Rota: The Prettiest town on the Costa de la Luz?

People will have different opinions on the prettiest town on the Costa de la Luz…but Rota gets our vote.

There’s a main square with a 13^th century castle and church. Steps away, through defensive walls, is the gorgeous white-sand beach (Playa de la Costilla) with a long promenade lined with restaurants and bars. Back within the walls are white-washed streets with something unique to Rota: flower pots created from personalized busts of townspeople. You’ll find streets full of bars and restaurants and a lively atmosphere (especially on a weekend). Another great thing: Rota is an easy 35-minute ferry ride from Cadiz across the bay.

What to See in Rota

Castillo de Luna

Built in the late 1200’s after the conquest of the town by Alfonso X over what was previously a Moorish fortification. It has served many purposes since, including as a residence of Dukes, home of the town’s governor, and later as a hospital and school. Today it is also Rota’s Ayuntamiento (City Hall).

To visit: book a tour with Rota’s tourism office: 956 84 63 45 / 956 84 13 52 or by email at [email protected]. Cost 2 Euros. Last tour at 1 pm (when we were there).

Church of Nuestra Señora de la O

Sharing the same square (Plaza Bartolomé Pérez) as the castle, this church was built in the 16th century in Gothic-Renaissance style.

Playa de la Costilla

Rota has 16 km of beautiful beaches around town. But you don’t have to go further that the main beach, Playa de la Costilla. A long and scenic promenade with protruding breakwater that you can walk to for great views.

Mercado de la Merced

The main market, located next to a tower where you’ll find the town’s tourist office. It’s not big but you’ll find several small restaurants where you can have tapas and drinks. Very nice.

Other

Rota is a place to just wander around for a couple of hours. See Plaza de Espana and the arch leading to it, walk up Calle Nuestra Senora del Rosario, go to Plaza de Jesús Nazareno to see the Rota sign, see Plaza Mirador de las Almenas for views over the bay and towards the naval base on the other side (Interestingly enough, a naval base jointly used by the Spanish Navy and the United States Navy. There are a lot of US Navy personnel housed here).

Personal thoughts on Rota

Seeing Rota we couldn’t help but think “hmm, this is a pretty nice base if looking to live in a seaside town”. Beautiful, relaxed, a good vibe and an easy ferry ride across to Cadiz. Rota has a lot going for it and I’m surprised it gets little mention as a base among foreigners.

Practical Information

Getting to Rota: Ferry to/from Cadiz with 7 or 8 departures/day. Schedule. Takes about 35 minutes. You can get there by bus from Cadiz, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Jerez de la Frontera and even Seville. I took a photo of the bus schedule here. Schedule is subject to change so you should doublecheck it on the Comes website.
Where to Stay: Hotel Duque de Najera is perfectly located.