Any input would be appreciated from anyone who has been there and seen some historic or cultural sites ?
Hotel recommendations and best airlines would also be much appreciated.
Thanks
B
It is like the UK back in the 1950s.
Everything is grotty, every the Rock Hotel is living on its laurels.
There are good restaurants in the Queens Quays and that's about it.
You have to go to strike it off your list but basically it's a dump.
Two nights is enough.
We went there for a week last year - a bit too long for us considering the size of the place, I think 3 or 4 days would have been better. We are all different though - my daughter and her two boys spent a fortnight there this year and loved it.
Some of the things we got up to:
Took a mini bus trip around the place that included visiting the illuminated cave system at the Southern end, back along to where the monkeys hang out, a visit to the viewing platform at the top, over the military cave complex at the other end and then back into town.
Walked down into town for a wander around and caught the cable car to the viewing platform at the top and back down again.
Took a boat trip into the bay to see the dolphins, who swam with the boat jumping out of the water so close you could almost touch them. Also saw tuna and shoals of flying fish. I particularly liked this bit.
Watched a military ceremony one evening down in the town square - I think that it was something to do with handing over custody of the keys. Chatted to a group of locals who when they saw that my wife was disabled insisted on us joining them in some VIP seating that had been erected. Lovely people.
Had a sit on one of the beeches on the less populated side of the island.
Overall we had a good time. The feeling of the place was more Spanish than I was expecting. For some reason I thought that it would be like walking around an English town or village from the 1960's (only warmer) but it definitely felt more continental - but with everyone speaking English and shops taking GB currency.
We would definitely go again.
due to stay in the Rock Hotel again in a few weeks and see the wifes relatives , she loves it there but i am going with an open mind to it being a bit of a building site.
why would anyone want to go there when just over the road you have the whole of Spain.
I took my girlfriend there for a day earlier this year as she had never been, I very quickly remembered why I didn't like the place,
I've been a couple of times for short periods. I found folk very friendly. If you are into such things then the 100 ton gun is well worth the small entry fee.
Originally Posted by adrianw
Business I'm afraid but intending to take a few days off.
Thanks for all the input guys - will not be staying long I guess.
Brian
Algeciras is lovely!
...........and Morocco is a short ferry ride away. A day in Gib was more than enough for me.
Great warehouses and industrial estates.
:-)
but you do have Tarifa and Bolonia to make up for it
I live and work here in Gibraltar...
I suggest Dolphin trips, visit the nature reserve and see the caves as well as the monkeys (well you can't miss them really), wobbly bridge, great siege tunnels and glass walkway - ok that's the touristy bits out of the way
Some great places to eat - but not as cheap as in Spain ... 4 great sandy beaches, go on a fishing trip, learn to scuba dive... there really is something for everyone if you have the time/money/inclination
As for watch shopping my friend has a nice little second hand watch shop with great conversation and PM for details....
Hotels - this time of year whatever has any availability - Sunborn Yacht hotel is the most central and highest rated.
Elliots O'Callaghan and the caleta hotel are nice too
Museum is worth a visit as is the heritage trust's shop - Heritage is all around you in the old town ...
Easyjet, Monarch and BA are the only ones to fly directly (from Gatwick, Luton or Manchester) Malaga (1hour 30mins away by car) has cheaper flights and more choice.
Tarifa, Bolonia and up to chiclana are excellent white sand beaches on the spanish atlantic coast - but be prepared for a traffic jam on the way back in the summer...
Last edited by Xantiagib; 8th August 2017 at 14:21.
Stay at the Sunborn yacht hotel, really lovely, but no swimming pool of any note.
Eating out gaucho steak house and not a lot else of any note.
Am currently out in Malaga as I type...
We were thinking of a day trip there on Thursday...
Surely worth a day trip?
I worked in Gib for most of 1978 ,it doesn't sound like its changed very much.
Don't knock it. Ditto the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. The Crown Dependencies really are like the UK was a generation ago.
Half a day, then visit Bolonia, see the roman excavations then climb the huge sand dune
Aren't they not monkeys, but apes?
Is the de-salination plant still there in Rosia Bay ?
What's a few genes between (pri)mates?
Not sure if I like how you refer to locals..
Fas est ab hoste doceri
I hear you can walk across the runway of an active airport.
Once inadvertently drove my hire car down the steps by the Caleta Palace and got it stuck in the sand.
The landing (it was very windy day) on the shot runway gave me the willies.
