Gibraltar, The Rock!

03/09/2017

This time I'm going to tell you about the day I spent in Gibraltar.

It wasn't my first time in Gibraltar! Already, in 2015, I had walked through lands under the control of England in the Iberian peninsula.

I started from Altura (Algarve) just after 7.00 am. I crossed the Guadiana bridge and headed toward Seville. Next to the highway, the fields were almost all cultivated, dazzling green, and enormously beautiful. Arriving in Seville, we head towards Algeciras/Cádiz, as there are no signs that indicate the way to Gibraltar due to the political conflict between Spain and England over the dispute over this small territory. Around 10:30 we were right in front of the cliff, but... we had the bad luck to arrive at the same time as an EasyJet plane arrived. This means that we had to face a boring moment exposed to the sun since to enter Gibraltar we have to cross the airport! Around midday, we entered English territory and followed through its narrow streets, for which our car was not the most suitable at all. After a few minutes between streets and alleys towards the marina, we found ourselves in a bathing area on the rock! A little further on, we came across a spectacular waterfall... BEAUTIFUL!! Far away, Morocco, Moorish lands, could already be seen between the clouds!

After some photos and some snacks, we continued on toward Europa Point. After a series of tunnels, we arrive there. For me, this is one of the most magical places in Gibraltar. When we arrive at that place we feel the hot and humid air of being so few kilometers away from Morocco and we feel a mix of emotions for being so close to another continent, which on certain days is visible (which was the case). In addition, we are right in front of the Strait of Gibraltar, a very important point during centuries, which was from the Muslims invaded the Iberian peninsula in 711, commanded by Tariq, conquering the entire peninsula from Christians with the exception of Asturias. Furthermore, we still have amazing surroundings, with the presence of the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim mosque (a gift from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia), a lighthouse, the Rock of Gibraltar itself, and the Algeciras bay.

This time we chose not to go up to the top of the cliff as we did in 2015 since the view is similar to that of Europa Point (of course it's not completely the same and it's more panoramic, but we thought it wasn't worth it). Having that decided, we headed to the famous Main Street, an avenue full of shops. Here we can find stores of the most diverse types, from clothing stores to electronics stores, to "souvenir" stores... a world! It is possible to observe along this street details that remind us we are in English territory, more precisely in London with the facades of the houses, post offices, signs, or even the famous red telephone booths!!

After some shopping, we went around the rock again, took the last pictures, and around 5:30 p.m. we left "the rock" and headed towards Portugal. Along the way, I want to highlight the great mountains near Gibraltar and a large wind farm.

In conclusion, Gibraltar, despite being just a rock and having a bit of land around it, is full of emotion and history. It is one of the most magnificent places I have ever visited, in my opinion. In addition to the landscape, it is also a place where you can do some shopping at fair prices for certain products. On my next trip there, I hope to cross the strait by boat and get to know a country that has always been linked to Portugal.

Note for the traveler: The time is the same as in Spain. The currency is the Gibraltar Pound but it's always worth negotiating, especially on electronic material.


*The pictures are taken by me and do not present any type of edition.