The fishing village of Roquetas is known for its carnivals and fiestas, celebrating the fishing traditions of the local town. Whatever time of year you go you’re never far from a fiesta.
As a Roquetas shuttle driver you may think that I’d grow bored of seeing the same sights and sounds every day, but you couldn’t be more wrong. The quaint fishing village is somewhere that I very much love, and although it has some truly splendid sights, including the 18th Century Church of our Lady of the Rosary and the 16th Century Santa Ana lighthouse, the friendly locals and fantastic fiestas are by far the highlight of this destination for me.
Virgen Del Carmen
On July 16, the fiesta of Virgen Del Carmen is celebrated. A wooden effigy of the virgin is paraded around the windy lanes and narrow streets of the town, before being taken for a spin on one of the traditional fishing boats synonymous with Roquetas. Although this fiesta is celebrated throughout Spain, the Virgen Del Carmen is the patron saint of fishing boats, so it is smaller fishing communities such as Roquetas that really pull the stops out. If I’m picking you up from Almeria airport to Roquetas on this day, I’d be happy to not only show you the bars that the locals choose to celebrate this fiesta in, but also the best place to view the fireworks from.
Noche Del Mar
This famous fiesta is also referred to as the magical night of San Juan. It is referred to as magical because the locals believe that strange instances can occur on the shortest night of the year; June 24. Certain Pagan Gods and Goddesses come alive on this night, in order for us mere mortals to give them our thanks, and realise that seasons of harder times are about to follow. The theme of the night is fire and water, and purity and change. Roquetas is littered with lots of mini bonfires and locals believe that if you jump over a bonfire three times on the night of San Juan, you will be purified and your problems will all be burnt away.
Fiesta De Los Reyes
Roquetans don’t just reserve their fiestas for the summer; the night of Fiesta De Los Reyes is one of the most important in Spain, and celebrated a lot earlier in the year on January 5th. As a Roquetas shuttle driver this time of year isn’t particularly busy for me, so this is the fiesta where I can really let my hair down. The three wise men, or Kings, as we call them in Andalusia, arrive every year on the night before epiphany in a parade which starts at dusk. They bear gifts of fruity sweets, which are eagerly grabbed up by the local children, who turn up to the event with bags to catch them in.
The next morning, breakfast is an important occasion with the Three Kings Cake at the centre of the table. Inside bakers hide a small present and an unlucky bean. The person that receives the slice with the gift becomes King, or Queen, for the day. Whilst the person that receives the bean of bad luck has to buy next year’s cake.
Pulpop
Not all festivals have to have their roots in ancient traditions, and the Pulpop festival is one such example. Pulpop has increased in popularity over the last couple of years and I am now asked to drive people from all over Europe, from Almeria airport to Roquetas beach for this festival. The music festival showcases some of the best Spanish rock music, and this year a popular Spanish brand called Cooper are headlining. If you love music then this is definitely a great festival for you and it always manages to draw large crowds of people of all ages.
As a Roquetas shuttle driver you may think that I’d grow bored of seeing the same sights and sounds every day, but you couldn’t be more wrong. The quaint fishing village is somewhere that I very much love, and although it has some truly splendid sights, including the 18th Century Church of our Lady of the Rosary and the 16th Century Santa Ana lighthouse, the friendly locals and fantastic fiestas are by far the highlight of this destination for me.
Virgen Del Carmen
On July 16, the fiesta of Virgen Del Carmen is celebrated. A wooden effigy of the virgin is paraded around the windy lanes and narrow streets of the town, before being taken for a spin on one of the traditional fishing boats synonymous with Roquetas. Although this fiesta is celebrated throughout Spain, the Virgen Del Carmen is the patron saint of fishing boats, so it is smaller fishing communities such as Roquetas that really pull the stops out. If I’m picking you up from Almeria airport to Roquetas on this day, I’d be happy to not only show you the bars that the locals choose to celebrate this fiesta in, but also the best place to view the fireworks from.
Noche Del Mar
This famous fiesta is also referred to as the magical night of San Juan. It is referred to as magical because the locals believe that strange instances can occur on the shortest night of the year; June 24. Certain Pagan Gods and Goddesses come alive on this night, in order for us mere mortals to give them our thanks, and realise that seasons of harder times are about to follow. The theme of the night is fire and water, and purity and change. Roquetas is littered with lots of mini bonfires and locals believe that if you jump over a bonfire three times on the night of San Juan, you will be purified and your problems will all be burnt away.
Fiesta De Los Reyes
Roquetans don’t just reserve their fiestas for the summer; the night of Fiesta De Los Reyes is one of the most important in Spain, and celebrated a lot earlier in the year on January 5th. As a Roquetas shuttle driver this time of year isn’t particularly busy for me, so this is the fiesta where I can really let my hair down. The three wise men, or Kings, as we call them in Andalusia, arrive every year on the night before epiphany in a parade which starts at dusk. They bear gifts of fruity sweets, which are eagerly grabbed up by the local children, who turn up to the event with bags to catch them in.
The next morning, breakfast is an important occasion with the Three Kings Cake at the centre of the table. Inside bakers hide a small present and an unlucky bean. The person that receives the slice with the gift becomes King, or Queen, for the day. Whilst the person that receives the bean of bad luck has to buy next year’s cake.
Pulpop
Not all festivals have to have their roots in ancient traditions, and the Pulpop festival is one such example. Pulpop has increased in popularity over the last couple of years and I am now asked to drive people from all over Europe, from Almeria airport to Roquetas beach for this festival. The music festival showcases some of the best Spanish rock music, and this year a popular Spanish brand called Cooper are headlining. If you love music then this is definitely a great festival for you and it always manages to draw large crowds of people of all ages.