I really enjoyed the tunnels with some good nature trails, if you don't see any apes about just open some foo! If you like canons their are plenty about:). Interesting place for a short visit. Quite a few restaurants and bars around ocean village.
Tailless monkeys actually but they are known as rock apes too - only naturally wild living primates in Europe...
Bolonia is stunning but most of that day will be spent in traffic jam on the way back towards Algeciras on the way back from Bolonia ... though that is at the weekends - during the week may be better
The MOD one is above Rosia Bay (Glen Rocky Distillery) The municipal ones are in various locations and use reverse osmosis
Absolutley if only to just cross it off your list.... its also much cooler here in summer than mainland Spain being surrounded most sides by the sea
I do this every day to pop to the supermarket to get my lunch...
Last edited by Xantiagib; 9th August 2017 at 10:34.
I sit corrected. TIL that Gibraltar's apes are tailless monkeys called Barbary Macaques.
If this information doesn't come in useful one day, I'm blaming you.
Looks like I really missed out then haha. Was in Spain on holiday and took several stiflingly hot buses to get to the border of Gibraltar to find that I had forgotten my passport and left it at the hotel. I can thoroughly recommend the McDonalds on the Spanish side of the border to hide out in, as the area surrounding the port is...not great.
indeed don't forget your passport! thanks to UK being out of schengen and all that -
No: Quite a long drive and then the wait to get in.
Better enjoy the preliminaries of the Feria in Malaga.
Don't bring your car the traffic is nuts and the roads narrow - Park and ride ... plenty of parking on the Spanish side and a 15 minute walk to the center (yes across that runway) - there's taxis and buses too - but they could have a long wait at peak times
depends what you call a long drive - from Malaga or Seville its @2hrs - Fuengirola 1.5hrs etc... though the toll roads are quicker in summer the tolls are much higher...
From Portuguese border its 3.5 hours
We are flying out two weeks today from MCR , i muttered about a trip to Morocco which was met with a definite no from the boss . She has booked meals at the Sunborn too
oh no what a shame - i highly recommend the short drive to tarifa - park up and get the daytrip 35minutes passenger crossing fare... goes straight to the tangier old town
oh well the money saved on that will just about pay for the meals on the Sunborn
I've been for day trips a couple of times when we were staying in Duquesa. We parked and walked in as mentioned in other replies. I quite enjoyed it for a day. We did a guided tour the first time around the rock and the tunnels. It does have a bit of a bygone years feel. I have to say I'm not sure I'd stay there for very long as a holiday destination but it was an interesting experience.
The wife's paying for the nosh for my birthday 😆 I may try to convince her to nip across
I'm off there tomorrow for a week sailing. Have landed there many times in the last 10 years as a pilot but never got outside of the airport.
Dug out an old picture of the Caleta when I lived there in 1965. Looking at Google earth, it's changed a bit! Looks like the water collector thing has gone and this road (Catalan Bay Road) is now pedestrian only as bypassed by Herbert Miles Road.
Google Maps
Was in Gib a couple of weeks ago. Saw the England - Sweden game in a nice outside restaurant in the square. Good food, good game, great atmosphere.
Only there for a day so didn't do much else other than shop!
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
didnt the ira visit once?
Yeah. Just got back from a nice break in Jersey last week. Beautiful place. Our 4th or 5th visit.
We stopped in Gib at the end of a med cruise in 2009. Went up the rock, saw the apes, did a bit of shopping, had a meal and got back on ship. Nice for a day but I don’t think I could spend a week there. Could easily spend the rest of my life in Jersey though.
Agree, far more to see/do in Guernsey/Jersey.
Stagnetto's, but I guess you have to like that kind of thing.
I live in the andalucian heartland and visited Gibraltar a few times because the gf had gigs and you ars spot on.
The thing can be summed up easily:
1. it first and foremost is a militairy base of old ánd new.
2. it is a retrograde tourist trap
Imo it is not worth the traffic/customs crap to get in, not worth the claustrophobia, not worth the tourist prices.
All that with a way more enjoyable varied country at bargain prices on the other side of the keystone cop border post.
Ah, the terraces with views of beaches of Huelva, the rolling hills, the lazy villages all connected with good, enjoyable roads... Why on éarth would you want to chug along the grubby streets of Gibraltar?!
Best stick to SC.
There's a watch shop there selling Grand Seiko. Had a look whilst I was there, some nice models.
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
They're macaques, thus monkey is correct, and ape is not (even though they're mistakenly called that).
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