Almeida, a strongly fortified town of Portugal, in the province of Beira, near the Spanish frontier, 20 m. W. of Ciudad Ro-drigo, on the river Coa; pop. about 8,000. One of the foremost strongholds of the kingdom, it was taken by the Spaniards in 1762, and by the French in 1810. When in 1811 Wellington compelled the retreat of the French from Portugal, the latter destroyed a large part of the fortifications, but these were soon restored by the British. In 1844 the insurrectionists, under Bomfim, held Almeida a few weeks against the troops of the queen.