Roquetas de Mar Travel Guide

Cabo de Gata Natural Park

Overview: The popular holiday resort town of Roquetas de Mar was once a sleepy, picturesque fishing village, dating from Roman times, and it still retains its warren of Moorish alley-like streets and pretty aspect of white-washed houses ascending the hillside. Hotel and apartment complexes, however, are beginning to dominate the skyline especially along the long, sandy beaches adjacent to the village. Tourism is big business along the holiday strip in Roquetas de Mar, with shops selling local crafts jostling with numerous restaurants and bars, and myriad activities on offer from horse riding to scuba diving or sailing. Roquetas has an 18-hole golf course (at Playa Serena) and a specially designated nudist beach. Those interested in history will enjoy exploring the ruins of the medieval Castilla de Santa Ana and other fortifications in the area, and bird-watchers have a treat in store at the Las Marinas salt marsh and Punta Entinas beaches a few miles south of the village, where flamingos, egrets and avocets gather.

Restaurants: Holidaymakers should check out some of the most popular eateries in Roquetas de Mar, which include La Palma, Ilforno, El Pez de Plata and Alfonso Rodriguez Escamilla.
Negatives: Jellyfish tend to visit the shores of Roquetas de Mar making swimming and water activities unpleasant. Entertaintment and nightlife is very low key.