The Sanctuary of the Virgen del Mar, patron saint of Almería, is a temple conceived as a church of a religious community of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, the Dominicans, who live in the adjoining convent.

The Catholic Monarchs founded the Royal Convent of Santo Domingo in 1492. The church was built in the second quarter of the 16th century, in a period of transition between late Gothic and Renaissance. At the beginning of the 18th century, the convent was renovated, with the construction of the cloister, completed in 1728, and years later, the sacristy, finished in 1764. Following the approval of Pope Pius VII, on 22nd August 1806, the Town Council and the Chapter ratified that the Virgin of the Sea should become the patron saint of the city.

After the disentailment of Mendizábal in 1835, the convent was suppressed, but the church continued to function normally. However, in 1841, the City Council decided to close the church in order to use it as the chapel of the College of Humanities, which was located in the former convent. This situation did not last long, as in 1844 it was reopened to the public to venerate the Virgin of the Sea. In 1899, the Dominicans returned to the city and the church was handed over to them, while a new convent was built next to the disentailed one.

After an arson attack in 1936, the temple was restored again in 1940 under the guidelines of the architect Guillermo Langle and the façade was rebuilt by Pedro Bértiz García.

Although the temple is popularly known as a "Basilica", it is not really so from a liturgical perspective, as it has not been declared a minor Basilica by the Holy See.

As for its structure, it has a Latin cross plan with three naves in the main nave, articulated in three bays. The central nave, wider than the side naves, is separated by cruciform pillars with attached half-columns. The transept is formed by a single transversal nave and the presbytery, with a trapezoidal floor plan, has a hollow in the centre that communicates with the chapel of the Virgin that gives its name to the Sanctuary. It is a polychrome carving of undoubted artistic value, dating from the second half of the 14th century to the mid-15th century.

Iconographically, it represents a Virgin Mother holding the Child Jesus in her right arm. It also has a great historical value for the city of Almería, since the first day the image was found on 21st December 1502 by Andrés de Jaén on the beach of Torregarcía and collected by the prior of St. Dominic, who placed it in the chapel of the church, it has enjoyed great popular fervour.

The sacristy and the rest of the rooms are located near the chancel on the east side, with an entrance that opens onto the transept. The roof of the central nave has a half-barrel vault, reinforced by transverse arches, and the side naves have a tierceron vault. On the outside, the façade has a masonry doorway in the centre, which frames a trilobed opening in its upper part, and is completed with some raised sides and a pinion at the top. The west façade is of simple construction, with a side door framed by mouldings.