Highlights

• Rock of Gibraltar Nature reserve
• Cable car to the top of the Rock
• Mediterranean steps if you want to walk up
• Saint Michael’s Cave – beautiful walk formations with cool lighting
• Ape’s Den- there are monkeys all around the Rock so not only at the Ape’s Den
• World War 2 and Great Siege tunnels
• Gorham’s Cave Complex – email neanderthals@gibmuseum.gi to be added to the long waiting list
• Moorish Castle
• Tax-free shopping
• Grand Casemates Square
• John Macintosh Square (La Piazza)
• Europa Point – lighthouse and a view across to Morocco
• Gibraltar Distillery Co
• Walk around to see many bastions and defensive walls

Before you go

• Gibraltar is an Overseas territory of the United Kingdom
• The official language is English but many people speak Spanish
• Locals call it Gib (pronounced Jib)
• The phone country code is +350
• The currency is the British pound
• Summers are very hot and the spring and autumn have mild temperatures
• The Spanish border is a few minutes walk from the airport
• The official Gibraltar Tourism Website
• You’ll need to purchase a nature reserve pass to visit most attractions on and near the Rock
• Uber and Uber eats are not available, but Hungry Monkey is a local delivery service
• GoogleMaps is not accurate for city buses
• You can stamp your passport with a Gibraltar stamp at the tourism office
• There are ferries to Morocco from Gib and nearby Algeciras

Transport

• The flight from London Heathrow to Gibraltar is about 2.5 hours. The runway is short so the airplane hits the brakes hard. That surprised some people.
• Gibraltar airport is small and located within walking distance of the town centre
• Gibraltar is walkable but slightly hilly
• There is a cable car to the top of the Rock
• Taxis and city buses are also available. City bus 2 is useful to get to Europa Point

Accommodation

• While in Gibraltar I stayed at the Eliott hotel, which I booked using my British airways points. It is an upscale four-star hotel located in the heart of the city.
• The rooms are comfortable, air-conditioned and have a desk, mini bar, and a nice bathroom
• On the rooftop, there is a pool and sun deck, which has a great view in every direction

Currency

The official currency of Gibraltar is the Pound Sterling, the same as in the United Kingdom

I recommend to check the currency conversion just before you leave as this fluctuates

Food

Upon arrival at Gibraltar Airport, I had a few hours to wait for the next bus. So, I decided to walk to the north part of the city centre. I found a nice restaurant called Bianca’s by the Marina Bay. The server was super friendly and gave me some hiking tips for the Rock. I had a tasty bacon cheeseburger and fries, and a pink gin and tonic. The food was good and plentiful. It was the first time I had tried Puerto de Indias Spanish pink gin and I loved it!

One eve after a big day of hiking, I didn’t feel like going out for dinner. Instead I got an Indian takeaway from Neha Curry House. The menu was an interesting mix of Indian, Chinese and Moroccan flavours. I had the chili paneer, garlic naan and prawn dansak curry. The two mains were delicious and flavoured well, but the garlic naan was a bit strange. It was like a flat pizza base with garlic. Perhaps that was because they didn’t have a tandoori oven there? The people were friendly and I am definitely glad to have tried Indian food from Gibraltar.

Finally, my last meal was a relaxing lunch at Monique’s Bistro in Queensway Quay. The terrace in the sunshine was lovely before I headed back to rainy London. The menu had so much choice, but I felt like having seafood. For starter, I had a prawn Caesar salad. And for the main I had the house seafood chowder with bread, all washed down with rose wine. Perfect last meal in Gibraltar!

In the short time I was in Gibraltar, I tried four different bakeries. First, Gibraltar Confectionary was okay but the service was poor. They seemed very unhappy to have to make me a sandwich when I ordered it. Therefore, I can’t say I would recommend it though the food was okay. Apparently, they also make falafel and other food, but then I passed by at lunchtime on a Sunday, the place was empty.

Second, Pastel was a very small, friendly café with breads and strudel. By the time I was passing by in the late afternoon, they had sold out of some pastries. I had the cherry strudel and it was light and delicious. It also travelled well as I took it with me on the journey home!

Third, I had a cranberry white chocolate doughnut from chök – Main Street. It was as beautiful as it was delicious, and was decorated with flowers and chocolate balls. The bakery also sold handcrafted chocolate bars, cronuts and muffins.

Finally, I had two cupcakes from A Piece of Cake. The one in the photo is an Aero mint chocolate cupcake. And I also had the apple speculoos one. Both were delicious and fresh!