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Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory, makes a fascinating day trip
from anywhere on the Costa del Sol. Parking in La Linea
on the Spanish side of the border, walking across
the border and catching a local bus is very convenient.
Within minutes you are transported to Britain.
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The Rock of Gibraltar is visible from several miles away. To the
ancient Greeks it marked the end of the known world. |
To cross the border between Spain and Gibraltar it is necessary
to walk across the airport runway.
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The Gibraltar Cable car runs from the Botanical Garden to the
top of the Rock. |
Most of the top of the rock is a natural area, inhabited by
about 230 Barbary macaques, the famous apes of Gibraltar.
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A view from the peak towards the north takes in La Linea and
Algeciras in Spain. |
A view from the peak towards the south takes in Morocco and the
African continent.
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During the 1800s, the Rock flourished as a trade centre.
Nowadays, its casinos, duty-free shops and Mediterranean climate
attract 12 million visitors per year.
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Garrisons, war memorials, cemeteries and underground tunnels
attest to Gibraltar's historical strategic military importance. |
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The streets of Gibraltar reflect both British and Spanish
traditions.
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Uniformed school children walked home through the busy
pedestrian mall, often crossing the border twice daily. |
Victorian mailboxes and British K2 telephone booths are
still in active use.
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Europa Point marks the Southern tip of Gibraltar. There is a
navy battery, a shrine to the patron saint and a memorial to a
Polish military crash.The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim mosque was a gift
from King Faud of Saudi Arabia.
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At the gateway between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean,
Europa Point lighthouse serves as a waypoint for vessels passing
through the Strait.
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