Gibraltar

A vacation in Gibraltar is usually short but memorable: in just under seven square kilometers (about 2.6 square miles), you'll find a 426-meter (1,398-foot) limestone rock, a British-influenced old town, and a harbor on the strait between Europe and Africa. Many visitors come as day-trippers from the Costa del Sol, but an overnight stay is worth it once the crowds have gone and the lights of Morocco appear across the water.

The Rock and Its Wildlife

The Rock of Gibraltar dominates everything. A large part of it is protected as the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, a network of paths, stairways, and viewpoints overlooking the Bay of Algeciras and, in clear weather, as far as the Rif Mountains. The Barbary macaques, Europe's only free-living monkeys, are famous; you'll see them mainly around the top station of the cable car and at Apes' Den. Feeding them is prohibited, and you should hold on tight to your bags. St. Michael's Cave, a stalactite cave, is used for concerts. In spring and fall, thousands of birds of prey cross the strait, and dolphins can be spotted from boats almost all year round.

Sights in Gibraltar

Main Street is the lifeblood of the town, with red postboxes, pubs, fish and chips, and duty-free shops. At its end lies Casemates Square, a former parade ground that is now full of cafés. The Great Siege Tunnels were blasted into the rock in the 18th century during the Great Siege, and miles of additional tunnels were added in World War II. At the far southern tip, at Europa Point, you'll find a lighthouse and the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, with views across to Africa. On the east side lies Catalan Bay, a former fishing village with a small beach beneath the steep rock face. Gorham's Cave Complex on the east coast, where Neanderthals once lived, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and can only be visited on guided tours.

History and Daily Life

Gibraltar has been British since 1713, and Spain still lays claim to it today. Residents, however, have consistently voted overwhelmingly to remain with the United Kingdom. The result is a distinctive blended culture with British, Genoese, Maltese, Sephardic, and Andalusian influences. In everyday life, many people speak Llanito, a mix of English and Spanish that switches languages mid-sentence.

Food and Drink

The mix is clearly visible on the plate. Alongside English breakfast and pies, there's calentita, a chickpea-flour flatbread considered the national dish, and rosto, pasta in tomato sauce with meat, a legacy of Genoese immigrants. In the bars at Ocean Village, people eat tapas; in the pubs, they drink ale.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Gibraltar has its own airport, whose runway was long crossed by the only road to the border. Cars now go through a tunnel, but pedestrians still cross the runway whenever the barriers are open. Flights go mainly to London and Manchester. From Germany, you typically fly to Málaga and continue for about an hour and a half to La Línea, where you cross the border on foot. The border-crossing rules are currently being reorganized after Brexit, so check before you travel. Prices are in pounds; euros are often accepted, but at an unfavorable rate. The best time to visit Gibraltar is April through June and September and October, with temperatures of 68 to 79°F. In midsummer it gets hot, and the Levante wind sometimes drapes a cloud cap over the Rock.