Situated 35km beyond Estepona in Cádiz province, SAN ROQUE was founded by the people of Gibraltar fleeing the British, who had captured the Rock and looted their homes and churches in 1704. They expected to return within months, since the troops had taken the garrison in the name of the Archduke Carlos of Austria, whose rights Britain had been promoting in the War of the Spanish Succession. But it was the British flag that was raised on the conquered territory - and so it has remained.

The "Spanish-British frontier" is 8km away at LA LÍNEA DE LA CONCEPCIÓN. In February 1985 the gates were reopened after a sixteen-year period of Spanish-imposed isolation, and since then crossing has been a routine affair of passport stamping, except for the odd diplomatic flare-up when the Spanish authorities have decided to operate a go-slow to annoy the Rock's inhabitants.

At the heart of La Línea is the large, modern and undistinguished Plaza de la Constitución, where you'll find the Correos . The turismo ( Mon-Fri 8am-3pm, Sat 9am-1pm; tel 956 769 950), which provides a useful town map labelling hostales , and bus station are both on Avenida 20 Abril, to the south of the square. Most of the budget hostales are also around Plaza de la Constitucíon. The friendly La Campana , Calle Carboneras 3, just off the square, is clean, and has rooms with bath and TV; if this is full, Hotel-Restaurante Carlos is almost opposite with the same facilities. Slightly further north, Hostal Florida , Calle Sol 37, is another possibility, with a good-value restaurant downstairs, and cheaper rooms are on offer at the basic but clean Pensión La Perla , Calle Clavel 10, off the north side of the square.

Off the east side of Plaza de la Constitución an archway leads to the smaller, pedestrianized Plaza Cruz de Herrera, with lots of reasonably priced bars and restaurants , among which La Nueva Mesón Jerezana does good fino and jamón . Slightly north lies Calle Real, the main pedestrianized shopping street and another area with plenty of bars and cafes: just off the north side is La Venta , Calle Dr Villar 19, which does a good-value menú and an excellent paella, while to the south at Avda. de España 22 is an excellent marisquería, Bar Aquarium . Calle Clavel, signposted from the main plaza to the Plaza de Toros, has more options: Bar Alhambra halfway down is basic and excellent value.

Local buses from La Línea to Algeciras take thirty minutes, with departures every hour. The closest main-line train station is San Roque-La Línea, 12km away, from where you can pick up a train to Ronda and beyond. Buses link La Línea with Sevilla ( daily; 4hr ), Málaga ( daily; 2hr 30min ), Cádiz ( daily; 2hr 30min ) via Tarifa, and as far as Ayamonte on the Portuguese border ( daily; 7hr ).

It has to be said that the actual town of La Linea is not one the prettiest towns located in this area of Andalucia, however with its strategic location next to one of the most famous rocks in the world it does offer a unique holiday and travel experience. Another good reason is that if you plan to spend a few days exploring Gibraltar itself then having your base in La Linea makes much more sence as the the accommodation rates are generally a fair bit less then its British run neighbour.

San Roque recently celebrated its 300 th Anniversary and if your looking for the real Spain in Andalucía then you should definitely add this town to your itinerary.

The town of San Roque may not be spectacular but has an honest warmth and charm that drags you in and makes you feel at home.

If you stroll on up Calle San Felipe you will come to the church of St Mary which houses several religious images taken there when the Spanish fled the Anglo-Dutch invaders in 1706. During your walk up the hill you can take in breathtaking views over the Mediterranean and gaze at the some of the local authentic houses with their beautiful patios and courtyards.

San Roque has its own theater ( teatro ) located in the central square ( Plaza Alameda ) it runs regular shows with local performers showing off their musical and dancing skills. During Easter the town comes alive with the religious processions that have become very popular in the area and where visitors from all over the province and farther afield, to soak up the unique atmosphere . Heavily adorned floats carried by local bearers are paraded around the town for hours on end with thousands of candles burning brightly around the winding streets, this really is a spectacle never to be forgotten.

Another time for much merriment is during August when the town celebrates its annual Feria ( Fiesta ). It is a whole week of partying during the day and in the warm summer nights with music, dancing and where local senoras and senoritas dressed up in traditional costume. All this is enjoyed with a fantastic array of local cuisine and all washed down of course with large quantities of authentic local wine . mostly ( fino ) a dry sherry from Malaga and Jerez.

You could also join the locals on Sundays when they trek out to the Piña del Rey Forest cooking Paella and enjoying a day of family fun.