and Ancient Baths hotel features Roman-style baths

Lennon, who turned 26 in Almeria and whose rental villa is now a popular film museum, was joined for a while by Ringo Starr and his first wife Maureen. 

And, on a night out, they were all to be dazzled by a performance of local flamenco guitarist Pepe Richoly.

That rich thread of flamenco continues, especially in the old fishermen’s quarter, La Pescaderia. Here, I catch a show at La Canastera, an intimate bar where two young local musicians pluck guitars and lament with a mournfulness beyond their years. 

Beatlemania may be long gone in this corner of Spain, but the music goes on.