Gibraltar never really surfaced on my travel radar till one of my friends went there a few years ago and came back shouting you have to go to Gibraltar, it’s amazing!
Even then, I was a bit reserved about it, mainly because I’m not a 100% beach holiday person. I like soft adventure and activities but also there weren’t direct flights from where I live. So, once a flight came up and the cabin fever in me had risen to a reasonably high level, I hit the book now button and I jetted off.
- Gibraltar has the only wild monkey population in the whole of Europe.
- 12% of its economy comes from gambling.
- It has the only airport in the world where the runway has a pedestrian and car crossing, and the runway extends into the sea on a piece of reclaimed land. Definitely not one for nervous flyers!
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono got married there.
- There is 29Km of roads in Gibraltar. You can actually walk the whole length of Gibraltar in an hour.
- The tunnels of Gibraltar that run inside The Rock are 55Km long, which’s twice the length of the road network.
- Despite its size, it has a world heritage site; Gorham’s cave. It is said to be one of the last habitations of the Neanderthals.
- Gibraltar has appeared in 2 James Bond movies; You only live twice and The living daylights
- It has a giant floating hotel; the five-star superyacht hotel Sunborn Gibraltar is a seven-deck, 465ft cruise ship. The Telegraph describes it as “cruise ship meets Bulgari hotel”.
To say it’s lush and luxurious is an understatement.
I obviously had to try said hotel when I visited Gibraltar.
You can see more of the Sunborn Gibraltar hotel here.
Language
The offical language is English. The original language is Llanito, a mix of Spanish, and North African.
Currency
Gibraltar Pound, but many places take the British Sterling Pound as well. the conversion rate is negligible.
Trasnport
Gibraltar is a small territory, walking is the best way to explore the area however taxis and buses are available as well as car rental.
What to do in 7 days on The Rock?
You are probably wondering man, that’s too small of a place what am I going to do there.
I’ve put together for you a list of activities and a sample seven-day itinerary that you can try out.
Aim to arrive mid-morning, drop off your luggage and then head to Main Street, you’ll find lots of cafes, bars and restaurants to sit it with a great view of The Rock. If you’re not up for a meal at that time you can still enjoy the vibe of the territory by walking around Main Street and visiting the Irish village or hiking up to the Moorish Castle (you don’t need hiking gear, just comfortable shoes and a camera as the views are stunning from there).
In the evening I recommend heading to Marina Bay and Ocean Village.
Great place to have a walk around, explore the area, see the sea and get a great meal at one of the many restaurants dotted around while catching the sunset over the sea.
Take the cable car to the top of The Rock, on a sunny day the view over the Rock and the sea is breath taking.
Have a cuppa or a meal at the Mons Caples restaurant with 360 view from top of The Rock. Solo travellers don’t forget your tripods!
You can take the cable car back down or hike down – it is a bit of a lengthy hike but you’ll get to visit the sky walk, Windsor suspended bridge, St Michael’s cave which is now converted to a modern concert venue, you can stop along the way at O’hara battery and the Apes den, also at the world war 2 tunnels.
There are plenty things to see on the way down but be prepared with water and good walking shoes, it will take you a few hours.
If you’ve hiked down the day before then you definitely need a rest day. Whatever you do to rewind and relax, having a spa day, spending a day by the pool or strolling in the botanic gardens.
Head to the beach, the eastern side is much quieter and has the sun shining almost all day, so your chances of batter tan are bigger there.
Head to Europa point, depending on where you are staying you can walk over or take a taxi. It is claimed to be the most southern part of continental Europe, great views of the lighthouse and The Rock and you can also visit Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque it’s one of the largest Mosques in a non-Muslim country and the Southernmost Mosque in Europe, it took 5 million pounds to construct it.
Watch the sunrise over Europe while hiking up The Rock via the Mediterranean steps.
This hike is not for the faint hearted but it is so good. The views over the sea and the straight are unbelievably beautiful and so worth the hike. Careful if you are going on a hot day, take a hat, if it’s a rainy day careful with the steps they can get very slippery.
From the top of the steps, you can walk over to the cable care station and take a ride down.
Spend the day at sea.
Watch the dolphins or the whales, take a boat ride, or book a surfing or snorkelling excursion, there’s plenty to do.
Best time to visit
All year round! with 300 days of sun you can't go wrong on timing.
COVID tests
At the time of publishing Gibraltar is on the Green list for UK citizens, please always refer to the government website for updates.
Activities
There is a wide range of activities you can do, Im sure we can find something that would suit every level of fitness. Do get in touch by clicking this text and we can sort you out with more ideas.
Did you get some value from this post?
I hope you did because each week I put my heart into making sure you get some good tips so you can rock it in your travels while creating a life you love.