Cargadero de mineral El Alquife

Cable Inglés reaches out over the water in Almería's harbour, an iron structure built as a loading pier for a very specific job: getting iron ore mined at Alquife straight onto cargo ships. The whole scheme was funded and run by a British company, The Alquife Mines and Railway Company Limited.

Where is it and how do you get there?

The structure stands on the eastern side of Almería's port, right next to the city centre. It's an easy walk from the old town and from the railway station, which makes it one of the more accessible industrial landmarks in the city. Because it sits along the harbour promenade, Cable Inglés also works as a natural viewpoint, with the pier offering views across the bay and back toward the city skyline, with the Alcazaba fortress rising behind it.

What was Cable Inglés built for?

The pier went up in the early 20th century to handle the export of iron ore extracted around Alquife, in Granada province. Ore reached the coast on a purpose-built mining railway, then travelled along the pier itself to be loaded straight onto ships waiting on the deep-water side, skipping the usual transfer through the regular harbour. That setup let large cargo vessels be loaded quickly and kept the whole export chain moving. The structure relies heavily on steel and timber, giving it the light, open framework typical of 19th- and early 20th-century engineering — a style often associated with the era of Gustave Eiffel, even though Eiffel himself had no hand in this particular design. The pier formally opened in April 1904, an event treated as a milestone for the whole city.

What does it look like today?

The ramp kept loading ore for most of the 20th century, until the export route it served lost its importance and it was taken out of service in the 1970s. Rather than tear it down, the city chose to preserve it as a record of the industrial era, and by the late 1990s it had been listed as an asset of cultural interest for its historical, symbolic and aesthetic value. Cable Inglés no longer serves any industrial purpose, but it has become one of Almería's most recognisable landmarks — a favourite photo spot along the waterfront, especially at sunset, when the metal framework stands out sharply against the sky. It's also a natural starting point for a stroll along the harbour promenade back toward the city centre.

Frequently asked questions

What is Cable Inglés? It's a former loading pier in the port of Almería, built to load iron ore from the Alquife mines onto cargo ships.

Who built Cable Inglés? It was financed and owned by the British company The Alquife Mines and Railway Company Limited, and it opened in 1904.

Is Cable Inglés still used for industry? No — it was taken out of service in the 1970s and today is a protected heritage site and a popular attraction in the port.

Why is it worth visiting? It's one of Almería's most distinctive industrial landmarks, an easy walk from the city centre, with good views over the harbour and skyline.