During our time sailing in Europe we spent about 3 months berthed in Gibraltar. Known for its famous rock formation, this small British territory has a lot to offer to visitors. Based on our experiences here's some of the tips, tricks and things to know for tourists and yacht cruisers visiting Gibraltar.
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Arriving in Gibraltar
If you're planning to visit Gibraltar there are three way to get there.
Fly into the Gibraltar airport
Drive across the border from Spain
Sail to Gibraltar
Going through the immigration process can be very easy, especially if you don't need a visa. You can find out whether you need one on the Gibraltar Border website.
Since Brexit there's been a lot of speculation as to whether Gibraltar is or isn't part of the Schengen Visa Area. At the time of writing it's still outside the European Union so any time you spend there doesn't count against your Schengen days. You can check the current status on the Gibraltar Border website linked above.
Flying to Gibraltar
At the northern end of Gibraltar near the Spanish border is the Gibraltar International Airport. It usually has a few flights per day which go to and from destinations in the UK including London Heathrow and London Gatwick.
Driving to Gibraltar from Spain
For people living in La Linea and Gibraltar, crossing the Gibraltar-Spain land border can be a daily occurrence. When crossing you'll need your passport and if you're a non-EU passport holder you can expect the Spanish to stamp you in and out of the Schengen visa zone. Gibraltar doesn't stamp passports.
To cross the border vehicles, including cars, trucks, motorcycles and electric scooters, drive through two check points which have the Spanish and Gibraltarian customs and immigration officers. Pedestrians go through buildings either of the road to go through a similar process.
During our time in Gibraltar I went back an forth a few times and never had any issues, even if my visit was just a 30 minute trip to get something from an Amazon locker. You can see how easy it is in this video.
Sailing into Gibraltar
Gibraltar is often frequented by liveaboard cruisers with foreign yachts so the process to enter has been streamlined.
A day or so before you arrive in Gibraltar it's recommended that you complete a Vessel Pre-Arrival Notification. This can be done on the Electronic Pre-Declarations page of the HM Customs Gibraltar website and helps to streamline the check-in process when you arrive.
All visiting yachts must berth at Queensway Quay Marina or Ocean Village Marina so the entry process is handled through whichever one you're staying at. You are not allowed to anchor in Gibraltarian waters. On arrival go to the marina you've booked a berth with. Once you've docked the entry process is done at the marina office and while they'll need to sight your passports, it doesn't get stamped.
Transportation in Gibraltar
Gibraltar is not very big so you can get pretty everywhere by walking or riding a bike. When we were there electric scooters could be ridden but it was illegal to ride them on the sidewalk.
The public bus system is run by Gibraltar Bus Company. It covers most of the peninsular and the fares can be paid in cash using EUR or GBP. There's no rideshare but there are taxis and private drivers for hire.
If you want to hire a car in Gibraltar it's likely going to involve picking the vehicle up from the airport carpark on the Spanish side of the border. We used a company called Sotogrande Rent Car for a 3 day rental and had no problems. Parking can be limited in Gibraltar so keep that in mind before you decide to rent.
Something I wouldn't recommend is bringing a van or motorhome to Gibraltar. Parking is limited and there are restrictions on staying overnight in some places. Instead you would be best to speak to Alcaidesa Marina in Spain. It's very close to the border crossing and offers parking for bigger vehicles.
Where to stay
Again, Gibraltar isn't very big so there's no real right or wrong answer on which area is best to stay in. The only thing to consider is places near Ocean Village or Main Street will be more convenient for eating out and shopping.
In terms of accommodation prices, Gibraltar tends to be very expensive. As a result many travelers looking for a budget option choose to stay on the Spanish side of the border in La Linea.
Things to do in Gibraltar
Before visiting Gibraltar we had no idea how interesting the place was! Here's some ideas of what you could do while you're there.
Visit the Gibraltar Nature Reserve
If you're in Gibraltar there's no question, you have to go up the Rock to the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. There are a whole host of attractions to see within the nature reserve. These are some of the main ones.
Mediterranean Steps
St Michael's Cave
Apes Den
WWII Tunnel Experience
City Under Siege Exhibition
The Moorish Castle
Pillars of Hercules
Windsor Suspension Bridge
O'Hara's Battery
Skywalk
Other attractions
Here are some of the other things to do in Gibraltar outside of the nature reserve.
