Spain – Roquetas de Mar (En)

We went to Roquetas de Mar, in Almería, because we’d heard it had great beaches, was sunny, and had free parking. We really enjoyed its promenade, the beaches, the port, Santa Ana Castle, and the bullring, which, as you’ll see, is unique.

Where to stay

We stayed at the free motorhome area on Avenida de la Aduana (36.770356, -2.603399 lat, long), next to the beach and the promenade. It doesn’t have any facilities, but there are trash cans, a water tap, and a public toilet on the beach, 150 meters away. You can’t put chairs, tables, etc., outside, but you can set them up on the beach and enjoy the sun. We arrived in the morning, and it was full, but there was space on the street, so we parked there. The place is safe, and you can sleep well. I recommend it for visiting the city, as it’s about 20 minutes from the castle and 12 minutes from the bullring.

What to see

We decided to visit the town because Trudy and Slim were arriving the next day, along with our German friends Ralf and Gaby, and we knew we’d be chatting and having drinks on the beach. On the promenade, I met a lovely 82-year-old woman from Roquetas, with whom I had a chat. She emphasised that there was nothing better than living in Roquetas, with sunshine and the beach. I completely agree with her.

We made a detour to visit the Aula del Mar, a small maritime museum and aquarium; it’s open to the public and free.

You walk down the street and arrive at the port, where there are herons and cormorants. From the port, you can already see Santa Ana Castle, a fortification built between the 16th and 17th centuries, which served to defend the city from pirate attacks. Inside the castle, exhibitions of the famous painter Goya and lesser-known painters were held. You can climb to the top of the castle via the 17th-century Artillery Bastion. This bastion is built on the remains of a Muslim tower erected between 1333 and 1354.

From the castle, we walked through the city centre, but we didn’t see anything worthwhile until the bullring. It’s really cool, especially the bull sculptures, although Ben only wanted to pose with the black bull.

The next day, Trudy, Slim, Ralf, and Gaby arrived, and we decided to go to the beach with our table and chairs to have a drink and catch up. It was the first time Trudy and Slim had met Ralf and Gaby, and vice versa. We had first met Trudy and Slim in France, and Ralf and Gaby at the Estepona campsite. We spent a wonderful day in the sun until nightfall.

The next day, we said goodbye to our friends. Trudy and Slim were returning to England, so we don’t know when we’ll see them again. We hope to see Ralf and Gaby again before leaving Spain. After saying our goodbyes, we went to Totana in the province of Murcia, known for its scenery and charming old town, which you’ll be able to see in the next blog post!