Roquetas de Mar: the perfect holiday destination

When you think of a Spanish beach, you do not know it, but you actually have in mind Roquetas de Mar, in the province of Almeria, on the Mediterranean coast. This city is everything you want for your vacation. It has 18 kilometres of beaches, most of them awarded with a blue flag, activities for the whole family and party and challenging sports if you are looking for something else. All this turns Roquetas de Mar into** the perfect holiday destination**!

A little bit of history & patrimony

Roquetas de Mar is a very young town by Spanish standards, from the end of the 18th century. Some areas were, of course, inhabited thousands of years ago, as you can see on the archaeological site of Turaniana. The area was important because of its salines, exploited for centuries. The first building of Roquetas de Mar, the castle, was erected to defend those from the pirates. The castle has been restored many times, destroyed over and over again by earthquakes. Now it is an impressive fortress, really worth a visit. When the area grew safe in the 18th century, houses were built around the castle, and Roquetas de Mar was born.

As in every Andalusian town, religious issues are very important. Because it was a relatively new town, there was no saint patron of the city, so during an epidemy, they got together and decided to put on a pot of all the saints of Roquetas de Mar. A child put his hand inside and pulled out Our Lady of the Rosary, since then the official patron of the city.

Speaking of religious issues, Easter is a great time to visit Roquetas de Mar. It is not as crowded as summer, and if you have never been on a Spanish procession, you are in for a new experience.

Beaches & nature

Roquetas de Mar’s beaches are very clean and great for all tourists. They have received up to six blue flags this summer for their quality. This is also why Roquetas de Mar is so popular and tends to get very crowded over the summer. The most beautiful ones are Buenavista, Cerrillos, Palmerillas and the Aguadulce cliffs. The last ones are also great for scuba diving: many ships wrecked here and are ideal for exploration.

Roquetas de Mar is also rich on the surface. A natural park, Punta Entinas-Sabinar, is also worth the visit if you do not mind walking or biking since motor vehicles are forbidden. Also, if you are into ornithology, this is your paradise. Species in extinction, and all kinds of more common birds like to stop here and nest on their journey between continents. My favourite ones are the flamingos. 

Food & party

Being a fishermen’s city, you can buy fish freshly taken out of the sea at the local market. And, of course, fish is the king of all the dishes. The most popular ones at Roquetas de Mar are marinated fish (very traditional, from the Moorish times) and fish soup. Fish is also the protagonist in the Moragas day, the most picturesque party of Roquetas de Mar. Every December 29th, people go to the beach and light up fires where they roast fresh fish. According to the local tales, it was the day that the sailors used to come back after months away at sea, and their families greeted them at the beach. Nowadays, it is a great party, with thousands of people eating and drinking all day long at the beaches.

Party is, indeed, one of the biggest assets of Roquetas de Mar. Next to Aguadulce are the best spots to have the best night out of your life! 

After reading my story, I think you can agree that Roquetas de Mar is the perfect holiday destination!