Gibraltar
(Airport 45 minutes away)
Gibraltar is famous Worldwide for its dramatic rock. It is located in a strategic position at the
southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. It overlooks the Straits of Gibraltar and is linked to Spain
by a narrow isthmus.
This is a popular place for ex-pats to visit to stock up on
familiar food and clothing items and get a proper pint & a pie. |
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Gibraltar is imposing but still small. It measures less than six square kilometres in total. It is
inhabited by around 30,000 people made up of Gibraltarians, British, Moroccans, Indians and Spanish.
There is also a colony of the famous apes, the only ones in Europe to run free in a semi-wild state.
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| Gibraltar is a British self-governing colony. It has a Governor, David Durie, who is the Queen's
representative on the Rock and Commander-in Chief of the British Forces stationed there. Britain is
responsible for Gibraltar's foreign affairs, defence and the political stability of the colony.
However, the Rock has its own Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, plus a House of Assembly and a
government, which oversees the day-to-day affairs of the Rock. |
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Gibraltar is a member of the European Union by virtue of Britain's membership. However, Gibraltar is
outside the Customs Union so travellers from EU member states can still enjoy duty free purchases
now banned to travellers within the EU.
Gibraltar is a little piece of England clinging to the end of Europe desperately patriotic and
steadfast in its resolve to remain British. It has an international airport, see the airport
section, and many of the high street shops that are synonymous with British towns. As well as the
shopping and pubs and cafes, innumerable chip shops and curry houses, there are several places of
interest and the town is always bustling with tourists. The rock is famous and well worth a visit
and of course there are the infamous monkeys that live there, to be seen, but not touched
perhaps.
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Gibraltar airport is located about 2 Kilometres from the town centre adjacent to the frontier with
Spain. There is a regular bus service to the town and taxis are available. At the moment it is about
a 50 minute drive from the park and again this will improve greatly when the work to the motorway is
finished making it dual carriageway all the way.
If visiting Spain, it's easier to walk across the frontier a few hundred yards away and collect your
hire car in La Linea. Friends and relatives meeting passengers are advised to park in La Linea.
Porters with trolleys are available but expensive (about £7). |
Airport 45 minutes away
The airport (not the terminal) is operated by the British Royal Air Force, so in the summer the
airplanes are serviced by men in khaki shorts rather than blue overalls. All vehicle and pedestrian
traffic to the town has to cross the runway. Safety barriers and warning lights stop visitors from
straying in front of approaching aircraft. The author has witnessed a taxiing aircraft stop for an
old man on a bicycle much to the spectator’s amusement, and the police man's frustration.
There are no telescopic boarding utilities, passengers walk across the tarmac like the good old
days. Those arriving at Gibraltar are treated to a magnificent first view of the Rock from the top
of the airplane steps. This has to be better than the usual carpet and plastic that greets most
airline passengers today.
Friends and relatives can wave goodbye from the first floor café which has an open air roof terrace
overlooking the apron. There is a very special family atmosphere here rarely seen in this day
and age as passengers are welcomed home. |
