Almeria [ Oct 2015 ]

Circuito de Almería track day, October 2015

Circuito de Almería sits in the Tabernas desert in Andalusia, southern Spain, close to the dry, rocky landscape once used as a backdrop for spaghetti westerns. Its reliable sunshine and mild winters make it one of the most popular destinations for European track day organisers, especially when circuits in the UK are cold, wet or closed for the season.

The layout combines a long main straight with a mix of fast sweepers and slower, technical corners, so it rewards smooth lines and consistent braking points more than outright bravery. Quiet sessions, generous run-off areas and warm tarmac make it a good place to build confidence and work on technique lap after lap. Most organisers split the day into groups by experience and pace, so every rider gets plenty of clear track to practise on.

Almeria is the circuit that appears most often in this archive. Going back to the same track across several seasons is one of the best ways to measure progress: the corners stay the same, so every improvement in lines, body position and pace shows up clearly in the photos.

Many riders use Almeria as the place to start a new season or to try a new bike, because the conditions are predictable and the layout is easy to learn. A few sessions are usually enough to settle into a rhythm, which leaves the rest of the day for refining lines, braking and body position.