The popular tourist 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, 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.
