I was in Roquetas De Mar earlier this month and I also agree with Robert123, as I too, think Roquetas is an excellent resort. So good infact, that today I booked to return there in July next year! All the holidays I've taken abroad have been great, but I've never wanted to return.. untill I went to Roquetas De Mar!

I too have had some great holidays, but I have never wanted to return to a particular place, but this time, not only me but the rest of the family could not wait to return could see this as a regular holiday spot.

I did meet a few British people who had been going to Roquetas for years, they asked me not to tell to many people about it as they feared that it would become like the other resorts, I doubt it, there is to much competition, and the resort as it is would not suit everyone.

Its funny reading some reviews on another site it's remarkable how opinions are polarized, it's a bit like Marmite you love it or hate it

Just booked for two weeks in August, after seeing the reviews on here, I'm really pleased I did.

What hotel are you staying in Bev B?

Booked a private apartment, it looks lovely but fingers crossed.
Heres the link if anyone wants to have a look, I would be greatful for any info you can give me of where it is, or what the area etc is like.



Ive removed the link as Im not sure wether its allowed, will ask.

I've never been, but it sounds great from your description.
Although I like plenty to do, I can't stand rows and rows of British-style pubs (sometimes one is nice for a good old-fashioned bacon buttie and a nice cuppa tea, but I'm not THAT bothered).
I can't stand yobs and people whose main aim on holiday is to get so drunk every night they can't remember anything.
You'll have to tell me more......

Me too.

Hi all

Roquetas sounds perfect for our family. I love the Spanish feel, a good selection of places to eat and a lack of yobs. Roquetas sounds very similar to Conil on the Consta de la Luz where we stayed in 2003. That was really lively of an evening, but not with yobs, with families and couples, the majority of which were Spanish. We loved it, but only went there as my sister has a villa there, but we found we didn't enjoy being isolated with the kids, and also having to drive every where.

This August we're trying out Roquetas. First time to Almeria so hoping it's nice. We're staying at the Neptuno and judging by the reviews I've read we made a very good choice. Luckily for us we got a very good deal too, so smiles all round!

We've booked to go in september and this thread is very encouraging. We'd really like to see some examples of Moorish Spain. How easy is it to get to Granada? would love to see the Alhambra, do tour operators tend to run excursions there?

if you're on a package holiday your holiday rep will book you on a tour , also a company called Pepe tours do a tour each week
hope this helps

Stu

Sorry to be a damp quid but we went to Roquetas for the first time in May having done the rest of the Spanish Bravas and fancied a change. Not knowing the area we ended up in an apartment on Playa Romanilla which has nothing to offer. One beach bar and 20 minutes to bars, supermarket, 'town' and everything else including the bus stop to escape. Playa Serena has more to offer as that is where the hotels and restuarants are but I think that could be boring for 2 weeks. Public transport is not bad and if you hire a car it would give you more scope but as a couple in our late 50's we won't be going back. OK I'm now going to be shot down byall the Roquetas fans but it's all down to personal preference and we found it really boring.

Katy

Im sorry to say but we felt the same too,we stayed in zoraida gardens hotel,roquetas de mar it was our first holiday abroad,the very moment we stepped on the plane my heart just sank,we were the only family everyone else was over 50,on the coach they all just looked at us sympathetically.The hotel was lovely but there was nothing at all for the kids to do,the staff didnt understand us,the resteraunt was full of spanish people aged 50+ all pushing and shoving my 2 kids trying to get to the food before us.when our rep came to tell us about the excurrsions it was a wine tasting trip and trip to the fishing port,not very exciting for a 7 and 4 year old.we couldnt even go on the beach as it was shingle and the kids kept cutting there toes.I think we will prob go back to almeria again but not for at least another 30 years when we are ready to retire.

It better be good, me and our lass are going for a week in July. I've heard the food in our hotel is awful, so I ain't gonna touch it. But our lass will say "oh just try it, you might like it". Well after seeing some peoples comments on the grub, being violently ill for the duration - No way am I having ANY.

