Leisure Guide
Roquetas de Mar offers a wide range of leisure possibilities and entertainment, its two sport marinas, golf course, tourist and residential resorts, water park, night life areas, and much more!
An excellent weather offers the best conditions to practice nautical sports, tennis, golf, diving; from choosing a relaxing day in the sand to the most active alternatives.
In the paradise that is Roquetas de Mar one can find varied commercial activities in harmony with wide green areas and unique beaches.
In addition, in Roquetas de Mar you will find:
- 18 holes Golf course.
- Shopping Centre of 134,000 m2.
- Exhibitions centre.
- Multi screen cinema complex with 13 film screens.
- Open air cinema.
- Theatre.
- Amphitheatre.
- Bullring.
- Water Park.
- Aquarium.
- Sport stadium and pavilions.
- Children’s Amusement Park.
- Water park.
- Camping.
- Sailing schools.
- Sport Centre.
At Roquetasdemar.com we follow sport for a healthy life, we remind visitors that in Roquetas de Mar it is possible to practice:
- Diving
- Windsurf, catamaran, canoe, kayak, surf...
- Horse riding
- Water skiing
- Jet Ski
- Quads
- Trekking
- Golf
- Tennis
- Paddle tennis
- Paragliding
- Fishing
- Badminton
- Climbing
On the other hand, in Roquetas de Mar town, as in the other established residential areas, regular courses are offered to promote sport, through the Municipal Sport Schools, Municipal Sport Games, League of adults, the Gymnastics Program, the Campaigns of Summer Sport and the popular 100 Hours of Sports. For further information, contact the Municipal Sports Service in the City Council, tel. +34 950 33 85 18/51.
Sea Flavour.
Roquetas de Mar is a paradise especially for sea lovers, from sunbathing, taking a walk along the promenade, to diving in Las Salinas. We are a town with deep rooted marine traditions, these can mainly be seen in the area of the Port every morning, taking a walk through its streets you will appreciate the art of the fishermen, chat with the fishermen and get to know a more colourful and full of history Roquetas de Mar.
The sea bottom here is of particular beauty, the divers and snorkel fishermen usually meet to dive on the weekends and holidays. There are many diving clubs, and for lovers of underwater enjoyment there is an abundance of rich sea life - both fauna and flora, many of which are rare including a unique reef of oceanic posidonia. We have a weather that allows you to enjoy the sea every day. Diving fans have a number of hot spots for their immersions such us wrecks in Aguadulce, El Bestio rocks area in Cerrillos beach, several zones in Faro Sabinar beach and others. Standing out for the peculiarity of its Posidonia meadows, Las Palmerillas, Las Salinas and Faro Sabinar beaches, having one of the largest concentrations of this aquatic plant.
Golf.
Both residents and visitors of Roquetas de Mar Urbanisation and nearby areas enjoy Playa Serena Golf Course and La Envia Golf which is situated very close to Aguadulce neighborhood. In the future, Roquetas will probably see the development of a new golf course in Las Salinas, which in case of approval would have a spectacular position besides the sea.
Roquetas de Mar and Playa Serena Urbanisation have always be connected to golf, its golf course has hosted several competitions of the national tour.
Playa Serena area together with Playa Serena South, features an ambitious project with the beach as a boundary, wide avenues, pedestrians streets, many palm trees, large green spaces and residential areas, beach restaurant, and a commercial plot of 10,000 m2 which will lodge a shopping centre.
Nature.
With your permission please allow us to recommend you the Roquetas de Mar coastline, landscapes and natural spaces.
Of particular beauty are the beaches of Buenavista, Cerrillos, the Urbanization Playa Serena Sur, las Palmerillas and Aguadulce cliffs.
Our municipality offers in addition the Natural Place Entinas-Sabinar End, established by the Parliament of Andalusia in 1989 - Law 2/1989, 18th of July -. It is located in the South-Eastern end of the municipality with 1`960 Has of surface parallel to the coast and an average width around the 1,000 m.s that runs between the coastline and the hills. The place has four main environments: sandy beaches, area of salt mines, dune systems, and pools which conforms the more extensive marshy ecosystem of the province of Almeria. The dune system has a main role, being the handle of communities of scrub of Moor sabina and lentisco. As we moved towards the interior we found marshy plains of argillaceous bottom with high chloride concentrations, populated with vegetation depending on the salinity degree: rushes, reeds, salicornia...
Entinas-Sabinar end offers biotope exceptional and shows of it is its ornithological wealth, having itself more than 150 catalogued species of birds, some of them on the way to extinction. The area is a nesting place and rest in the great migrations between Europe and Africa for flamingos, storks, avocets... In this sense the area is included in the International treaty on Humid Zones of Importance, the International RAMSAR, with special protection for the aquatic birds.
In addition, it is still possible to find birds as singular as the alcaraván (Burhinus bistriatus), the sisón (Tetrax tetrax), and the golden chorlito (Apricaria pluvialis) as well as eleven species of reptiles and ten of mammals.
Besides, the sea beds in Punta Entinas-Sabinar beaches are extremely beautiful, usually the water is clear after two days of East wind. It has wide sand areas, Posidonia meadows and a good number of rocky areas, mainly between 4-12 depth metres where divers and fishermen will find several small wrecks. Most common species are: red mullet, brown meagre, brown wrasse, painted comber, congers, octopus, sargus among others.
