San Roque

The origins of the current city lie in the loss of Gibraltar in 1704, after which some inhabitants of the Rock settled on a small hill where there was a chapel in honor of San Roque. The old town has been declared of historical and artistic interest and its highlights include St. Mary's Church, St. Philip's Oratory, and the San Roque Chapel itself.

San Roque is situated 109 meters above sea level on a hill overlooking the bay of Algeciras towards North Africa. San Roque, with a population of about 23,000, is located between the municipalities of La Linea de la Concepción and Los Barrios in Cadiz. The village is located on top of a hill on the side of the busy A-7 coast road. It's worth stopping in to take a look.

 How is the location of San Roque?

Located between two continents, the sea and the ocean and three cultures; Spanish, British and Arabic – colors and flavors galore. The surrounding area offers spectacular and contrasting landscapes of sea and ocean beaches, as well as a lush landscape teeming with wild life. It is popular with water sports enthusiasts, rock climbing, golf, paddle tennis, polo and much more.

There are six golf courses in the municipality of San Roque. It is also home to Sotogrande - one of Europe's premier residential developments - a mecca for golfers and polo players. West of Sotogrande is also the San Roque Club resort with two golf courses.

Rural tourism is also very popular in the San Roque area, which includes one of the most beautiful forests in Europe, Pinar del Rey, with its many species of native flora and fauna.

History

A number of ancient cultures have passed through the site of present-day San Roque: Iberians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans have all left their mark. Carteia, Spain's first Roman colony, founded in 171 BC, was located here, on the site of a city with an important seaport.