Things to do in Gibraltar Town
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Gibraltar Town
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best season with September and October: warm sea, long days and the reserve and Steps in their best conditions.
Best season with spring: National Day week in September and southbound bird migration into October.
Hot, busy and cruise compressed, with the highest hotel prices. Hike at dawn and swim on the east beaches.
Mild but the rainiest and windiest months, with boats and summit sights most likely to be cancelled. Cheapest and quietest.
Northbound bird migration over the Strait, with raptors and storks crossing from March to May.
Southbound bird migration over the Strait, peaking for raptors in late August and September.
What's on
- Gibraltar National Day 10 September
Public holiday marking the 1967 referendum, with a street party, ceremonies, live music and fireworks. Wear red and white and book ahead.
- Calentita Food Festival Usually June
Gibraltar's community food festival at Landport Ditch, named for the chickpea flour bake and the best eating days of the year.
- Gibraltar Music Festival Summer Sessions Early September, in the run up to National Day (10 September)
The former Gibraltar Calling festival returned as GMF Summer Sessions in the run up to National Day. Check BuyTickets.gi for the current edition.
- Strait bird migration August to October peak
Honey buzzards, black kites and eagles cross the Strait southbound, watched from Jews Gate and the upper Rock.
Best things to do in Gibraltar Town
Upper Rock Nature Reserve
One ticket covers the summit, the Apes Den, the cave, the tunnels, the Skywalk and the castle in a full day on the Rock.
St Michael's Cave
A vast limestone cavern used as a wartime hospital and now an auditorium, and the finest interior sight on the Rock.
Great Siege Tunnels
Hand hewn gun galleries from the Great Siege, the clearest and best first tunnel visit on the Rock.
Gibraltar Cable Car
The classic six minute ride to the summit, listed here because it is closed for refurbishment until 2028.
Skywalk Gibraltar
A glass platform 340 metres above the sea with views to Spain and Morocco on a clear day.
Windsor Suspension Bridge
A 71 metre suspension bridge over a deep gorge, best crossed as part of a walking route across the upper Rock.
The Gibraltar National Museum
Gibraltar history from Neanderthals to the Great Siege, built over well preserved 14th century Moorish baths.
Europa Point
The southern tip of Gibraltar, with the lighthouse, the mosque and Morocco across the Strait on a clear day.
Where to stay in Gibraltar Town
Town Centre
first visits and short stays
Main Street, Casemates Square, the museum and the buses are on the doorstep, and the reserve entrances are walkable.
Ocean Village
groups, evenings and boat trips
A marina strip of bars, restaurants and a casino, with the dolphin boats, diving and sailing leaving from Marina Bay.
Catalan Bay
beach mornings and a village feel
A Genoese fishing village on the east side with the beach at the door, reached by bus or taxi from town.
South District
couples and quiet nights
A calm residential end above the botanic gardens with bay views and buses to Europa Point.
North Front
early flights and border crossings
Minutes from the airport and the Spanish border, practical rather than pretty and best for transport.
Think twice about
- Airport and border strip as a base
Not dangerous, but noisy from flights and border traffic and charmless for sleeping. Use it for transport, sleep in town, Ocean Village, Catalan Bay or the South District.
Best restaurants in Gibraltar Town
The Lounge Bar and Gastro Bar
Marina fine dining at Queensway Quay with seasonal Mediterranean cooking, best booked for sunset over the yachts.
GAUCHOS Steakhouse
The Casemates steakhouse splurge, Argentine style grilling and big cuts to share in a smart room.
Aquaterra
The current form pick in the centre, Spanish leaning Mediterranean dishes and tapas by Casemates Square.
Nunos at The Express
Fine Italian cooking beside the Holiday Inn Express, with grilled octopus, vongole and a loyal local following.
Biancas Restaurant
The Marina Bay all rounder with a palm shaded terrace, handy for lunch before or after the dolphin boats.
Paparazzi Steakhouse
A smaller old town steakhouse off Main Street with a strong local review profile and a quieter room.
4 Stagioni
Authentic Italian cooking in the South District, away from the Casemates terraces and near Europa Point.
Roy's Cod Place
Gibraltar's fish and chips institution on Casemates Square, outstanding food and very brisk service at peak times.
