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Gibraltar tourist information with details about travel to and around the country. Where to stay and what to see is made easier with insider tips and hand-selected Gibraltar links, by dedicated editors and visitors to TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel.
Gibraltar Gibraltar, a British dependency, is a strategic naval base; with the rock being something of a fortress.
Ancient Greeks called the two peaked rocks in the eastern Mediterranean the Pillars of Hercules. The northern pillar, the modern Rock of Gibraltar was known as Calpe, and the southern pillar, ancient Abila, is now called Jebel Musa; in Morocco's Spanish enclave of Ceuta. The Phoenicians, early Mediterranean mariners, crowned the two rocks with silver columns to mark the limits of safe navigation. After the Strait of Gibraltar comes the open sea of the Atlantic. The Arabs called the Rock of Gibraltar Jabal Tariq, meaning Mount of Tariq, in honour of the Muslim general Tariq ibn-Ziyad who invaded Spain in 711. Castillians captured Gibraltar in 1309, but the rock was soon regained by the Moors and held until 1462. It was annexed to the Spanish Crown in 1502, and the rock was fortified after yet another north African invasion. During the War of the Spanish Succession in 1704 combined English and Dutch forces captured Gibraltar, and the English commander took possession of the rock in the name of Queen Anne. Gibraltar was blockaded by the French and Spanish during the European Wars in America, until the British destroyed the floating batteries of the besiegers on September 14, 1782. In 1969 Spain closed its border with Gibraltar and travellers from mainland Spain had to take the boat from Algeciras to Tangiers and return on another one to Gibraltar. The border with the Spanish mainland was fully reopened in February 1985. The Rock of Gibraltar: Gibraltar Travel TipsIf you arrive by car, park as soon as you can and walk to see the main
town area, or take a taxi tour to see the rest. The streets are narrow in Gibraltar and a
complicated one way system operates. Gibraltar
Weather: The official language of Gibraltar is English, although Spanish is widely spoken. Most of the civilian population are of Portuguese, Italian, Maltese, English, or Spanish descent. We say civilian because Gibraltar is also a British navy base. The forces personnel swell the numbers and float their salaries into the bar economy. Gibraltar Magazine: Accommodation in Gibraltar
Hotels in La Linea de la Concepcion
Mediterraneo: Gibraltar Travel Guides Books
on Gibraltar Travel:
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