Awesome day-trip from Malaga: a visit to Gibraltar

Gibraltar is since 1704 a British territory located in the South of Spain. Its name comes from the Arabic language “Djebel Tariq” meaning Tariq’s mount. Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād was a Muslim commander. After the conquest of the territory in the 8th century, the region was named after him.

Gibraltar is also known for its strait. The strait of Gibraltar separates Europe and Africa with only 14.3 km (8.9 mi). You can see Africa from Gibraltar.

In Roman mythology, Africa and Europe were united until Hercules separated them with his strength. Now you know why they talk about the Pillars of Hercules in Gibraltar.

The first thing you see arriving in Gibraltar is “The Rock”.

No, we said “thing”. 😅

Gibraltar is only 6.7 km². With 30.000 Gibraltarians, at the foot of the Rock, Gibraltar is the 5^th territory with the highest population density in the world.

The interesting thing you quickly notice when you are in Gibraltar is the mix of British and Spanish cultures.

By car

It takes around 2 hours to go to Gibraltar from Malaga. This is the option we recommend if you can.

By bus

Frequency: There are 6 buses per day.

Duration: Depending on the bus you take the duration of the trip Malaga- Gibraltar varies between 2 and 3 hours.

Price for a one-way ticket from Malaga to Gibraltar: Between 13 and 17 €.

Price for a round-trip ticket Malaga/Gibraltar: Between 27 and 30 €.

Check timetables.

As the last bus leaves Gibraltar to Malaga at 16h45, going by car gives more flexibility.

The closest Spanish city to Gibraltar is La Línea de la Concepción commonly called La Línea.

So when you arrive in La Línea with your car, you have two options:

• You can get in Gibraltar with your car or
• You can park it in La Línea.

As you might have to wait a long time to get in with the car at the Security Control, our recommendation is to park in La Línea. Then, you can cross the border walking. It is way faster than with the car.

And Gibraltar can easily be visited walking.

The question now is: “Where to park the car close to Gibraltar border?” The car park at the border is expensive.

And, in La Línea there are various car parks with quite a difference in prices.

Cooltip: We probably found the cheapest car park for you in La Línea. It is the City hall car park. It is called “La Linea Car Park Centro”.

It is located in avenida del Ejército (El Ejército avenue), close to the city hall. And it costs 2.70 € for 24 hours. Yes, sir, you heard me correctly. That allows you to visit Gibraltar at your pace, right? 😉

Cooltip: City Hall in Spanish is “ayuntamiento”.

Remember that during your cultural immersion in Malaga with a local, you’ll also get the best tips that only locals. Your local guide while showing you the hidden spots in Malaga will give you practical info on activities you like most. This way you save time and money and make the most of your stay.

Just like every touristic city, Gibraltar also has its touristic restaurants. As we know you love to eat where locals eat, we looked for an authentic restaurant there for you.

A nice restaurant with delicious typical dishes and very good prices is Roy’s Cod Place. The portions are generous and the service is good and fast. One of the typical dishes you could try is the “fish and chips” dish. Yes, we’re in British territory in case you forgot 😄

• Phone Number: + 350 200 76662
• Address: Casemates Square, Gibraltar, Gibraltar GX11 1AA

Coolinfo: This typical restaurant has a nice terrace, so you can enjoy your lunch in the sun. Good to know right?

The official language is English. But you can speak either English or Spanish. Almost everyone there speaks both languages. That is what is beautiful in Gibraltar. Everywhere you’ll see this mix of the two cultures.

Coolsurvey: Talking about cultures, we had to ask locals if they feel British or Spanish. What do you think they answered? They said British. Yes, once again although the climate might be confusing, we are in British territory.

We imagined that you come from Malaga to Gibraltar for just a one day trip. So, we selected the 3 awesome activities you need to do in Gibraltar. Of course, if you stay for more than a day, there is much more to see and do.

Shopping

One of the common activities in Gibraltar is shopping. Due to its VAT-free status, everything is cheaper than anywhere else: big brands, but also food, electronics, jewels, etc. You can pay in pounds. In many stores euros are also accepted.

