Surrounded by splendid beaches which, along with its sunshine, varied traditional cuisines and crystalline freshwater sea, make this city an ideal holiday destination.
Owing to its location, straddling the mouth of the Guadalquivir and the entrance to the Bay of Cádiz, it has been a stopover point for different cultures and civilisations. As a commercial port since Phoenician times, numerous Roman ruins have been found in the surrounding area. Declared a Historic Site, ancient arches and narrow lanes flanked by white houses constitute the urban layout of this charming town. Its beautiful squares and picturesque nooks offer the perfect setting in which to savour a cuisine that’s intimately bound to the countryside and the sea. Enjoy typical dishes such as ‘urta a la roteña’, and wash them down with the town’s rich Tintilla wine, an oenological relic with a sweet flavour and a deep hue.
The city’s most notable building is the Luna Castle (BIC), erected in the 13th century by Guzmán the Good on an 11th-century Arab ribat. It contains an original patio from the 15th century with a beautiful arcaded gallery and picturesque plinths. Some of the walls that defended the town between the 12th and 15th centuries can still be seen, among them the gates of Regla or Chipiona; the Gate of Sanlúcar; and the Gate to the Sea or to the Port. Other noteworthy buildings include the Church of Our Lady of O (16th century), the Charity Chapel (next to the Plaza del Reloj), the Tower of Mercy, the Church of Saint Roque and the Casa de la Cilla.
Rota is known for its atmosphere and entertainment, with an abundance of leisure options that multiply during the summer season. During this time of year, it celebrates the Urta Fair (named a Festivity of National Touristic Interest) and the ‘Arranque Roteño’ Flamenco Festival. Its 16km of beaches (La Costilla, El Rompidillo or Punta Candor) are ideal both for enjoying a day of swimming and sunbathing and for practising water sports. The extensive pine groves and dunes that often reach the shoreline are chosen by visitors for spending a quiet day in nature or to go on hiking, horseback riding or cycling trails.
At our hotels in Rota, we want to help you make the most of your holidays on our beaches. The TALASOPLAYA invites you to live an experience that will improve your health and wellness in an all-natural way.
The goal of the modest recipe book of TALASOPLAYA is to help you get the highest returns in HEALTH and VITALITY from the beach.
The corrales are constructions that ‘take’ land from the sea to make fishing more efficient by taking advantage of the tides. This is an ancient form of fishing, as the construction of the first corrales dates back to Roman times, and historical testimonies attest to their continued use up until the 1950s. What is certain is that it highlights Rota’s important cultural heritage in the field of fishing. They are of great cultural, archaeological and natural value. Deserving of special protection, they were declared the first Natural Monument of Andalusia.
The functioning of the corral is based on the rise and fall of the tide. As the tide rises to its maximum, the corral fills with life. Large numbers of fish, molluscs and crustaceans occupy the corral and carry out their biological activities in it, but as the hours go by, the tide begins to recede and the water surface falls below the corral wall. As soon as the water level drops sufficiently to make the corral passable, the corral keeper will remove the trapped marine animals that are legally permitted to be removed for consumption.
However, they are not the only ones who take advantage of the resources offered by the corral for their own benefit. Large numbers of birds occupy this natural space for resting and foraging.
