The
municipality of Roquetas de Mar in Almería
is situated on the coast, on the western side of the
Gulf of Almería. It is 18 kilometres away from
the capital, although one of its tourist centres,
Aguadulce, is just 10 kilometres away. Whit a surface
area of 60 square kilometres; it is 7metres above
sea level and has a population of 53,357 inhabitants
around the middle of 2002. it is delimited to the
North by the foothills of the Sierra of Gador and
to the South by the Mediterranean Sea.
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Roquetas
de Mar,
a Mediterranean city
Roquetas de Mar Marina
and Fishing Port
The foundation of
the municipality of Roquetas de Mar breaks with
clichés and can be considered as an important
part of the historical future of the Region due
to its geographical situation, dominating the coast,
which will have an influence on the events of the
Alpujarra as a receiver of numerous cultures.
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There have been Prehistoric,
Iberian and Roman settlements along the coastline
of Roquetas de Mar, highlighting, on the banks of
“La Algaida”, an important town called
“Turaniana” which was characterised
because it took advantage of the sea resources,
fish and salted fish.
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Historical
Outline of Roquetas de Mar
Roquetas de Mar Lighthouse
During the 13th century,
when the Kingdom of Nazari de Granada was created
by Muhammad I, the area of Roquetas de Mar was an
integral part of it, belonging to the “taha”
of Felix. With the Christian conquest in the 16th
century and the depopulation of the coastal areas,
the defensive system was intensified, giving rise
to a denser group of cylindrical crenelated towers.
The tower of “Los Cerillos” is the only
defensive testimony that is preserved, together
with the watchtower, which was converted into the
“Castle of Santa Ana” to guarantee the
defence and salt trade, which was one of the sources
of wealth of the city chests. Currently the castle
has been restored by the Workshop School of Roquetas
de Mar. |
Its economy must be assessed as
a paradigm of economic development through the use
of its endogenous recourses, becoming one of the
wealthiest municipalities in the region.
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Tourist
Excellence
Its main activities are
Intensive agriculture, an activity which is carried
out in greenhouses under plastic, with a cutting-edge
technological level in the Sector, and Sun and Beach
tourism with a consolidated offer that wagers on
the quality of it services. This interest is reflected
in the management and development of a Tourism Excellence
Plan, which has transformed the municipality into
one of the most modern tourist destinations and
a promising future. Parallel to this, the fishing
activity provides excellent catches of a great variety
of fish, which delight all and sundry.
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Sun
and Nature
Natural spot "Punta
Entinas-Sabinar"
Over the last few decades
this economic metamorphosis has been accompanied
by an unstoppable tourist development of the coast.
This is due to its incomparable climate and its
extensive beaches, and as a result, modern tourist
housing estates equipped with the best services
and hotels have been consolidated.
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Natural
Spot
Paraje Natural Punta
Entinas-Sabinar
A privileged coast which
also possesses, as a natural resource, the “Punta
Entinas Sabinar Nature Spot” on the south-western
side of the municipality. Here there are 1960 Hectares,
which run parallel to the coast with an average
width of 1000m.
Its privileged
geographical situation, together with the diversity
of environments and the exceptional climatic conditions,
provide a high production of food. This factor favours
the existence of considerable fauna,, with around
200 species of catalogued birds and specific flora
of Savins and Lentiscus, which secure the dunes
that extend from Punta Entinas to Punta Savinar,
forming one of the best examples of dune ecosystems
of the Iberian Peninsula.
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Its nature, its landscape, its two marinas,
its golf course, its many sports facilities, its
surroundings…make Roquetas de Mar a “cult
of leisure”.
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Leisure
and free time
Golf Course Playa Serena
The sea offers an excellent
scenario to practise nautical sports. Dive into
it and you will enjoy the sea breeze and the gentle
lulling of the waves.
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One of the most important
religious celebrations is that held in honor of the
Virgen del Carmen and Saint Ann, on 25 and 26 july,
with a marvellous maritime procession with all the
vessels of the area decorated all along the coast. |
Festivals
"San Juan"
The day ends with
games, open-air dances and great castle of fireworks.
On 7 October the Patron Saint´s festivity
is celebrated, in honor of the Virgen del Rosario
with an open-air dance, a motor vehicle Gymkhana
and prizes. Another of the tourist areas of the
coast, Aguadulce, celebrates its Patron Saint´s
festivity, in honour of the Virgen del Carmen, on
16 July with a peculiar sea-land procession, also
with Open-Air Dances and ludic acts.
The night of San Juan (St. John) is celebrated on
23 June, alone the wole coast with bonfires that
splash the crowded beaches with light and colour.
Easter in Roquetas de Mar has become one of the
most important festivities in the Province. The
brotherhood of the Virgen de los Dolores stands
out due to the artistic quality of its images. On
29 December the traditional festivity of the “Moragas”
is celebrated on our beaches, when both our people
and visitors get together to enjoy typical grilled
fish and meat.
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Spain
