Gibraltar Tour
Making a Gibraltar tour in one day from Marbella is simple and fun. Located only 45 minutes from Marbella the whole family will enjoy the sights and sounds of this famous rock.
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Gibraltar can be seen from the Marbella coastline and on a clear day itīs impressive. However, as you get closer to this peninsula you are even more amazed at the size and grandeur of this limestone rock called Gibraltar. Although technically a peninsula, many people see Gibraltar as an island. Itīs unique in that it signals the position of the Strait of Gibraltar, the narrow neck which separates Europe from Africa, and yet provides the only link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. A sandy isthmus connects Gibraltar to Spain. There are also ferries to Morocco and flights to London from there. After repeated conquests and sieges, Gibraltar has been claimed a British Territory since 1704. Many tourist flock from the Costa del Sol to Gibraltar as itīs very close and can make for a fun Marbella one day trip out with the family.
Our suggestions for a Gibraltar tour:
How to get there: From Marbella take the main highway N 340 towards Algeciras. Continue straight and look out for signs as you pass Sotogrande. Exit at the Gibraltar (La Linea) turnoff and head towards the sea. You may either enter with your car or park in a parking lot and walk across. Donīt forget your passports!
Important facts:
Passports are needed to enter Gibraltar (identity card is enough for Europeans). However, passports are needed to enter Spain and Morocco
Legal tender is pound sterling and Gibraltar pounds.
Gibraltar is on central European time (no time change from Marbella)
Driving is on the right hand side of the road
Electrical power and sockets are the same as those in the UK
Shops open 9:00am - 7:30pm during weekdays and half days on Saturdays. Most are closed on Sundays.
Getting around:
There are several ways to get around Gibraltar. Your hotel may provide a Gibraltar tour from Marbella and this often provides good value, however you are stuck moving at the same pace as a huge group. If you choose to take your own car you can get around on your own, however it is prohibited to take your own car up to the Nature Reserve which is one of the most exciting attractions that Gibraltar has to offer. We suggest you take either a coach trip or a taxi tour as you will find your driver has loads of information and tips about Gibraltar that you wouldnīt have otherwise if you were visiting on your own.
Coach trips of a Gibraltar tour can be booked in advance and will take you all around the island. They cost around Ģ15 per person, however you are limited to a certain amount of time. Be sure to ask how long your tour will be and which sites you will be visiting.
Taxi tours are much more personal and gives you a chance to explore at your own pace. Tours cost approximately Ģ14 per person and includes entrance to caves and tunnels.
You may also visit the top of the rock of Gibraltar by cable car for only Ģ7 return and Ģ6 for one-way, however this does not include any entrance fees and you will have to do a lot of walking. (20 min. walk to the caves and 1 hour walk to the tunnels).
Most popular sites:
- Apes Den There are six packs of Apes in total around the area of the Nature Reserve. Called Barbary Apes, they can be seen in the wild living in their natural habitat.
- St. Michaelīs Cave At over 300 meters above sea level, this is one of the most spectacular grottoes in Europe. With its stalactites and stalagmites the cave is connected to a series of smaller caves. Music concerts often performed here.
- Europa Point Nice views for photos. This is the only lighthouse (49 meters) outside the UK that is run by Trinity House. Nearby is the Saudi Arabian King Fahadīs mosque.
- Moorish Castle 14th century historical monument with great views.
- Great Siege Tunnels Labyrinth of tunnels inside the Rock of Gibraltar shows an amazing defense system and how forces battled the 14th siege of Gibraltar.
- The Gibraltar Museum Shows unique history of Gibraltar with galleries exhibiting original artifacts, old prints and photographs. Houses the best-preserved Moorish Bath House in Europe.
- Alameda Botanical Gardens Attractive nineteenth-century gardens.
- Main Street The center of town where shops abound selling a cosmopolitan variety of goods. Gibraltar has some of the most competitive tax reduced prices in Western Europe.
MarbellaFamilyFun grade: 8.0
Son's evaluation: Grade:
Daughter's evaluation: Grade:
Mom's evaluation: We had a great time taking a Gibraltar tour with the kids. We decided to go on a whim as the kids were asking for all these unique English products that their friends from school would bring from the UK. Our mission was to go to Morrisonīs supermarket to buy things like string cheese and fruit winders. We left early as to get a head start and do a bit of touring before we hit the market. We spent a fabulous day visiting the city and taking a Gibraltar tour via coach trip. We stumbled upon a stand by the cemetery where there was a mini van waiting to pick up tourists. We agreed on a price and waited for a few others to join us. We heard about the monkeys in Gibraltar and this was the way to see them. We first took a pit stop at the Pillars of Hercules where we got out to take some pictures of the spectacular view. We then carried on towards the top where we got to the monkeys. My daughter freaked out when she saw them and didnīt want to get out of the car. We eventually coaxed her out and took some photos. Be careful not to have any food nearby as there was a tourist who had a candy bar hanging out of the side pocket of his backpack and a monkey just came up to him and took it out. This not only can scare you, but itīs not good for the monkeys to eat chocolate or snacks that we humans normally eat. Our Gibraltar tour continued on to St. Michaelīs cave with its beautiful rock formations of stalactites. It was nicely lit to give an interesting effect. This also kind of freaked out my daughter who was 7 at the time, however my 9 year-old son liked it. My kids had a ball running through the Great Siege Tunnels, which through mannequins,props and voice overs gives you the impression of what things were like during the Great Siege of 1779 which lasted till 1783. We managed to squeeze in some time to visit the Gibraltar Museum, have fish and chips for lunch and do a bit of shopping on Main Street. The kids thought it was so funny to see double-decker buses and bright red English telephone booths all about. They enjoyed our visit to the candy store and Marks & Spencer. The highlight for them, however, was the shopping at Morissonīs picking out all sorts of goodies that we donīt normally find in Marbella. There can be big ques getting in and out of Gibraltar which can take up to three hours, so avoid peak times entering and exiting the frontier. If you do encounter a big line you may park at the parking area located just in front of the frontier and walk across. There is lots of transportation available once you cross. Itīs an excellent opportunity to get the kids on a double-decker bus if theyīve never been on one before. All in all we had a great time and felt like we just stepped out of Spain for the day. However, personally if youīre here to visit Spain, I wouldnīt put a Gibraltar tour at the top of the list of things to see and do in Marbella, unless youīre like my father who always wished to go to the Rock one day and just to say heīs been there. If youīve only got a day or two extra to see sights outside of Marbella Iīd sooner go to the or Seville. If you would like to pre-book a Gibraltar tour I found the website www.gibraltartours.org useful. (June 2009) Grade: 8.0
Dad's evaluation: Grade:
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