Rojales

Rojales - The beautiful town of Rojales, just inland from Guardamar del Segura on the southern Costa Blanca, Spain, is a traditional farming village. Lying as it does on the banks of the Segura River, water has played an important part in its past and present history. Present day Rojales has been able to combine its tradition and culture with a more modern lifestyle. Now a popular location for both holiday homes and for people settling permanently in the area, some 4,000 families have chosen to make Rojales their home. Its current population is around 8,000 people, though this rises to 30,000 during the holiday period.

The history of Rojales can be traced back to the Neolithic Era and the Bronze Age when small groups of huts were gathered close to the River Segura.

The town itself appears to have been founded by the Moors during the Arab conquest (8^th - 13^th Centuries) and they were responsible for a complex irrigation system, traces of which still remain today.

One major feature of the town is the Azud, a 40m x 10m stone dam, built during the 16^th Century, and still working today, which was built to raise the level of the river to direct the water to the irrigation ditches and to the Water Wheel. The Water Wheel, built at the end of the 19^th Century, is guarded by massive stonework which protects it from damage when the river Segura floods.

Also worth seeing are the Gasparito Wells, two huge subterranean wells built during the 1920’s in mountain sandstone and designed to collect and store rainwater to supply the surrounding villages. Water merchants from neighbouring villages came here with their skin bags, collected the water and returned to their villages where they sold it to the local residents. The West Well has now been converted into an exhibition gallery, whilst the East Well is still operational and still used for its original purpose of storing fresh water.

One of the main surviving symbols of Rojales is the Carlos III (Charles III) Bridge over the Segura River. Built during the 18^th Century, with its three wide arches and characterized by its fine stonework.

Also of great interest to visitors are the series of cave houses (El Rodeo), dug into hills south of the town during the 19^th Century. These are now mostly used by artists and craftsmen to display their wares to tourists. A guide map is available with all the houses set out and numbered, there is also a café and a picnic area. Whilst you are visiting the cave houses you must also visit the amazing Shell House - a testimony to one man’s patience. Decorated over many years by Manuel Fulleda Alcaraz the house (still lived in ) is covered in patterns in shells, mirrors and tiles. The Shell House can be found close to the cave dwellings and is shown on the guide map.

Lying south of Rojales and well worth a visit is the Parque Natural de La Mata y Torrevieja. With an area of 3,700 hectares much of it water (salt lakes) it is a haven for over 200 species of birds including flamingos, avocets, grebe, stilts and black-necked zampullines. There is a small tourist office just off the N332 at La Mata where you can see some of the history of the park and the salt lakes and also pick up a guide with two marked out routes for walking and cycling. There are magnificent views of the salt lakes and of the Mediterranean sea. The park consists of three distinct areas - the lagoons and salt marshes, the reed beds and the undergrowth. There is also a very nice picnic area in the shade of the pine trees where visitors can enjoy an hour or two out of the burning sun. There are wooden tables and benches for the comfort of visitors.

For golfers there is a fine golf course in the area and also worth a visit is the new town of Ciudad Quesada (a town which grew out of one man’s dream), if you have children don’t forget to visit the Aqua Park up on the hill at Quesada, with its various slides and pools and a great view of the surrounding countryside.

Rojales holds a number of fiestas and festivals the most important being on 29^th June in honour of its patron saint Pedro (Peter). Other important festivals are the Romeria de San Isidro during May and the Virgin of the Rosary during October.

Rojales can be easily reached via the CV-940, the CV-91 or the AP-7 motorway junctions 740, 743 or 745.

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Rojales

Rojales - Costa Blanca - Spain

Rojales - Property - History - Information - Map - Weather