Almería, Racing Circuit

The Circuito de Almería is a privately owned permanent road course set in the arid, mountainous landscape near Tabernas, in the province of Almería in southern Spain. It was the vision of former rally driver Nono García, who built the original 4.2 km track on his own farmland; it opened in 2000 and was geared from the outset towards testing and corporate events rather than championship racing, capitalising on the region's warm temperatures and exceptionally low rainfall. The flowing layout has notable elevation changes, sweeping corners and a long main straight, giving it an old-school character often compared to Laguna Seca for its topography and setting. With García's son David, a former European 250cc champion, the venue developed a strong motorcycle focus and became a year-round favourite for professional riders such as Jorge Lorenzo, the Espargaró brothers and Tito Rabat, the last of whom helped advise on the design of the adjacent Andalucía Circuit, built to the west in 2016. In 2018 the Andalucía course was extended to include the longest straight in Spain, at around 1.055 km, and could be combined with the original track to form the roughly 9.2 km Iberia Circuit, promoted as the longest permanent circuit in Europe behind only the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The complex remains one of the few entirely privately financed and profitable circuits in Spain, supported by modern facilities including an on-site restaurant and chalets. Teams from MotoGP, World and British Superbikes, the WTCC, DTM and Le Mans have all tested here, and the venue hosted driver selection for the all-female W Series.

Operated by: Spain Circuits Group