Outdoor things to do in Gibraltar Town
Dolphin Adventure
The yellow catamaran from Marina Bay for wild dolphins in the Bay, with live commentary and a marine biologist aboard.
Dolphin Safari Gibraltar
The long running second dolphin operator in Marina Bay, a useful alternative when the first sailing is full.
Mediterranean Steps
A steep, exposed climb up the east face from Jews Gate to the summit batteries, with the best views in Gibraltar.
Eastern Beach
Gibraltar's largest sandy beach and the only one with sun all day, beside the runway at the border end of the Rock.
Catalan Bay
A small sandy cove under a Genoese fishing village, the most local and most picturesque swim in Gibraltar.
Sandy Bay
A smaller, quieter east side cove south of Catalan Bay, best paired with it in one morning by bus.
Dive Charters
Wreck diving from Marina Bay, with many wrecks close to the coast where Atlantic and Mediterranean waters mix.
SloSun Yacht Charter
A private yacht charter from Ocean Village for dolphins, the Rock from the water and a swim stop if conditions allow.
Best hotels in Gibraltar Town
Sunborn Gibraltar
A moored superyacht hotel in Ocean Village with marina views, a pool deck and Gibraltar's only true luxury stay.
The Rock Hotel
Gibraltar's grand 1932 hotel above the botanic gardens, with bay views, a garden pool and old fashioned calm.
The Eliott Hotel
The best located full service hotel in Gibraltar, on Governors Parade with a small rooftop pool and Rock views.
The Caleta Hotel
A four star hotel on the promontory above Catalan Bay, for waking up at the beach away from the town centre.
Holiday Inn Express Gibraltar
A modern chain hotel near the airport and border with breakfast included, predictable and handy for early flights.
Bristol Hotel
A three star hotel in a garden by the cathedral with a pool, plain rooms and a central budget friendly location.
Emile Youth Hostel
Gibraltar's hostel option in the centre, with dorms and basic privates at the lowest prices in the territory.
Is Gibraltar Town expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | £85 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | £175 a person |
| Splurge | £350 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Upper Rock Nature Reserve: a few days ahead
- World War II Tunnels: a few days ahead
- Dolphin Adventure: a few days ahead
- Dolphin Safari Gibraltar: a few days ahead
- Dive Charters: a few days ahead
- SloSun Yacht Charter: weeks ahead
- Real Club Valderrama: months ahead
- Real Club de Golf Sotogrande: months ahead
- Buy the Nature Reserve ticket or GibraltarPass online before a summer day on the Rock.
- Book dolphin boats a day or more ahead in June, July and August, and diving and Sotogrande golf well ahead.
- Valderrama visitor play is limited and should be booked months ahead. Book the Lounge, Gauchos and Nunos for weekend evenings.
Is Gibraltar Town safe?
- Gibraltar is low crime and feels safe at night in the centre, Ocean Village and the South District.
- Carry water on the Rock. There is none on the Mediterranean Steps and summer heat is the main risk.
- Check beach flags for jellyfish, and expect fierce wind at Europa Point, the Skywalk and the Windsor Bridge.
- Emergency number is 112 and also 999. Take travel insurance that also covers day trips into Spain.
Gibraltar Town travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Agree taxi tour stops, duration and total price per car before getting in at the border or cruise terminal.
- Main Street duty free is often no bargain except on tobacco, spirits and fuel. Compare perfume, electronics and watches on your phone.
- Do not carry visible food near the macaques and never feed them. Loose bags, crisps and sunglasses get taken.
- When a large cruise ship is in, the Rock and Main Street peak from about 10am to 2pm. Go early or after 3pm.
Getting around Gibraltar Town: public transport and more
- Walk the town centre. Main Street to the botanic gardens is about a 20 minute stroll.
- Local buses cover the border, Ocean Village, Catalan Bay, Eastern Beach and Europa Point and are frequent and cheap.
- Pedestrians and cyclists still cross the airport runway on Winston Churchill Avenue and wait for planes. Cars use the tunnel opened in 2023.
- Park in La Linea and walk across the border. On foot it is usually minutes, while vehicle queues can run to hours.
Who Gibraltar Town suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Gibraltar Town your trip
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