Visiting Gibraltar: Everything You Need To Know To Plan a Perfect Day Trip
At the end of my travels through Spain, I had one spot left to go before catching a flight to Morocco-Gibraltar. After several weeks of nonstop travel, I was pretty exhausted and did absolutely no research on Gibraltar whatsoever. Needless to say, when I arrived I was completely surprised by this destination (and found myself without the proper currency and outlet converters). If you are planning a visit to the south of Spain, then I highly recommend taking a day trip to unique Gibraltar! You’ll want to read this post before going!
About Gibraltar
I’ll be honest. When I first headed to Gibraltar, I still thought it was a part of Spain…oops. Gibraltar is actually a British Overseas Territory. What exactly does this mean? Gibraltar is primarily in charge of its own affairs, however, Britain is responsible for things like the defense of Gibraltar and foreign policy. Gibraltar has been under British control officially since 1713, and the Spanish haven’t exactly been pleased that this important location on the Iberian Peninsula isn’t under their control.
Though today Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory, the area has a long history. It is believed that Neanderthals existed in the area from as early as 28,000, and Gibraltar has been inhabited by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, and is even one of the legendary Pillars of Hercules.
Getting to Gibraltar
Gibraltar is an easy day trip from many places in the south of Spain. It is under two hours from popular tourist cities such as Málaga, Ronda, and Marbella. Once can’t simply take a train or a bus to Gibraltar itself-there is actually a border you must cross to enter Gibraltar!
- By Train or Bus: To get to Gibraltar from Spain, you’ll want to take a train or bus to La Línea de la Concepción. From there you can either catch a cab to the border or walk. When I visited, I took the train from Ronda to a different station, and my taxi driver was so confused when I gave him the address to my Airbnb in Gibraltar. He kindly dropped me off at the border instead! I was just a little embarrassed.
- By Plane: There is an airport in Gibraltar, so if you are flying into Spain or out of Gibraltar, it is easy to make a day trip out of the visit! The airport is one of the coolest I’ve seen. The air strip has an incredible view of the rock, and the runway actually goes through some of Gibraltar’s main roads-traffic is simply halted until after the plane takes off.
Crossing The Border
Crossing the border in Gibraltar is much like crossing the border anywhere-you stand in a line (it was pretty short when I went), pull out your passport, have it inspected, go through security, and voilà you are able to walk on in!
Getting to Town
Gibraltar is only around 2.6 square miles, making it quite walkable. If you are staying overnight and carrying luggage as I was, you may want to take the bus into town. It is only a few euros, although they tend to get quite packed, especially when the roads temporarily halted for planes!
The Feel Of Gibraltar
Once you arrive in the historic center of Gibraltar, the effect is quite surreal. One minute I was standing in Spain, the next minute I felt as if I was suddenly transported to Britain. You’ll find yourself surrounded by cobblestone streets, telephone booths, pubs, “litter” bins, and signs…all in English. After months on the road, I found myself overwhelmed by all of the English everywhere!
The currency is the British Pound, and even the outlets match the kind you’d find in England. There are ATMs to withdraw Pounds, and many places accept Euros. Fortunately for me, my Airbnb host had an outlet converter to spare!
Walking around the streets of Gibraltar had me feeling as though I was in Disneyland’s version of England. Gibraltar truly is charming, and I loved having a surprise taste of British culture!
What to Do In Gibraltar
Dine in Grand Casemates Square
Grand Casemates Square is the largest square in the historic center of Gibraltar. The square is filled with Pubs, restaurants, shops, and lots of al fresco dining. Unfortunately when I visited it was quite rainy, but I’m sure in the summer months the outdoor seating would be lovely. Behind the square, the large Rock of Gibraltar looms in the distance.
Explore the town
Once you’ve gotten your fill of Grand Casemates Square, take some time to wander around Gibraltar. There are tons of shops lining the streets and lots of British-looking architecture to take in. I especially loved looking at all of the British-sounding street names and finding details like telephone booths around town.