Go to Europa Point
Walk up to Devil's Gap Battery
See the 100 Ton Gun
Relax at Catalan Beach
Visit the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens
Ride the cable car up the Rock
Eat out at Ocean Village or Queensway Quay Marina
Go on a dolphin watching excursion
Explore the Northern Defences
Stroll up Main Street
Look around Grand Casemates Square
Visit the Gibraltar National Museum
Get off the beaten path
If you're like us and would rather get off the beaten path you can, but you need a keen sense of adventure! We've compiled those places into a specific post about how to get off the tourist track to see what we think are the best parts of Gibraltar.
Restaurants
Gibraltar's food scene is largely dominated by two cuisines; British and Spanish. Throughout the town you'll see traditional British pubs alongside Spanish tapas bars, as well as the odd Italian, Indian or Argentinean restaurant.
During our visit these were the top places we ate in Gibraltar.
Jury's Café and Wine Bar for brunch
All Bar One for afternoon snacks and pints
Pizzeria Plaza for takeaway pizza
Al Baraka for kebabs
Rendezvous Chargrill for more upmarket dinner
Grocery Shopping
If you're staying in a self contained unit or your visiting in a yacht then grocery shopping will be on the list of things to do in Gibraltar. Considering its size the grocery shopping situation in Gibraltar is pretty good, although it can be slightly expensive.
The largest grocery store in Gibraltar is Morrisons which stocks a huge range of products, many of which come from the UK. We did most of our provisioning for the Atlantic crossing here. There are a few Eroski locations around the place. It's a Spanish supermarket that has certain items you won't see in Morrisons. Ramsons Watergardens is convenient if you're staying around Ocean Village but doesn't have the biggest range of products.
While staying in Gibraltar it's possible to hire a car and go grocery shopping in Spain. In La Linea de la Concepcion there's a large Carrefour and a few smaller supermarkets; my favourite was the Mercadona on C. del Rocio.
Information for yachts visiting Gibraltar
There are two chandleries in Gibraltar, Sheppard's of Gibraltar and Gib Yachts. We had good experiences with both and found that if one store didn't have an item the other generally did. They were both much better than the chandleries we visited in La Linea de la Concepcion.
One of the benefits of buying marine supplies in Gibraltar is there's no VAT. As a result the parts are usually cheaper than in the European Union.
Trades are very limited in Gibraltar and the marina's don't like mess so it's not really a place for work to be done. Across the border is the Alcaidesa Marina which may be a better option as it has haul out facilities.
Getting gas bottles refilled wasn't possible when we were there and there were issues taking them across the border. We ended up getting a temporary bottle from Saccone & Speed which needed a Spanish adaptor.
Importing yacht in transit goods into Gibraltar
The tax rules in Gibraltar are currently different to the surrounding countries because it's not part of the EU VAT zone. This means the process for importing yacht in transit goods is different to countries like Spain and Greece. It also means you can use Gibraltar to reset the 18 month temporary transit period applied to non-EU yachts, which is one of the important EU VAT rules for yacht cruisers to know about.
Import tax
All new items imported into Gibraltar are subject to an import tax. You may be able to import yacht parts tax free, but those parts have to specifically be just for boats. If there are any other applications it could be used for you will find yourself facing a tax bill.
Crossing from Spain
Bringing food in from Spain doesn't seem to be an issue but we did get questioned whether certain things we brought in by car were new, like a sail and some dive gear. There were a few times I crossed through the land border by foot with a backpack and the bag was never checked.
Departing Gibraltar by yacht
There's nothing to do when you leave Gibraltar in terms of customs or immigration, the marina will take care of it. If you want proof that the boat was in Gibraltar to reset the EU 18 month temporary importation time period just ask the marina.
A good thing to do as you're leaving Gibraltar is visit the Cepsa fuel dock and fill up. Diesel is tax free making it cheaper than most of the surrounding countries.
5 Bonus tips for visiting Gibraltar!
Hungry Monkey and and NomNoms are the local equivalent of Uber Eats and will deliver anywhere, including hotel rooms and boats.
We found that the best value local SIM card was Lobster. It's an English-language Spanish sim card company that has resellers in La Linea. We used it on roaming in Gibraltar which worked very well. It's cheaper than Gibtelecom and unlike other providers the plan allowed us to use the entire data allowance for roaming.
The currency is the Gibraltar Pound. GBP from the UK can be used in Gibraltar but any Gibraltar Pound notes or coins you get can't be used in the UK.
Nightlife in Gibraltar isn't overly crazy but the best spots are Lord Nelson's at Casemates Square (especially when a Navy ship is in!) or the pubs around Ocean Village.
It's possible to take a dog to Gibraltar!
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