Gibraltar Introduction
- Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. This means that it has a constitutional and historical link with the UK who will retain responsibility to maintain defence & foreign relations. It is not part of the United Kingdom and is self-governing.
- Gibraltar is located almost on the Southern Tip of The Iberian Peninsular. Tarifa in Spain is on the Tip.
- The Rock of Gibraltar is one of The Pillars of Hercules, the other is in Morocco, Africa on the other side of The 14.5 kilometres wide Straights of Gibraltar.
- The Straights of Gibraltar separate Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
- This makes Gibraltar extremely important strategically. In World War II the shells of the guns on The Rock could reach into Africa & therefore controlled the Straights
- Photographs of the Rock of Gibraltar are very deceptive showing the 3 major peaks.
- The Peaks of The Rock Gibraltar.
- The Summit 426m O'Hara's Battery, is towards the southern end of thepeninsula.
- Signal Hill 387m & Top of The Cable Car
- Northern Peak, nearest to Spain, 372m. On most Gibraltar Photographs, because of perspective, this looks to be the highest peak, but in fact is the lowest of the three.
Top Gibraltar Attractions
Duty Free Shopping
- Gibraltar is a great duty free shopping experience
- Excellent low priced Jewellery,Watches, Electronic items, Spirits,Tobacco, Cigarettes, Cosmetics, and Perfumes.
- Remember there are duty free limits to enter your home country such as UK or if you are on a trip from Spain on your return to Spain and both British & Spanish Customs are very alert when you return, because they know that some people return with goods over the limit, either by ignorance or by deliberate smuggling.
- Shops are normally open between 10:00 – 19:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 – 15:00 on Saturdays.
- he main large food stores are open throughout the seven days of the week.
- Most shops are normally closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.
Top Gibraltar Attractions
Photograph of 3 of the TopGibraltar Attractions
Dolphin, Orca, Whale Watching Boat Tours
- Dolphin, Orca & Whale Watching Boat Tours
- From Gibraltar or
- Included with some day trips from Andalucia or Costa del Sol
Find Out More> Dolphin, Orca & Whale Watching Boat Tours
Moorish Castle & Walls
- Moorish Castle & Walls. The original Gibraltar Defence System
Find Out More> Moorish Castle & Walls
The Great Siege Tunnels Gibraltar
- Elevated Cannon in the Great Siege Tunnels Gibraltar
Find Out More> Great Siege Tunnel
World War II Tunnels
- 34 miles of tunnels almost a city inside The Rock.
- Many Tunnels road large enough for lorries.
Find Out More> World War II Tunnel
Upper Rock Nature Reserve
- List of what over 15 attractions Included in Ticket Price
- War Batteries & Tunnels
- Barbary Monkeys
- Much More
Find Out More> Upper Rock Nature Reserve
Mediterranean-Steps
- Mediterranean-Steps
- The Top Walking Trail on Gibraltar
Find Out More> Mediterranean-Steps
Windsor Suspension Bridge
- A 71 metre long adrenalin thrill attraction, over a 50m deep gorge
- Are you brave enough when it sways
Find Out More> Windsor Suspension Bridge
100 Ton Gun
- The largest Muzzle loading gun in the World
- Only one remains of the 2 installed in Gibraltar.
Find Out More>
100 Ton Gun
Parson's Lodge Battery Gibraltar
Click Photo for larger Image
Parson's Lodge Battery Gibraltar
- Very Strategic position
Grand Casements Square
- The largest & one of the Main Squares in Gibraltar with plenty of bars, cafes & restaurants.
- This square is where vaious events take placesuch as the Keys ceremonysimilar to the one at the Tower of London. Very good to watch and it is carried out by dedecatered volenties. Not quiet as polished as the London version done by proffesional Yeomen.
- Named after the row of Bomb Proof Casements & Barracks built by the British,who started construction in 1770s until 1817
- Now they are Commercial properties.
Grand Casements Gate
- On the site of The Water Gate.
- Since then vast amounts of land has been reclaimed by dumping rocks into the Sea.
- The sea is now 175m away to the north, Ocean Village Marina, or 780m away to the west, the harbour
Charles V Defensive Wall
- The Charles V Wall is a curtain wall built in 1540 by the Spanish after their reconquest over the Muslims in 1482.
- The wall runs West-East from the old harbour which was much further inland than the present harbour due to land reclamation by rock infill.
Through the Moorish Castle continuing uphill It runs West-East where the side of the rock is a steep slope rather than a shear cliff preventing northward passage along the rock. - The prominent zigzag in the upper section of the slope allows for flanking along the face of the wall.
Photos
Gibraltar Aerial Photo. Spain in the background with towns Left to Right Algeciras, Palmones Guadarrnque, La La Línea de la Concepción
Gibraltar Marina & Imposing Rock
Mosque of King Faud Bin Abdulaziz al Saud Gibraltar
Gibraltar Town and Rock
Mother & Baby Barbary Ape Gibraltar
St Jago's Arch Gibraltar. On the right is the Trafalgar Cemetery Gibraltar
Things To Do in Gibraltar
Dolphin, Orca & Whale Boat Trips
Dolphin, Orca & Whale Watching Boat Trips
Book a Dolphin Watching Tour
From Costa de la Luz:
Gibraltar Day Trip & Dolphin Watching Tour
Pick-up in: Algeciras Bay, Algeciras Centre, Punta Paloma Area,Tarifa Center From From
Marinas in Gibraltar
Duty Free Shopping in Gibraltar
More Attractions in Gibraltar
Useful Information
Tourist Information Offices
- Gibraltar Heritage Trust Offices, John Mackintosh Square open Monday – Sunday.
- Land frontier with Spain open Monday – Friday.
- Gibraltar Cruise Terminal open when vessel is in port Gibraltar.
- Coach Terminus open Monday - Friday.
Passport & Visas
- All visitors to Gibraltar require a Passport or for EU residents Id Card
- Gibraltar is outside the Schengen area. Persons who hold a Schengen visa and intend to enter Gibraltar from Spain should ensure that they will be able to return to Spain.
Electrical power is 220/240 AC
Electric Socket
- Sockets are the same as those in the UK, ie 3 flat-pin plugs.
- An adapter is needed for appliances from Europe
- Americans beware 240v will fry 110v appliances don't use without a trasformer or convertor to reduce the voltage. Appliances marked 110-240 are OK to use but you will need a plug adaptor.
Rules of the Road
The Rules of the Road apply to All road users.
The rules are listed in the Gibraltar Highway Code
Especially for residents of UK, the Republic of Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. They drive on the Right on Gibraltar, the same as on the rest of Europe
The Telephone dialling codes to and from Gibraltar
The country code for Gibraltar is (+ 350). The International Access Code from Gibraltar to all countries is always 00.