Cruises to Gibraltar

663 Reviews
Gibraltar (Photo:Alex Tihonovs/Shutterstock)

About Cruising to Gibraltar

Gibraltar may well be a British Crown Colony but geographically it's an isthmus of Spain (you can walk across the road, though you do have to pass by some pretty tough customs guards). This proximity over the years has caused no end of irritation on the part of the Spanish government. In fact, during his reign, Ferdinand Franco (who served as dictatorial prime minister until the 1970s) was so upset by England's refusal to cede the territory to Spain that he closed the border and cut off telephone communications.

Did you know the Rock, that famous promontory in the Bay of Gibraltar, actually faces Spain and not the Strait of Gibraltar leading into the Mediterranean? Once any cloud cover clears, and the entire enormity of it is revealed, though, it's an amazing sight visible from the cruise ship docks.

There is an ongoing, off-and-on quarrel between Britain and Spain about who owns Gibraltar. The Spanish believe that because it's attached to Spain, it should belong to Spain. But the locals have voted twice to stay with Britain. As far as they are concerned, they are British and do not want Spanish citizenship.

The 1,400-foot-high "rock" is a limestone formation, riddled with as many as 140 caves. Remains of pre-Neanderthal humans have been found inside the rock and in areas surrounding it, but the territory's more recent history is both turbulent and inspiring.

Over time, populated by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Muslims, Moors, Spanish, Dutch and finally the British, the town of Gibraltar was formed in the 11th century by North African Islamics. The city is said to be "British Colonial built on Spanish Colonial built on Moorish." And that is exactly what the charming city resembles, with all of the influences present in its architecture.

Owing its current status to Lord Nelson (who protected it during the Great Siege in the late 1700s), there are several monuments honoring the admiral, and museum exhibits explain the most recent history of the region. The strategic location of the territory has caused it to be used over the centuries as a fortified battlement, and in fact, the Rock itself has over 30 miles of roads within it.

Traveling to the top of the Rock is almost mandatory and is easily accomplished via land tours or a quick cable car trip. At the top is a splendid nature reserve, and along the way, you can visit with the Barbary macaques (usually referred to as Barbary apes even though they are monkeys), the only free-living primates in Europe, and the Barbary partridges. Both creatures are unique to Gibraltar.

Beyond the Rock and the handful of museums, the old town of Gibraltar consists of a main street jammed with tiny shops and a handful of famous British chains, such as Marks & Spencer, BHS and Dorothy Perkins. For North Americans, however, there are few bargains because prices are in the Gibraltar pound, which is equivalent to the British pound sterling.

As for the future of the territory, it is claimed that as long as the Barbary apes inhabit Gibraltar, it will remain a British colony. You can bet that the apes are prized and pampered and coddled, and have no plans to leave the Rock anytime soon.

--By Sarah Holt, Cruise Critic contributor

  • More about Gibraltar

  • Why Cruise to Gibraltar?

  • Gibraltar Cruise Port Facilities?

Loading...

We found you 326 cruises

Loading...
Loading...
Celebrity Constellation
Celebrity Constellation

14 Night
14 Nt Azores & Spain Transatlantic

1,828 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Cruise Critic Favorite
Celebrity Equinox
E Q19  Aerials F L034

11 Night
Best Of Mediterranean

2,313 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Oosterdam
Oosterdam

7 Night
Western Mediterranean Medley: Morocco

1,087 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Celebrity Ascent
Celebrity Ascent (Photo/Celebrity Cruises)

13 Night
Spain & Portugal Transatlantic

40 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

11 Night
Mediterranean Cruise

Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

63 Night
World Cruise

808 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

10 Night
Europe - Other

79 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

12 Night
Italy, France & Spain Cruise

40 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

14 Night
Mediterranean Cruise

6 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

16 Night
Bermuda & Spain Transatlantic

1,828 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Cruise Critic Favorite

12 Night
Portuguese Passages & Spanish Shorelines 8d Bcn-li...

259 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

10 Night
Eastern Mediterranean

79 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

21 Night
Transatlantic Cruise

731 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

10 Night
Europe - Other

3,266 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

14 Night
Repo - Transatlantic

2,401 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

More about Gibraltar

Why Cruise to Gibraltar?

Pros:

Excellent seafood; duty-free shopping; fascinating military history

Cons:

The High Street is tacky and overcrowded

Bottom Line:

Gib, as it's colloquially known, is a unique mix of history and heritage, fiercely British but with a strong Spanish influence

Gibraltar Cruise Port Facilities?

Ships dock at Gibraltar Cruise Terminal just a mile from the center of town.

