The incredible Gibraltar Peninsula

On our journey through Spain, we finally arrived in Gibraltar, the southernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. Like many tourists, we planned to visit many sights on this route. Some people already know that Gibraltar is a British overseas territory. That's why there's a red telephone box just over the border, for example. This is also the reason why we can pay here not only with the euro, but also with the British pound. So take your pounds from your last British vacation with you!

Gibraltar's best sights

It is definitely worth looking at reviews for certain sights beforehand. Depending on what you are most in the mood for.

One of my personal top sights is of course the Monkey Rock of Gibraltar, also known as "Gibraltar the rock". On our trip through this special place, we were able to enjoy the amazing flora and fauna. In the nature reserve "The upper rock" and scattered throughout Gibraltar are the famous Barbary apes. This is the only place in Europe where Barbary macaques can be found. These clever animals were settled here by humans and are a real attraction. Nevertheless, you should watch out for them, as the animals like to help themselves to tourists' belongings.

You can book tours in Gibraltar and plan other activities, such as climbing the Rock of Gibraltar. The view from the top of the Rock alone is well worth it. Anyone who has ever been up here can enjoy a view that stretches as far as Africa in good weather. Even though these two land masses are only 15km apart, it feels really moving. Here, where Andalusia and North Africa meet, our world feels big and very small at the same time. Anyone who has visited "Gibraltar the rock" or booked one of the many tours knows that a quick tour is not enough. It is best to take one or two days to visit this incredible place.

The Strait of Gibraltar

The Strait of Gibraltar is the strait between Andalusia or Spain and Africa. The routes here are among the busiest in the world, with up to 300 merchant ships passing through every day. Torgit and I were also able to marvel at these in Gibraltar. It is also said that dolphins can be seen here from time to time. Unfortunately, we were unable to marvel at this rare sight here. What makes this place so special is that the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean meet here. The current runs eastwards, as the Mediterranean Sea is lower than the Atlantic Ocean. The weather in Gibraltar is determined by the Levante (east wind) and the Poniente (west wind).

This is also the reason why the weather is very mild throughout the year and why we feel very comfortable here in January. The climate graphs for Gibraltar also show this, as they show that daytime temperatures are usually never below 15 degrees, while at night it is never less than 5 degrees. Gibraltar's own airport is located just before the border with Spain. The special thing about it is that the runway crosses Winston Churchill Avenue, the only access road to Gibraltar. This is where most aircraft fly to the UK, with the exception of Casablanca in Morocco.

If you want to find your way around Gibraltar, you should buy a map or simply use Google Maps. This makes it easy to find out where restaurants or petrol stations are located. We recommend filling up here, as the prices are much better than in Spain. It's also a good way to find out about the traffic and where there are reasonable hotels. Torgit and I don't usually need this luxury, as we can sleep anywhere with our SpaceCamper.

To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.

-Hans Christian Andersen