The first archeological remains in Rota´s history are from the pre-historica ages. Phoenician ruins, and of many other civilizations have been found as of today in it´s domains.

Astaroth, Asta Regia, Rabitta Ruta, Oraculum Menester, Oleastrum, Speculum Rotae, Rotta, and finally Rota have been some of the different names this locality has adopted during the passing of times.

Phoenicians, romans, arabs, and christians...each civilization that have passed through this location and left their mark. Sancho IV, at the end of the XIII century ordered the construction of Atalayas, for the defense of this spot, later on Alonso Perez de Guzman became ruler of all these lands after Fernando the IV gave up the villa. Here came the Catholic king and queen Isabel and Fernando at the end of the XV century.
During the following centuries, Rota wrote important pages in the history of Spain. It was the location where the anglo-dutch disembarked during the war of the spanish succession after the death of Carlos II; it was a victim of pests, cholera, and other epidemics that left this city weak; The falling of Mendizábal causes the abandonment of the of Mercenary Convent.

In 1955 the military base was installed, which provoked a great change in the economy of this city, which had been surviving from their agriculture, and fishing. Today the main ingredients to their economy comes from tourism and fishing. Rota is a city prepared to absorb great quantities of tourists. It has great hotel infrastructures, well communicated and hundreds of bars and restaurants with different types of cuisines.