Please can someone tell me how much i would roughly need for a weeks stay in roquetas de mar... i have never been before and was wondering how much things cost etc

We spent most of our spending money in the really expensive corner shop next to zoraida gardens as the hotel food was awful and there was no where that understood our english to eat.we took 900GBP and withdrew another 100 and we went on no day trips there was nothing at all for the kids like water parks,I do believ there is a waterpark but yet again no one understood english so we were unable to enquire.I hope you enjoy it more than we did.Good luck

I felt I had to answer the last reply - on our first visit we stayed roughly where Scarby was in Roquetas - the Zoraida is slap bang in the middle of the urbanisation so you would have to walk. Your e-mail jarred me a little bescause if you don't ask either at the nearest english bar (Spinnakers on the beach in front of the Zoraida) or 4 close to the Gorilla (10 mins walk away) or at your hotel and just sit and moan and go don't go anywhere of course you will get a bit bored. One thing to bear in mind is that in Roquetas they host a whole lot of events along the beach but they are late (from late evenign onwards) - most Spanish people go out with their kids at that time presumably after a afternoon kip. It is a Spanish resort catering for mainly Spanish tourists so you have to bear that in mind a basic amount of lingo is probably needed

As for nothing to do if you walked 10 minutes away from the port you would have got up to the Gorilla with swings and a big play area for kids. They also in July showed all the latest blockbusters on the beach for free (only in Spanish though). That area has a host of bars and restaurants - Theos being the most notable with cabaret nights. past there you have the main drag of restaurants and bars

If you had walked 5 minutes towards the port you would have gone towards the old fort (past the new English bar Spinnakers which incidentally does bbqs on the beach every monday)- the old fort which in June-August hosts daily events - fire jugglers, spanish singers, and jousting events, some english indie bands (Dover played 2 weeks ago). Past that and there is a market which has a jazz band playing.

On the main road behind the Zoraida there is a bus stop - where it costs you 95 cents to go anywhere in Roquetas and packed with tourists - 10 minutes by bus is the Gran Plaza which has a large bowling alley, loads of shops, cinema. There is also a bull ring which does tours and a weekly market close to that. If you continued on the bus you would have got to the Aquarium and Mario Water park. Past that and just for 2 euros you could go to the huge castle in Almeria which not only is huge and scenic is totally free - you can also if you wanted go on a day trip to Mellilla in Morocco.

Also, if you had asked with your agent or with one of the zeveral people working for Pepe's you could have gone on organised trips to the wild west resort i nthe Sierra Nevada, or the local vineyards, Granada etc..

Of course you would have got ripped off if you bought all your food from the local corner shop - your location was a problem regarding supermarkets but mercadona is reasonable (tescos sort of prices) and 10-15 mins away or Plus in the other direction on the main road. if its the one I think it is behind the Zoraida then thats expensive - if you even walked up to the Gorilla you could have gone to Margar which is still a lot cheaper than that place. We learned from being in that location the first time we went - and instead went for places the other side of the Gorilla.

Another thing to note taxis are cheap - cost us 4 euros from the Gorilla to Gran Plaza.

There are a lot of cheap places to eat and drink just don;t spend all your money in your hotel - and be prepared to walk a bit.

I do feel maybe we did go at the wrong time of year(april)and we definatley did not just sit in our hotel moaning,we did indeed walk up to the gorilla park which was not all that fantastic I have to say,my kids done it in about 15 mins,where I live(portsmouth)south parade pier had more than this.But there is loads more bars and stuff which is better,but with a 3 year old and a 6year old they werent happy to walk the 15mins it took us every day and night to get there.We also did get the bus up to the gran plaza,getting that bus was the worst experience of my life,when we waited for the bus outside the hotel there was about 50 spanish people(aged 40+)all very pleasantly smiling at the kids and saying hello.the minute that bus arrived friendly or not the raced pushed shoved u and anyone else that got in there way to get on that bus,we were obviously last to get on and there was no seats at all left,which is fine but when u r 7 months pregnant its a bit of a pain,but still didnt let it bother me until we had to get off and that was another battle with the spanish.we can of course laugh about it now but at the time i wasnt amused.the gran plaza is a big complex with lots of shops but still not enough to amuse my kid(unfortunatly)cause i thought it was great.As for the day trips,we were more thinking waterparks and boat trips rather than the vineyard and fishing port.We found all the spanish staff ignorant and rude and unwilling to try and understand our attempts to speak their language.Maybe we expected too much but it was our first holiday abroad and we were a bit nervous.The only plus side was the zoraida apartment pool was totally empty every single day so the kids loved having a pool to there selves.dont think I have ever seen an emppty pool on any of our holidays.

I last visited Roquettes 4 years ago and loved it. I am returned again in a few months (hopefully).
I loved it because of the following:
1) Very Spanish and I got a chance to put my Spanish to use.
2) It wasn't full of British/Irish bars but lovely Tapas bar where the tapas still came free.
3) It was very quiet and relaxing.
4) A lovely long promanade to walk down.
5) Good public buses to the likes of Almeria, Almiramar and Agua Dulce, all places of which we enjoyed.

In my opinion this resort is not for those who want an English holiday abroad, but for those who are prepared to sample the Spanish way of holidaying and try to speak thier language.