Taking the cable car

You can’t go from Malaga to Gibraltar without climbing the rock. It is a must-do. Unless you are super sporty and want to spend the day in the rock, one of the ways is to take the cable car.

It costs 18€ and in 6 minutes you do 412 m and get to the top of the rock. Needless to say that the views are amazing up there. Taking the cable is a way to get to the rock and above all to discover the third main activity in Gibraltar.

Seeing the famous apes of Gibraltar

The other famous activity in Gibraltar is seeing the apes. These apes were brought from North Africa. During the Second World War, they were under a threat of extinction. Winston Churchill decided to bring more apes from Morocco to repopulate the Rock.

And your question now is: How many apes are there in Gibraltar? No, it wasn’t your question? We’ll answer it anyway just in case. 😄 Gibraltar counts around 300 apes nowadays.

We give you here a few things you need to know before going to Gibraltar. They are quite important, so take time to read them.

Knowing better the apes’ behaviour

Apes can steal your handbag thinking there is food inside. So, it’s better to leave them in your car. Apes can get in your car from the windows to look for food. So, if you want to get out of the car to see the apes, close the windows and lock the doors. It might seem crazy but it’s true. Apes can open the doors to get in the car. 😅

Apes are fed twice a day by professionals. Therefore, it is forbidden to feed them. They are now at risk of obesity because some travellers feed them.

It was reported that they can be aggressive, but our experience was great. Our guide made them enter in the car and we got close to them without any problem.

Knowing the timetables of the cable cars

The cable cars are open from 9.30 to 19.15. But, and it is important to know that, they close at 17.15 between 1^st November and 31^st March.

If you miss the cable cars

The other option that is really nice is to take a tour with a local guide. You get to the rock by car. And the guide shows you the main spots of the rock. He/she gives you time to take pictures with the apes. Our guide even got an ape in the car so we could take pictures with it. The guides charge 20€ per person for the tour that lasts an hour.

Strangely enough, many stores and restaurants close very early in Gibraltar compared to Malaga for example. On this subject, the Spanish impact isn’t very noticeable. So don’t be surprised if at 22h on a Saturday night, it gets very quiet.

Coolsolution: Our solution is just to walk a few minutes back until Spanish Lands. There, you can enjoy your late dinner and even party like Spanish again. La Línea has various nice restaurants and bars with the same atmosphere you find in Malaga.

Although Gibraltar is very small (less than 7 km²), it has an airport. But the funny part is that when you get to the city centre from the border you have to cross the landing strip. If a plane gets closer to land, they stop the traffic (cars and pedestrian).

Legend has it that when the apes of Gibraltar leave, Gibraltar won’t be British anymore.

Maybe that is why Winston Churchill brought so many apes in Gibraltar during the 2^nd World War. 😄

As soon as you cross the border, the first thing you see is a red phone box. And all over Gibraltar, you’ll find these typical treasures from Great Britain. The funniest part is that they work!

Although people Gibraltarians speak both languages, Spanish isn’t taught at school before students are 12 years old. But they usually speak it before that age.

The currency of Gibraltar is the Gibraltar pound. It is exchangeable with the British pound sterling. They have the head of Queen Elizabeth II on one side. On the other side, coins and banknotes depict events related to Gibraltar.

As we said before, British pound sterling can be used in Gibraltar. As for the Gibraltar pound, it is usually not accepted in Great Britain. There are Gibraltar coins circulating in Great Britain though. In fact, as they are the same composition and size as the corresponding British coins, they are confused with them.

One of the curiosities of Gibraltar is that there is a specific language spoken there. This language is a mix of Spanish and English, commonly called “Spanglish”. It is known there as “Llanito”.

Coolinfo: The other area of the world were the Spanglish is spoken is in the USA by the Latinos.

We hope you learned something interesting here and you got some good tips to enjoy your day trip to Gibraltar.

Before you come to Malaga don’t forget to book your Cooltoural immersion. A local will show you the best spots in Malaga while you’re strolling around the city. You’ll discover all the hidden and authentic treasures we have here.

It is totally private and customised to your tastes. Plus you choose the day, time, and duration of your cultural immersion with a local. Contact us! 😊

Have an amazing day!

Mona for Cooltoural