Vis Roquetas

1. One of the reasons we bought an apartment in Spain was the relative quiet of the months October to April. No crowds etc.

2. Life is easier in the off season months. No long queues in supermarkets, no traffic jams, no competing with the hordes for a place on the beach etc.

3. Swimming pools tend to be in the shade during some part of the day and the water might not be as warm as you wish. A swim in the sea is usually warmer (and even better for the soul even during December/January). A closed swimming pool costs little whereas an open pool continues to amass costs even in winter. In some pools attached to a complex it might even be law to employ a fulltime lifeguard seven days per week. This is an additional cost that you can do without, believe me. 

4. Weather being better in the winter months is a matter of opinion. The last thing I want is the kind of temps we have during July/August. I'm happy with the normal temps with little rain in the off season. I'm even more happy to be wearing shorts and tee shirts during most daylight hours. I accept I have to warm up after 4,00pm. For the record last March/April it rained nearly every day (unusual, but true in 2022).

5. If I were you, I'd rent for several weeks in Roquetas (or wherever) for several weeks in the off season. By the end of your holiday you'll know if buying Spanish property is for you. 

Matthew has hit the nail on the head.

Hi I have a place for last 19 years and playa serena area is more lively than Sabina area . Verada golf complex has a one of its pool open and also . El Minerrette apartments is open all year . Unless you like cool water april is first month that it’s warm enough to swim but I don’t like a cool pool cheers 

REPOST

Hi,

My family and I moved to Roquetas in January 2020 and as you can imagine it's been a stressful

I've been monitoring Roquetas since about 2015. We have visited several times before moving here and a lot has happened and a lot has changed

You should consider the following

1. What kind of lifestyle do you want. Different areas offer different options. We chose the port area (plaza Dolores) as very few international residents, only one English bar, very few English speakers and the heart of the town that functions all year round

2. What kind of property do you want? And what facilities 

If and when you do visit, I recommend doing what I did and spend half a day or a couple of hours walking around the 6 areas of Roquetas 

1. Las Salinas. From the shopping centre to the beach 

2. Port/Romanilla. Make a triangle from the castle, along Avenida Roquetas until you reach the river, down to the beach and back to the castle. This was our choice. All facilities all year round 

3. Pueblo. The area the other side of Avenida Roquetas. In this context, the police refer to Avenida Roquetas as "the frontera

Walk around the Romanilla/port area first then walk up Los banos and keep walking until you cross Avenida Roquetas and keep walking for about 15/20 mins

4. Las marinas/touristas. From the castle along the beach to Avenida Mediterraneo, up to mercadona and back to the castle. Summer tourists and holiday villas and apartments 

5. Tourist zone. From Avenida Mediterraneo to calls Sierra Nevada. Residential and holiday homes. Very quiet in the off season 

6. Golf. The final zone. Very very quiet in the off season

Also, download the IDEALISTA App

As for pools, there are a couple of buildings have indoor pools usable all year round. The best is Vivaldi that has a retractable roof. 2 bed apartment is available for 150,000euro

Hope this is of assistance

Enrique123, you are spot on. We have an apt in las Salinas, near the English School (have had it for 5 yrs) and love the area, nothing closes in winter, many restaurants and bars and very Spanish - I now speak restaurant Spanish and can order beer, wine and tapas with some aplomb ;).
We find the “tourist zone” dead during winter - a bit depressing tbh.  One thing to bare in mind is that Roquetas can be blisteringly hot at the height of the summer! 

Hi to everyone. I just spent a week at the Best Sabinal hotel and used it as a base to recce the area. I'm looking at retiring to Spain - renting a property - and am interested in the Roquetas area as it is flat. Aguadulce looks way too hilly for my taste.

I have learnt Spanish in the past and know that I need to improve over the next couple of years (looking at September 2024 to move over) but spoke mostly Spanish with the businesses, hotel staff and tourist information office whilst there and (more or less) understood their responses, so feeling hopeful !

Any info would be really helpful - is there lots to do in the area to get involved in the community etc. 

Still a lot to get info about but feeling positive