GIBRALTAR, United Kingdom

[Bristol Mike]

GIBRALTAR, United Kingdom

Country: Gibraltar
Colony: United Kingdom
Captured: August 4th 1704
Chief Minister: Peter Caruana
Elevation: 0m (highest point on rock: 426m)
Population: 38,875

During July, as part of my holiday in Spain where I also visited Marbella, Puerto Banus and Ronda, I travelled down to Gibraltar for the day and, not knowing what to expect, was pleasantly greeted by a very mixed atmosphere.

Gibraltar (originally Gibel-Tarik) is a self-governing British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe at the entrance of the Mediterranean overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory covers 6.843 square kilometres (2.642 sq mi) and shares a land border with Spain to the north. Gibraltar has historically been an important base for the British Armed Forces and is the site of a Royal Navy base.

A one-year investigation and analysis of 235 countries and territories by Jane’s Country Risk listed Gibraltar as the top stable and prosperous British Territory, in 5th position overall. The people of Gibraltar also have the seventh highest human life expectancy in the world, at an average of 81 years at birth. The sovereignty of Gibraltar has been a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations. Gibraltar was ceded by Spain to the Crown of Great Britain in perpetuity, under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, though Spain asserts a claim to the territory and seeks its return. The overwhelming majority of Gibraltarians strongly oppose this, along with any proposal of shared sovereignty. The British government has stated that it is committed to respecting the Gibraltarians' wishes.

So there is some background knowledge, now on with the photos. Enjoy .

[Dan98]

So where are the pictures ?

[Bristol Mike]

PART I
Waterport Wharf via Main Street to Southgate

The most common entrance into Gibraltar is usually by bus. Public buses from Spain have to stop at La Linea and passengers walk across the airport's runway - yes - walk across the runway into Gibraltar itself that way but being on an organised tour bus, I got in on the bus itself and started off at the bus station. Waterport Wharf is the first road one walks up from the bus station before crossing a busy roundabout at Queensway and entering into Casemates Square which could be called the main square. Here one gets the first hints of Britain - litter bins, post boxes, traffic light pedestrian crossing boxes etc.

The Main Street however maintains a more continental feel with the typical Mediterranean coloured facades the way along with British Georgian windows and French-style shutters alongside. Here is where you can find boutiques of all sorts - many of them British including Dorothy Perkins, New Look and the very well known Marks and Spencer. It is a very pleasant walk from one end of the Main Street to the other though very crowded understandably during the summer months.

Waterport Wharf


Waterport Wharf


Waterport Wharf


Queensway, The Public Market


Queensway, Pedestrian Crossing


Casemates Square, Tourism Office


Casemates Square


Casemates Square


Casemates Square


Casemates Square


Casemates Square


Casemates Square


Casemates Square, Statue


Casemates Square, Newly-Built Condos Behind


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street, House of the Assembly


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street, Sidestreet


Main Street, Cathedral Square


Main Street, Marks & Spencer, Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned


Main Street


Main Street, Georges Lane


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street, Library Street


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street, The Governor's House a.k.a. The Convent


Main Street, St. Mary's Theatre


Southgate

[City of Rain]

dude, looks like we had the exact same holiday this july hahahah xD

i stayed in marbella and also visited puerto banus and of course, gibraltar.

gibraltar is freaking amazing. i hope you will upload pics, soon i love gibraltar!

EDIT: you uploaded the pics while i was writing the comment haha. great pics

[Ribarca]

Show us the pics! Funny how they can fit 1000's of companies on a rock.....

[Ribarca]

Thx for the nice images. It's still rather ugly as a city to me.

[fozzy]

I visited Gibraltar in january and loved the place. I was staying in benalmadena further up the coast and visited gib for the day and the weather was great for the time of year.

[Geborgenheit]

Nice place

[Bristol Mike]

Originally Posted by Dan98

So where are the pictures ?

All in good time my friend. If you've seen my other threads it always takes me a while to get the first batch of photos up after the introductory post. Plenty more to come though.

Originally Posted by City of Rain

dude, looks like we had the exact same holiday this july hahahah xD

i stayed in marbella and also visited puerto banus and of course, gibraltar.

gibraltar is freaking amazing. i hope you will upload pics, soon i love gibraltar!

EDIT: you uploaded the pics while i was writing the comment haha. great pics

Hi. Lol, well it's a nice stretch of coastline, especially seeing as I heard it wasn't and was pleasantly surprised. The trips inland to places like Ronda were simply amazing though.

Originally Posted by Ribarca

Show us the pics! Funny how they can fit 1000's of companies on a rock.....

Originally Posted by Ribarca

Thx for the nice images. It's still rather ugly as a city to me.