Recommendations in Entinas Sabinar.
- Ornithologically the suitable time for the visits is between April and October.
- Not to circulate with motor vehicles.
- Due to the high concentration of lagoons and pools it is advised to take anti-mosquito repellent.
- Respect of the signaling and indications of the guards and personnel.
- Precaution before the fire risk, not to ignite fire or to throw ignited butts.
- To discover the wealth of the fauna one needs to keep in silence as much as possible.
- To maintain the surroundings clean, and to deposit the installed sweepings in the containers and wastebaskets.
- To deposit always the used batteries in the places destined to it, not to leave them all over the place.
- One requests the maximum respect to the flora and fauna. Not to take plants, to persecute animals.
Night life.
Roquetas de Mar has several areas where you can go out for a drink.
If you fancy to have a drink in a relaxed atmosphere we suggest to visit Playa Serena and around Aguadulce Marina, towards Roquetas de Mar.
The Urbanization of Roquetas de Mar is ideal to relax at some of its tropical bars of cocktails and to let the time go by. In addition if you want some more action and a younger ambience, you should get to Aguadulce Marina pubs and bars and do not forget the “501 area”, where you will enjoy charming nights besides the sea. Also, another very busy nightlife area is in Avenida Carlos III, for a latino´s and salsa environment, ideal for couples.
Gastronomy.
The gastronomy of Roquetas de Mar finds its registers in the Almeria’s cuisine and it has its fish and vegetable products of local origin, as its base products. These vegetable products from Almeria have caused the province to be known world-wide as the "orchard of Europe". In this sense, the City Council has been promoting the so called “Agriculture product Days” with the aim to promote both the tourist and agricultural sectors simultaneously. During these days, a great effort is made to emphasize the typical plates and the top quality of its fish, concretely the escabechado (pickled) one. This course of fish of Arab origin, the fish broth, is the typical Spanish stew consisting in trunks of beets, as well as the separate rice, an exclusive marine traditional plate in our province.
You should never miss the seafood and the fish in the typical Roquetas cuisine, with a present and a past, both related to the sea; in the local and supervisory celebrations as Moraga and Santa Ana are the main dishes.
Also, “cazuela de fideos con rape” and “gurullos con bogavante” are very typical dishes in Roquetas de Mar cuisine.
In the last few years it should be noted that a great number of “gastrobares” or bars specialized in modern “tapas” are being inaugurated in Roquetas de Mar and Aguadulce, increasing the level of our restaurant business. Year after year our bars and restaurants host many visitors from nearby towns and from other regions and countries.
Festivities.
The three Wise Men parade, the 5th of January. In the centre of Roquetas de Mar and several nuclei, diverse parades are organized.
Carnivals, in February, depending on Lent. Fancy Dress Party and representations of chirigotas and comparsas (folk songs and dances) with important prizes, take place in the Carnival.
Semana Santa (Easter), based on the calendar. There is a great religious interest and there is also a big number of fraternities with religious purposes. In the area of El Parador, the guard of the members of the Legion to the Christ of the Good Death is very well-known.
28th of February Day of Andalusia. A folkloric festival is celebrated and the infantile parliament, in addition organizes a great number of flamingo shows.
25th of April, San Marcos, is a very popular celebration in the municipality, specially in the town of Roquetas de Mar, where a procession is celebrated.
On 15th of May, there are also Celebrations in the area of El Parador, in honour of San Isidro Farmer.
At the Cortijos de Martín, people commemorate San Antonio on the 13th of June.
The Night of San Juan, is celebrated in most of beaches the night from the 23 to the 24 of June.
200 Houses, the 24th of June.
Las Marinas, the 6th of July in honour of the Virgin of the Sea.
Aguadulce, in honour of the Virgin of the Carmen, the 16th of July.
The Marine procession of Santa Ana at the Port, held on the 25th and 26th of July, is a fest with a total marine flavour, and a celebration of great devotion. It is dated on the 16th century, and it commemorates the transfer of the image of the Virgin to a castle of the port. The tradition is that a fisherman washed her the face and dried it with a cloth.
The celebrations of El Solanillo take place the 4th of August. They are celebrated in honour of the Virgin Maria of the Mother Church.
The 7th of August, of Cañailla in honour of San Cayetano.
The Urbanization Roquetas de Mar, celebrates the day of its Virgin “Mrs. Virgin of Winds”. This celebration takes place in the middle of August, it lasts 4 days and normally takes place at a weekend.
Aguadulce, Celebrations from the 23th to the 25th of August, in honour of San Bartholomew.
La Gloria, at the beginning of September.
Roquetas de Mar, at the beginning of October, the celebrations in honor of the Virgin of the Rosary are very well known. Modern music concerts take place, sport activities, parades of floats, wine tastings and Spanish well-known “tapas”.
Roquetas de Mar, celebrates the Moragas on the 29th of December. The tradition says that in this day the sailors, after finishing killing the sardine, dried the networks, mended them and they met next to the shipbuilder around a fire where they roasted the fish. At the moment musical festivals and different acts are organized.
* We recommend to visit the Fairs of the Noon “Feria del Mediodía” to enjoy the atmosphere of the town, pop music and to try the typical gastronomy.
