Is Rota, Spain a good place to visit?

Question

A friend and I are making a trip through Europe next summer. We are going from Rome to Paris, maybe Amsterdam, and all over the UK. Rota would be way out of the way, but I was born there because my dad was stationed at the Naval base, and I would like to see it. Would it be worth the trip?

Answer 1

Not really. There is a massive US Naval / air base which the Spanish insist, despite the fact that there are US guards on the gates, is SPANISH.  Write ahead as suggested, I'm sure the folks are friendly.

The area around is not very pretty but it is Spanish.

There are interesting places to visit nearby.

Chipiona, A Spanish resort with a Virgen de la Regla.

Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spanish weekend resort. Famous for seafood and Manzanilla. Mitchener in his book, 'Iberia' called it the most typical Spanish town. ( Eat at Bigote's or Mirador del Donana in Bajo de Guia).

Jerez, Famous for Sherry wines.

You could drive to Sevilla, about an hour away or through the Sierra de Ronda, withs its white villages.

Ryanair do cheaper flights to Jerez from the U.K.

Answer 2

i go to Rota twice a year ,it the town and everything around it lives off of the very very large Spanish Navel Base with many Americans (30 years ago the base had many more Americans)  The Base is huge (they have a web-site) It will be diffcult to get on the Base without a good reason (write ahead to see if you can be accomodated) the town isnt bad ,good beaches in the summer Some decent Tex-Mex food in the town but not really a Special place and abit diffcult to drive to