Moving to Roquetas de Mar

Matthew’s article this week concentrates on moving to Roquetas de Mar, an oasis of Almería.

Moving to Roquetas de Mar: former Spanish fishing village turned tourist destination

Ups
A promenade running the full length of Roquetas de Mar and beyond connects 5km worth of Blue-Flag beaches. Golf lovers can take their pick of three courses. History buffs will prefer exploring the remains at Torrequebrada which date back to Phoenician times.

Downs
If you want to reinvent yourself in Spain, perhaps choose a less touristy part of Almería. For there’s no escape from the likes of Primark, the Irish budget chain which opened its 38th store in Spain there back in 2013. Still, you can get good WiFi.

Ins and outs
Travelling westwards along the A-7, you can reach Roquetas de Mar from Almería’s airport in around half an hour.

Education
St George’s School offers “a British Education”. Native teachers guide children aged from three to 18 through the UK National Curriculum. And what’s more, it’s located in Roquetas de Mar’s very own Calle de Alemania.

Shop until you drop…
On Calle Lago Como, you can find both Ambiente, a gift shop specializing in ceramics and jewellery fashioned by the hands of local artistans, and Bartlett Books with over 1,000 second-hand titles. At the opposite end of the shopping spectrum, there’s Parque Comercial Gran Plaza. Where over 200 outlets sell clothes, shoes, and toys.

Property types
Urbanizations dominate the Roquetas de Mar property scene. New-build apartments, duplexes, and villas target those who do like to beside the seaside. Many have been painted white however, in keeping with Andalucian tradition.

Market watch
Apartments from €65.000, penthouses around €200.000, and luxury villas can go as high as €1.000.000.

In Praise Of
“Roquetas de Mar is full of international restaurants, tapas bars, and water-sports opportunities. Then there are its natural parks and salt marshes which attract flamingos and rare water birds. All in all, Roquetas de Mar provides everything you could possibly wish for.” Britt and Kev (Almería Spanish Properties)

• Are you an expat living in Roquetas de Mar? What do you like/dislike about it? Let us know below.

Matthew Hirtes

Matthew Hirtes, our resident broadsheet journalist, moved to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria back in 2004. He’s travelled extensively through Spain, covering it for such publications as Telegraph Travel, Metro, and The Independent. The author of Going Local in Gran Canaria: How To Turn a Holiday Destination into a Home, Matthew truly is a resident expert.

Matthew writes for two sections of Spain Buddy: Moving to Spain and Spanish Football as well as providing Reviews