The cruise ship terminal is small but offers international telephones, a snack outlet and a couple of touristy trinket kiosks for souvenirs. There are counters for taxis and tourist information.

Good to Know?

The crime rate in Gibraltar is low, but like everywhere else, it makes sense to look after your belongings when out and about.

When close to the apes, do not touch or feed them -- after all they are wild animals. They are looked after by the government, and veterinarian care is provided by the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic. The apes are fed a daily supply of fresh water and vegetables, fruit and seeds as supplement to natural food resources -- leaves, olives, roots, seeds and flowers.

Getting Around?

On Foot: Gibraltar covers about 4 square miles, so you theoretically could do everything on foot, but it's impractical because of the vertical geography of the Rock. The town center is just a mile from the dock and is a relatively easy stroll.

By Bus: Public buses are an easy way to get around this small region. There are five bus routes in Gibraltar (numbered 1 to 5), and buses run to most areas of the territory apart from the Upper Rock. Take Route 2 from Line Wall Road south of Casemates Square if you want to head out to Europa Point, the bottom tip of Gibraltar. You can buy single tickets or day passes for a few pounds or euros.

By Taxi: In town, taxis are readily available but fairly pricy relative to the short distances traveled. If you want to share a mini-bus up to the top of the Rock, you're looking at a cost of about ?15, and you'll have to pay the Nature Reserve entry price on top of that.

Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

Currency is the British pound, though banks issue their own notes and coins. British pounds are accepted everywhere, and euros are accepted almost everywhere. For updated currency conversion rates, visit www.oanda.com or www.xe.com.

Ask for change in British pounds because it is hard to exchange Gibraltar currency outside the territory. ATMs dispense either British pounds or Gibraltar pounds. A Gibraltar 5 pence coin makes an unusual souvenir because it has a monkey on it. Shuttles at the cruise dock accept U.S. dollars. Gibraltar is a VAT-free jurisdiction.

Language?

English is the official language in Gibraltar, but most locals also speak Spanish. Other languages are Berber, Arabic and Hindi because of the varied ethnic groups who live here. Hebrew is spoken by the Jewish community, and Maltese is spoken by some families. Locals sometimes speak Llanito, unique to Gibraltar and based on Andalusian Spanish.


Gibraltar Cruise Reviews
Guide was excellent, and was able to get us into the Mayor of Gibraltar's office for a meeting with his assistant (and a wine and light food reception). Who can talk about Gibraltar without talking about the apes? Read More
User Avatar
Cornhogio
Excellent tour of the Rock of Gibraltar. Informative and enjoyable.Read More
User Avatar
NorthernCACruisers
Gibraltar - I had pre-arranged a taxi tour with Tours of Gibraltar. Our guide Luigi met us and 3 other couples at the port and for the next three hours we visited many of highlights Gibraltar has to offer. The priRead More
User Avatar
onyourmark
We did the walking tour of the upper rock. Very interesting history lesson about the sieges of Gibraltar. We walked deep into the tunnels and saw the gun emplacements from the 1760's. Watch out for the monkeys. they Read More
User Avatar
curlyp

Related Cruises

Cruises to Virgin Gorda

Cruises to Virgin Gorda

77 Reviews
Cruises to Fanning Island

Cruises to Fanning Island

14 Reviews
Cruises to Montreal

Cruises to Montreal

94 Reviews
Cruises to Amsterdam

Cruises to Amsterdam

1,057 Reviews
Cruises to Rouen

Cruises to Rouen

121 Reviews
Cruises to Saint John (New Brunswick)

Cruises to Saint John (New Brunswick)

449 Reviews
Cruises to Gdansk (Warsaw)

Cruises to Gdansk (Warsaw)

120 Reviews
Cruises to Marseille

Cruises to Marseille

936 Reviews
Cruises to Izmir

Cruises to Izmir

187 Reviews
Cruises to Adelaide

Cruises to Adelaide

106 Reviews
Cruises to Lima

Cruises to Lima

110 Reviews
Cruises to Rangiroa

Cruises to Rangiroa

30 Reviews
Cruises to Positano (Amalfi)

Cruises to Positano (Amalfi)

87 Reviews
Cruises to Buzios

Cruises to Buzios

27 Reviews
Cruises to Hakodate

Cruises to Hakodate

26 Reviews
Cruises to Picton

Cruises to Picton

165 Reviews
Cruises to Speyer

Cruises to Speyer

48 Reviews
Cruises to Bernkastel-Kues

Cruises to Bernkastel-Kues

37 Reviews
Cruises to Kinderdijk

Cruises to Kinderdijk

8 Reviews
Cruises to Dawson City (Yukon)

Cruises to Dawson City (Yukon)


Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.