Fortunately, this isolation has brought the good luck of not to suffer urbanistic horrors like Benidorm or Torremolinos. Almería-Cabo de Gata Nijar is the most untouched and least explored area of the province of Almería, an area which finds its maximum expression in the small fishing villages steeped in ancient custom and traditions that seem to have been suspended in time, like picture post cards from the past. Almeria holds the tittle of being the city with the most hours of sun a year. Almeria’s climate is subtropical , Mediterranean, warm and dry. Its most outstanding feature is its cloudless bright blue sky. The mild climate which Almeria enjoys makes it a tourist destination all year round.

Desert areas and wild landscapes, such as those of Tabernas, wide sierras with luxurious vegetation, coasts, cliffs and the pristine beaches of Cabo de Gata-Nijar, few Spanish provinces can boast of such a varied and strongly contrasted geography. Undoubtly, this feature is what caused Almería to become one of the world's major film production centres, with up to 200 films and series filmed as of 2001. Beginning with Spanish films soon European and American productions followed suit, bringing with them the brightest international stars as well as making tourism a major source of wealth and development in the province. Under the direction of Sergio Leone, Western films became landmark productions. The zone, however, did not wish to focus on a single genre and wisely "marketed" its charms to directors and actors working on other types of filmes. Areas of the captial city such as the Alcazaba were transformed to shoot Indiana Jones and The last Crusade under Steven Spielberg and Battle of Guettar in Patton was filmed on location at Rambla del Buho in Tabernas.

Historical notes

Its population is split between Roquetas de Mar, Aguadulce, El Parador, La Gloria, Las Marinas, Solanillo,  El Puerto, Cortijos de Marin and Las Salinas. Its salt industry already existed in Arabic times and was property and a monopoly of the crown until the not very distant past.

The Phoenicians and Greeks founded a community of fishermen and tradesmen which was the first settlement as a colony of commercial interchange. During Roman times it was called Turaniana, quoted in the Itinerary of Antonio, in the current location of Torre Quebrada de los Bajos. A possible flood obliged the population to abandon the old Roman village and settle on the current site.

During the Al-Andalus period, the nazari sultan Yusuf fortified the coast with the construction of the Bajos or Esparto watchtower, which was demolished by the English in 1811; the Torre de Cerrillos and Santa Ana or Roquetas Castle, which has given rise to the name of the town. It was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs in the year 1489, and became dependent on Almeria.

The English invaded the town with the intention of advancing on Almeria, in 1705, a year after Gibraltar, but they had to flee when faced with the energetic defence on the part of its inhabitants.

In reality the birth of modern Roquetas was from 1737 onwards. A few inhabitants from Felix and Vicar began to plough a piece of wasteland with the intention of owning some land for themselves. In 1776 the council which was dependent on Felix asked for their own council. It obtained definitive jurisdiction in 1782.

In the last few years, Roquetas has undergone one of the most amazing demographic increases in the province of Almeria. Its economic activity is based principally on intensive farming (it has been called the “larder of Europe”) and on tourism. It absorbs 70 percent of the total of the province of Almeria.

Cuisine

The products of the sea are combined with those of the land to offer ample and varied types of meals, in which seafood holds a preferential position and in which traditional dishes are also served, such as: Arroz a banda (Rice with squid ink). Moraga de sardinas (Sardines on a stick). Ajoblanco (Cold garlic soup). Ajo colorao (Red garlic fish stew). Encebollao (Dish with onions). Tarbinas (Potatoes with garlic onions and red peppers).

Festivals

Festivities in honour of the Virgen del Carmen and St Ann, from 24 to 27 July. Celebration with floats, majorettes and fireworks.

Festival of the Virgen del Rosario, from 4 to 7 October.

Festival of the Moragas (Beach parties), 29 December. Very old custom, of pagan tradition which consists of meeting on the beach to eat sardines cooked on seaweed grills.
 

 RESERVA NATURAL  PUNTA ENTINAS-SABINAR

Punta Entinas-Sabinar is a semiarid Mediterranean ecosystem in which the combination of coastal and terrestrial biotypes stands out. It is situated on the western coast of the province of Almeria on a coastal strip which extends from the Punta de Entinas to the saltworks called Viejas. With average annual temperatures over 18º C and average yearly rainfall between 200 and 250 mm, in its 1,960 hectares of Natural Beauty Spot and 785 hectares of Nature Reserve, it is possible to differentiate the four main biotypes: sandy beaches, a system of dunes fixed with Mediterranean scrub, a marshy area and the saltworks area (Cerrillos and Viejas saltworks).

Flora

On the outside edge of the beaches there are Ammophilia arenaria. The most common bushes of the area are the black junipers (Juniperus phoenicea), the lentiscus (Pistacia lentiscus), Thymelaea hirsuta and the black hawthorn (Rhamnus lycioides).

Fauna

The diversity of biotypes favours the presence and abundance of vertebrates. As well as the presence of flamingos, the variety and number of the plover family which use this area as a resting place on their migratory route is noticeable, especially the large, common, small and tridactyl curlew sandpipers and  redshanks. Among the seagulls the species of Audouin (Larus audouinii) and Larus minutus stand out.