Atletico raced into a 2-0 interval lead with strikes from Simao Sabrosa and Diego Forlan, only to see that overturned as the hosts came roaring back at the start of the second half.
The visitors had lost Ever Banega to a second yellow card in the 38th minute and Villarreal took full advantage of the extra man, Marcos Senna, Joseba Llorente, Gonzalo and Guiseppe Rossi all getting on the scoresheet.
However, late goals from Simao and Raul Garcia rescued an unlikely point for the visitors from a game in which Villarreal dominated possession and chances.
After falling victim to an early goal in last weekend's Madrid derby, Atletico wasted no time in making their mark on this clash as Simao netted from outside the box with 60 seconds barely on the clock.
The Portugal midfielder latched on to a ball from Mariano Pernia and hammered an instant shot in off the underside of the crossbar with home keeper Diego Lopez still rooted to the spot.
The hosts were shell-shocked but soon responded with a wave of attacks on the visitors' goal.
Rossi got on the end of a Llorente cross but couldn't direct his header on target before Llorente went close with a couple of headers from Senna crosses, the first saved by Leo Franco down to his left, the second dropping wide of the target.
For all the territorial advantage Villarreal were having, it was Atletico who went further ahead after 22 minutes, Forlan hooking home a left-footed shot from a central position inside the 18-yard box.
Atletico's recent troubles showed signs of resurfacing though when Banega was sent off after collecting his second booking for a needless foul on Joan Capdevila.
And worse was to come as, three minutes after the restart, Senna tried his luck with a harmless looking shot from 30 yards and was surprised to see it squirm through the grasp of Leo Franco and into the net.
Three minutes later, Villarreal were level when Llorente poked home a throughball from Rossi to round off a swift counter attack.
Then just before the hour-mark, Rossi lifted a free-kick into the area to find three yellow shirts totally unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box as the Atletico defence attempted to push up and play them offside.
The flag stayed down and Robert Pires cushioned the ball into the path of Gonzalo who smashed the ball into the roof of the net and wheeled away in jubilation.
Villarreal were now threatening to run riot and it was no surprise when they added a fourth when Rossi fired home a left-foot shot on 68 minutes.
At that stage, the points appeared to be going only one way but the complexion of the game changed again when Simao hit a right-footed shot into the bottom corner on 83 minutes.
The hosts suddenly became nervy and were punished when Garcia headed home an in-swinging free-kick from Simao to snatch a dramatic draw.
Samuel Eto'o bagged a first half hat-trick and further goals from Thierry Henry and Dani Alves saw Pep Guardiola's side race into a five-goal lead at the interval.
And Almeria were forced to play the entire second half with 10 men after Alvaro Negredo was dismissed for a frustrated lunge on Rafael Marquez.
It was the Catalans' second 5-0 win in a week after Wednesday's demolition of FC Basle in the Champions League.
And Barcelona came into this came on the back of eight successive victories in total.
The Catalans had scored 29 times in 10 matches to become Europe's most prolific attacking side this season, but Guardiola rejected comparisons with Johan Cruyff's mythical `Dream Team' in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
However, Barca quickly had their fans drooling again with their penetrating brand of touch football.
Just five minutes had elapsed when the first goal went in.
Yaya Toure's ball from deep was only half-cleared by the Almeria defence and Eto'o pounced on the rebound to give Barcelona a perfect start.
Eight minutes later, the Catalans went two up as Messi set up Henry and the Frenchman slotted home from close-range.
Almeria had again failed to clear their lines and were punished once more.
But Barcelona were practically unplayable at this point and raced into a three-goal lead after 20 minutes.
Andres Iniesta found Xavi in the area and the star of Spain's Euro 2008 win waited for Almeria keeper Diego Alves to commit himself before sliding a perfectly-weighted ball across to Eto'o, who rolled his shot into the empty net.
It was all too easy for the home side and three became four shortly afterwards, when Messi got to the byline and rolled the ball back for the advancing Eto'o, who finished at the second attempt from close-range with an improvised back-heel.
Already four goals down, Almeria's early misery was compounded on the half-hour mark, when Negredo scythed down Marquez close to the corner flag and received a straight red card.
Barcelona continued to look like scoring with every attack and duly went five goals ahead after 37 minutes.
There appeared little danger as Dani Alves lined up a free-kick from long-range, but the Brazil full-back unleashed a vicious low drive which found its way through the wall and bounced just in front of his namesake Alves in the Almeria goal before flashing into the keeper's bottom right-hand corner.
With the game well and truly won, Barca began the second half at a slower pace.
And Almeria created the first chance of the second half, when Guilherme rifled a shot against the crossbar from long distance after 47 minutes.
Barcelona remained a joy to watch, though, and Henry brought the ball down gloriously in the area after 51 minutes, but was unable to hit the target on the turn.
Two minutes later, the former Arsenal forward set up Iniesta in the area, but the Spain midfielder unselfishly pulled the ball back across goal instead of shooting himself and Almeria cleared.
Bojan Krkic, Alexander Hleb and Victor Sanchez all came on in the latter stages, but Barcelona were unable to add to their tally.
Eto'o came closest with a low shot after being set up by Carles Puyol, but Alves made a fine save with his left foot.
Barca were nevertheless given a rapturous ovation on leaving the pitch and the win sees the Catalans move provisionally to the top of the Primera Liga, where they sit level on points with Valencia, who travel to lowly Recreativo Huelva on Sunday.
Almeria remain in sixth, but could drop several places after Sunday's matches.
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