Well I guess it's everyone to their own taste. The British-looking buildings like the tourist office are a bit ugly in that brutalist style, as are the flats as you first enter the city but the centre itself with the narrow streets and squares are lovely and the newly built harbourside on Queensway is nice and fresh.

Originally Posted by fozzy

I visited Gibraltar in january and loved the place. I was staying in benalmadena further up the coast and visited gib for the day and the weather was great for the time of year.

Yes it must have been as apparently January is one of the more unsettled times of the year to go. It was still windy enough for us not to be allowed to go up the cable car though and that was on a clear day in mid July!

Originally Posted by Geborgenheit

Nice place

Thanks mate .

[tonyssa]

Amazing place!

[Bristol Mike]

Originally Posted by tonyssa

Amazing place!

Thanks mate! Have you been before?

[stefanguti]

Excellent pictures!
Make me want to go there immediately

[Bristol Mike]

PART II
Queensway Quay to the Old Quarter

At the end of the Main Street, having passed under Southgate, one arrives at a busy junction where it is possible to get a cable car up to the top of the Rock to enjoy panoramic views over the Spain coastline, out to Portugal and across the Gibraltar Straits to Morocco. Unfortunately though it was too breezy for me when I visited so that was not part of the trip.

However, moving towards the shoreline, one arrives at Queensway Quay which is a newly built area along the waterfront with recently opened restaurants with luxury apartments and condos as well as countless berths for expensive yachts and boats of all shapes and sizes. It also acts as the hub for windsurfing, fishing, diving, sailing & yachting courses and dolphin-watching and boat trips around the bay.

Very near to the Queensway Quay, having crossed the Main Street once again, the Old Quarter is somewhat hidden away in the narrow streets above the Main Street. Here there are charming squares shaded by trees and rows of mixed houses. It is also possible to find here the Garrison Library building which now serves as the Gibraltar Chronicle building - mostly blocked by overgrown trees but serving the Gibraltar newspaper. Despite its lovely name, it can get quite busy with just one thoroughfare through the middle of the Old Quarter.

Ragged Staff Road, The Cable Car - Closed!


Ragged Staff Road


Queensway Quay, Queensway Road


Queensway Quay, Queensway Road


Queensway Quay


Queensway Quay


Queensway Quay


Queensway Quay


Queensway Quay


Queensway Quay


Queensway Quay


Queensway Quay


Queensway Quay


Queensway Quay


Main Street, St. Mary's Theatre


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street, The Governor's House & Cannons


Main Street


Main Street


Main Street, The Bristol Hotel


Main Street


Main Street, Marks & Spencer and the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned


Main Street


Main Street, Bombhouse Lane


Main Street, Bishop Rapallo Ramp


Old Quarter


Old Quarter, The Garrison Library - now the Gibraltar Chronicle


Old Quarter, Postbox


Old Quarter, Governor Street


Old Quarter, City Mill Lane


Old Quarter, City Mill Lane


Old Quarter, John Mackintosh Square

[Comfortably Numb]

Very nice/interesting pics...

This is basically Britain with a Mediterranean climate, which makes it all the more interesting.

[eighty4]

Thanks for the pics mike, keep em coming.

It looks so strange to see english shops in such a spanish looking place lol

What is the nightlife like ?

[Bristol Mike]

Originally Posted by Comfortably Numb

Very nice/interesting pics...

This is basically Britain with a Mediterranean climate, which makes it all the more interesting.

Thanks. Ye lol, it's a very surreal feeling walking around Gibraltar passed places like M&S and the like.

Originally Posted by eighty4

Thanks for the pics mike, keep em coming.

It looks so strange to see english shops in such a spanish looking place lol

What is the nightlife like ?

Will do . I'm not sure what nightlife is like, I think the Irish Town is lively part where all the pubs are open until 3am and after party bars open after that until dawn but otherwise it's probably quite limited. I didn't see too many clubs there.

[Thermo]

Beautiful! I love Spain.

[Kamstein]

Gibraltar is an interesting little place for brits who want to go abroad but are intimidated by other cultures

Just joking

The red post boxes are there (i think) an M&S, a british army base, the police uniforms, etc..

Apparently, many of the locals speak 'spanglish', a mix of some spanish and English.

I think the drinking age is 16+. Wonderful. A reason to take children there if I every have any.

[Victhor]

Originally Posted by Thermo

Beautiful! I love "Spain"

let me do that little correction
I like this place it's got some kind of special feeling, and, being spanish, I preffer it to be british. I see there are 2 high-rises of about 15 floors under construction, that's nice, my dream is that this small piece of land becomes denser and denser with many skyscrapers, sort of Hong Kong
Thanks for the pics and comments!

[Quall]

Hot!! I wanna visit.