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The British overseas territory of Gibraltar, situated at the southern tip of the Spanish mainland, with its Rock of Gibraltar can easily be seen from far away. Gibraltar is a great place to include in a trip to Andalusia. I spent a day there and will now introduce you to the highlights and sights.
General travel tips for Gibraltar
How to get to Gibraltar
The adventure truly begins the moment you arrive in Gibraltar. Since it is a British Overseas Territory, there’s an official border control in place. Whether you’re traveling by car or public transport, your journey kicks off in the Spanish city of La Linea de la Concepcion. Flying into Gibraltar is not the best option, as although there is an airport, there are no regular flights. The easiest (and most thrilling) way to enter is on foot. You walk to the border, present your passport, undergo a quick border check (just a few seconds for European citizens), and you’re officially in the British Overseas Territory. The border is conveniently located right at the airport, so you actually cross the runway on foot. If a plane is arriving, the area is briefly cordoned off, but soon after, you’re free to continue your journey.
If you want to stay overnight, I would recommend accommodations in La Linea, because Gibraltar is a lot more expensive. But you can also find hotels there, for excample on booking.com
Where do I park my car in Gibraltar?
Gibraltar is not particularly large and, as far as I know, you would need to bring permits to cross with a hire car, which is why I strongly recommend parking in La Línea de la Concepción and then crossing the border on foot. There are all kinds of car parks in La Linea where you can park all day for between 7 and 15 euros. When I was there, it was a public holiday, which is why all the car parks in the city centre were full and I ended up parking right next to the border, but I didn’t pay too much here either.
How do I get from A to B in Gibraltar?
Now that you’ve left your car in La Linea, you might be wondering how to get around in Gibraltar. I initially thought about walking everywhere, but I wouldn’t recommend it. While Gibraltar isn’t huge, distances can still feel quite long, especially to the lighthouse at the southern tip. It’s better to hop on one of the buses. The bus system here is excellent, and after crossing the border (and the airport), you can catch bus number 3 or 9 to reach the city center. Just a heads up: Bus 3 also takes you to many popular tourist spots, including the famous European Point lighthouse. I suggest purchasing a hopper ticket (a day pass) online, so you can hop on and off any bus without worrying about small change, since tickets are cash-only on the buses and they don’t give change.
What currency is in Gibraltar?
The official currency in Gibraltar is the Gibraltar Pound, which incidentally cannot be spent in the UK. Conversely, the regular British pound (sterling pound) is accepted in Gibraltar. Euros are very rarely accepted, so you should definitely bring a few pounds with you, you can pay a lot with your card, but you might still need cash from time to time. I could only pay in cash on the bus, where euros were accepted, but I didn’t get any change.
Reiseführer für Andalusien, Sevilla und Alhambra – Amazon
The best sights in Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar & Nature Reserve
The absolute highlight of Gibraltar is of course the striking Rock of Gibraltar, which also offers a number of other highlights. In and around the rock there are many remnants from the Second World War, such as tunnels and cannons/batteries. You can hike to the many highlights in the so-called Nature Reserve. Alternatively, there is also a cable car that you can take to the top and then hike down, which is what I did, for example. Here is a map of the Nature Reserve where you can see the different hiking routes.
Info: The Nature Reserve is subject to a charge (early 2024: £16), the cable car costs extra (£19 return).
I walked from the Cable Car Top Station to the Skywalk, then the Charles V Wall to Windsor Bridge and then the yellow-red route back to the city centre. I skipped the eastern part, partly because the fog was low that day and the view wasn’t really good.
Monkeys of Gibraltar
As soon as you arrive at the top station of the cable car, you will see the famous monkeys of Gibraltar. Here you need to take off your sunglasses, stow away your food (or don’t take it with you at all) and hold on to your rucksacks and cameras. Because the monkeys are incredibly curious and will grab anything that is shiny or could contain food. Why are there actually monkeys in Gibraltar? That is disputed. Legend has it that they were imported and as long as there are monkeys in Gibraltar, Gibraltar will be fine. They are therefore protected by the locals and are now a tourist attraction. The only thing that is certain is that the Barbary macaques are descended from Moroccan and Algerian animals, so the import theory from nearby Morocco could be correct. In any case, they are the only Barbary macaques living in the wild in Europe.
Skywalk
The Skywalk is probably one of the platforms from which you have the best view of the Rock of Gibraltar and is included in the entrance fee.
O’ Hara’s Battery & Mediterranean Steps
Unfortunately, I skipped O’ Hara’s Battery and the Mediterranean Steps, but these steps are spectacular and the view of the Rock of Gibraltar is fantastic from here. However, this walk is not recommended if you have a fear of heights as it is quite steep downhill.
Charles V Wall
One of the highlights for me on the way down in the Nature Reserve was the Charles V Wall. Here you’ll find steps upon steps to climb down (or up). But beware – there are also some monkeys living here and as there is naturally little space and the wall next to it is at eye level, they may not like it at all if you walk along it. One of the animals hissed at me quite angrily and I was very respectful. The wall was built around 1540 and served as a defence wall.
Windsor Suspension Bridge
Opened in 2016, the 70-metre-long suspension bridge is a really cool photo opportunity and offers spectacular views. I thought it was really cool and definitely worth the detour. The path to the bridge is a little difficult to find, you have to turn off the main path once and walk through a small forest.
WWII Tunnels
During the Second World War, the location of Gibraltar became increasingly important and in order to store supplies and as a defence measure for the troops, a huge tunnel system was built in the Rock of Gibraltar, which contained an entire town. There were infirmaries, a bakery, power stations and much more – 16,000 crew members and inhabitants could live here and had supplies for 16 months. The tunnels are around 55 kilometres long and although you can’t visit everything, you should definitely plan to spend some time there. The tunnels are definitely one of the most important sights in Gibraltar.
Great Siege Tunnels
The tunnels of the Great Siege were one of the best defence systems ever built. The tunnels were built for the Great Siege during the War of American Independence in the 17th century and were excavated by hand, unlike the WWII tunnels where machines were used. These tunnels should definitely be on your Gibraltar list too. And in addition to the sophisticated defence system, you also have a great view of the border between Spain and Gibraltar and the airport.
Moorish Castle
This medieval fortress is located near the World War II tunnel and is worth a short detour. The castle was probably (re)built around the 13th century, having originally existed in the 11th century. Admission to the fortress is included in the Nature Reserve Fee.
Europa Point
This lighthouse is located at the southernmost point of Gibraltar (not Europe!) and right next to it is the Ibrahim al-Ibrahim Mosque. From here you can see the African continent in the distance. Europa Point is a very good landmark for sailors due to the prominent cliffs.
The mosque was completed in 1995 and was a gift from Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest mosques in Europe.
You can reach Europa Point either directly by bus number 2 or on foot from the Rock of Gibraltar via Queens Road and later Europa Road. Personally, I would recommend taking the bus as it is quite a long walk, but if you are motivated, you can walk.
City centre
In the city centre of Gibraltar you can enjoy a bit of Mediterranean flair, I personally liked Casemates Square, Main Street, the Roman Catholic Cathedral, Queensway Quay Marina or the National Museum are also worth seeing. In general, however, the city centre of Gibraltar is certainly not the most beautiful city in Europe 😉
St. Michael’s Cave
Another popular destination in Gibraltar are the limestone caves of St Michael. As I haven’t visited this place, I can’t say much about it, but I wanted to add it here for the sake of completeness.
