I went to Gibraltar for a week-end while on holiday in Spain (in March).
I went by bus from Cadiz, as Gibraltar is not far (even afoot) from the Linea bus station. For lone travellers, going to Gibraltar isn't a problem, it is travelling inside Gibraltar which is actually more problematic. If you travel with at least another person you may want to rent a car (plus that would be useful to visit the surrrounding Andalucia)as it would make your life easier.
The airport: you really cross over the airplane runway to get into the city.
There are some traffic lights to make sure you won't be run over by or involved in a crash with an airplane. It is amazing (and noisy)to see one land in front of you.
The city centre: It is quite nice, a mixture of a British town with a Spanish spin on it. It is where all the shops and restaurants are situated. You may not want (or need) to go to the other parts of the town as they look quite dirty and depressive.The Rock Park: When I went the cable car was out of use (it was for renovation work, but apparently when it is too windy, they are out of use as well). So to visit the Rock since I didn't have a car of my own (and couldn't walk easily), I had to be part of a group for a Taxi-bus tour. The tour costs 25 euros (12.5 for the car and 12.5 for the entry to the park- keep the ticket with you, you'll need it!!!!)which I thought was expensive for what it was. It could have been nice if it had lasted for more than an hour and a half (it felt like we were in a hurry all the time). You are with a driver-guide (who will give you few explanations), the driver part is nice because the roads are quite "Spanish"(not very large and hairpin bend)so I'm not sure i could have dealt with it without any problem. We were able to see : the Apes, some caves ( St Michael's cave: the theatre one, and the one with the under siege tunnels)and Hercules column. But once you have the ticket you can go back to the park by yourself to see the rest (the Moorish castle ruins, and another exhibition "city under siege", if you want to walk back up).
Nelson's anchorage and 100 Ton gun: I had to go afoot (it took me a bit less than an hour) since the bus system isn't any good in Gibraltar. (I was told that there really are some buses in Gibraltar- unless it is just a myth). The entry is included in the Rock park entry. It's nice, but only if you're interested in the army artillery history.
Trafalgar cemetery: this one I really loved. But I can't quite say why. It simply has a lot of indescribable charm. It is very small, not very easy to find (because it is kind of hidden)and the tombstones (most of them) are unreadable. But it felt like it had a lot of soul. It is close to the centre (go afoot).
Botanic Gardens: Really nice. A bit further than the cemetery. A very well presented, clean park. A good place to relax and take up some strength.
Lodging: It is more expensive inside of Gibraltar than in the Linea. I was at the Cannon Hotel (Gibraltar), in the centre. A nice little hotel and an amazing British breakfast (this latest being worth the price of the room by itself). The hotel is built in spanish style, meaning that the inside of the building is open. Given that few rooms are en-suite, plan on dressing up warmly to go the bath (at least in winter). Since the hotel is close to bars and restaurants it was quite noisy during the night, and some bin truck woke me up at four. The owners are really nice and friendly.
Eating: you find all sorts of restaurants (Gibraltar really is multi cultural)(yes, fish and chips as well) for all type of budgets.
Avoid spending Sunday in Gibraltar, unless you just want to enjoy the beaches and the Rock, as everything else seems to be closed down. Then of course when I went it just happened to be a holiday week-end: everything was closed down, and gibraltarians were all leaving to go spending their week-end in Spain.
As a conclusion, I would say that Gibraltar is something to see if you happen to be around (and if the weather is nice). Personally my expectations had been so high that I was a bit disappointed when I left. I'm still happy I went though, I loooooved those apes (searching for fleas in my hair) (by the way they didn't find any, at least I hope).
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May 16th, 2003
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