Los Almendros concentration camp

Los Almendros concentration camp in Alicante marks the site of one of the bleakest closing episodes of the Spanish Civil War. In late March 1939, Francoist forces set up a makeshift camp here to hold thousands of Republican soldiers and civilian refugees who had gathered at the port of Alicante hoping for an evacuation that, for most, never came.

Where was the camp located?

The camp stood in an area known as La Goteta, on the road toward Vistahermosa and the old highway to Valencia — roughly in today's Avenida de Denia district, about three kilometres from Alicante's city centre. "Los Almendros" was never an official name; it stuck because several almond trees grew on the plot. The perimeter was fenced with barbed wire, set up by Italian troops of the Littorio Division fighting alongside Franco's army.

Who was held there?

Most internees were Republican military personnel and civilians who had converged on the port of Alicante in the war's final days, hoping to board ships that would carry them into exile. When the front collapsed after the Casado coup and the Republic's defeat, almost none of the promised evacuation vessels arrived — with the notable exception of the British ship Stanbrook. The thousands left behind on the docks were captured by Francoist forces and funneled into this hastily improvised camp.

How long did the camp exist?

Los Almendros was strictly temporary. Most internees had already been moved out by 4 April 1939, and the camp itself was formally dismantled two days later, on 6 April — barely a couple of weeks after it was set up. From there, prisoners were transferred to more permanent places of detention: the concentration camp at Albatera, Alicante's bullring, Santa Bárbara Castle, the Adult Reform School, and the provincial prison. Many were later sentenced to death by Francoist military tribunals and executed in the years that followed.

What can visitors see there today?

No physical remains of the camp survive — the site has since been absorbed into the growth of the city. A memorial now stands nearby, dedicated to those who were interned there, keeping alive the memory of the spring of 1939. The location is a significant stop on historical memory routes connected to the Civil War and Francoist repression in the Alicante region, and it is visited today mainly for its historical and commemorative value rather than any surviving structure.

Frequently asked questions

What was the Los Almendros concentration camp? A makeshift camp set up by Francoist forces in Alicante in March 1939 to hold Republican soldiers and refugees who had been trapped at the city's port awaiting evacuation.

Why is it called "Los Almendros"? The name was never official — it emerged informally because almond trees (almendros in Spanish) grew on the site.

How long did the camp operate? Only a few weeks: most internees had left by 4 April 1939, and the camp was fully dismantled on 6 April of that year.

Where were prisoners sent after the camp closed? Mainly to the Albatera concentration camp, Alicante's bullring, Santa Bárbara Castle, the Adult Reform School, and the provincial prison, where many later faced execution or long prison sentences.