Visit the Rock of Gibraltar
The rock of Gibraltar is the most well-known and unforgettable site in Gibraltar. The gigantic monolithic limestone landmark is 1,398 feet high and clearly visibly throughout Gibraltar, and even near the border in Spain.
- Exploring the rock by cable car: One option for exploring the rock of Gibraltar is to take the Cable Car, however, the day I visited it was closed due to high winds.
- Exploring the rock by cab: Another option for exploring the rock is to go by cab. The Gibraltar Taxi Tours are £20 per person and take you to most of the main sites on the rock. I ended up being happy that I took the taxi tour as I was able to see the Pillars of Hercules, St. Michael’s Cave the Gibraltar Nature reserve and Barbary Apes, and the Great Siege Tunnels.
The Pillars of Hercules
The first stop on the taxi tour of the rock is the lookout point and monument to the Pillars of Hercules. Today the monument that stands at this lookout point reminds visitors of the legendary labors of Hercules. The rock of Gibraltar is said to be the European pillar of Hercules, while Jebel Musa stands on the North African shore. Both are visible from the water, and on a clear day, visitors to this point can see Africa!
St. Michael’s Cave
St. Michael’s Cave is the most popular of over 150 limestone caves on the Rock of Gibraltar. The cave receives over 1,ooo,ooo visitors each year and is definitely a highlight of the taxi tour. Today, the cave is dramatically lit with all different colors and has coordinating music, making the visit fun and interactive.
Gibraltar Nature Reserve and Barbary Apes
Chances are you will have the opportunity to see some of Gibraltar’s Barbary Macaque monkeys while visiting the caves, but the greatest concentration of these amazing creatures will be towards the top of the rock of Gibraltar. Here, many of the Nature Reserve’s monkeys hang out and are fed. The coolest thing about Gibraltar is that it is home to Europe’s only wild monkeys, and there are over 300 Barbary Macaques that call the rock of Gibraltar home.
Not only does the top of the rock offer stunning views of both sides of the rock, but you’ll have time to visit with these furry creatures. That being said, they are wild, so I do not advise touching them! There is also a very large fine for feeding them, and for good reason-the monkeys shouldn’t be eating people food!
While you shouldn’t touch the monkeys, you can’t really help it if they touch you, which is what happened to me…twice! After one monkey tried to steal my purse, another went to jump from one taxi to another (they like to do that), but instead landed on my head! It proceeded to pull my hair (it strangely reminded me of a toddler), jump off, and then jump back on again.
I felt bad for delaying the tour, but it was actually quite difficult to get the monkey off of my head! Seeing the monkeys was really cool, and definitely made for a funny story.
Great Siege Tunnels
The Rock of Gibraltar’s Great Siege Tunnels are remnants from the 18th century Great Siege of Gibraltar, where France and Spain attempted to capture Gibraltar from the British. Visitors to the tunnel can learn about the siege and the excavation of the tunnels, as well as see where cannons peek through the rock, once aimed at the French and Spanish invaders.
The Moorish Castle
Though not included on the Taxi Tour of the Rock of Gibraltar, if you have time, you may want to check out the Moorish Castle of Gibraltar. This fortification was first constructed in the 8th century, and today is a well-known sight to visitors of Gibraltar. I personally did not visit this site, but I was able to see it from the base of the rock.
Hit the Beach
If you managed to explore Gibraltar and the Rock of Gibraltar and have time left over, then why not hit the beach! There are several great spots for soaking up the sun in Gibraltar. Catalan Bay, Eastern Beach, and Sandy Bay are some of the most popular. Unfortunately I visited in the fall, and it was a little too chilly for beach-going.
There you have it! Everything you need to know about planning a day trip to Gibraltar! What makes it onto your list of Gibraltar must-dos? Let me know in the comments!
You might also like my other posts on Spain, or:
- How I Afford To Travel: 1 Year, 15 Countries, And Just $2,000
- 15 Things You Absolutely Must Do In Seville, Spain
- Must Do Málaga: Discover The Top 10 Things To Do In Picasso’s Birthplace
- 10 Reasons You Simply Must Visit Ronda: Spain’s Most Gorge-ous City
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