5 Reasons to Visit Gibraltar, or How I Explored All the Country's Best Beaches in One Day

Route

Eastern Beach

Catalan Bay Beach

Sandy Bay Beach

Europa Point Lighthouse

Little Bay Beach

The Rock of Gibraltar

Camp Bay Beach

I love independent travel, so this time, finding myself on business in La Línea de la Concepción, I decided not to waste my free day and visit Gibraltar. Not just that, but I set myself the challenge of visiting all the country's beaches in one day.

So, briefly, to provide some context:

Gibraltar is located almost at the southernmost tip of Spain in the western part of the Costa del Sol. Nevertheless, Gibraltar does not belong to Spain—it's a British Overseas Territory. You can see Spain from all sides here, and in good weather, you can even see the mountains of Morocco across the narrow strait between Europe and Africa.

Having studied all the specifics of visiting Gibraltar in advance and deciding not to risk my nerves, I left my car in a parking lot before the border control (€1.5 per hour).

With the car locked, I crossed the border, took a photo near the symbol of Great Britain—a red telephone booth—and my adventure with Gibraltar's beaches began.

Gibraltar covers just over 6.5 square kilometers and has a population of about 32,000 people. Inside the Rock of Gibraltar lies a real network of sedimentary tunnels descending dozens of meters deep. Their total length exceeds 30 miles, which is more than the total length of all Gibraltar's roads. So leaving the car in the parking lot was the right decision!

Route

Here's the route I ended up taking:

• Eastern Beach

• Catalan Bay Beach

• Sandy Bay Beach

• Little Bay Beach

• Europa Point Lighthouse

• The Rock of Gibraltar

• Camp Bay Beach

Eastern Beach

When I crossed the border, the weather was comfortable enough for a swim, so I headed straight to the first point on my route. The beach is literally a 10-minute walk from the checkpoint.

Having read and heard enthusiastic reviews about planes landing over the heads of sunbathers, I wanted to experience this myself. Spending just 40 minutes on the beach made this challenging, as the planes have a schedule different from mine. Unfortunately, the only plane I managed to catch landed just as I arrived at the beach, and I didn't have time to get my camera out. It was very disappointing, but waiting all day for a plane seemed silly. So after swimming and relaxing a bit, I moved on.

Eastern Beach has two bars offering Mediterranean cuisine. However, I wasn't very hungry yet, so I didn't evaluate the food quality, but the places seemed quite popular. Maybe the food is really good, or perhaps there's simply no alternative.

The next intermediate point of my journey was the bus station. After a 20-minute walk from Eastern Beach, I was at the bus terminal where several buses would depart in the direction I needed. Not wasting any time, I managed to hop onto a departing bus.

Next stop—Catalan Bay Beach. Well, more like an emergency evacuation, since the driver couldn't understand for a long time what I wanted from him. And frankly, he wasn't used to stopping in the middle of the road. But I'm not used to being told no. In short, my persistence, combined with a terrible mix of Spanish and English, as well as the presence of a bus stop right opposite the beach, yielded results. The driver, loudly complaining about being distracted from driving, stopped, and there I was at Catalan Bay.

In all fairness, there are two bus stops here (at least I saw only two stops). The one where I wanted to get off was on the opposite side of the road, and where the driver stopped was the center of the village.

Catalan Bay Beach

Reaching Catalan Bay from the bus stop required crossing the road and walking between closely situated houses—the alley was very narrow. It only took about 1–2 minutes, and I was on the beach.

An enormous rock hangs over the beach, which, in my opinion, makes it more comfortable to stay there in the afternoon than in the morning (the shadow from the rock seems to cover on the beach like an umbrella—but that's my assumption, and I didn't stay to verify it).

The beach didn't make a strong impression on me; the sand was gray but fine, it was not the cleanest, and there was trash scattered here and there. Honestly, Catalan Bay is just an ordinary beach, and I somewhat regretted leaving the bus. I didn't particularly feel like swimming yet, and since it was still before noon and I had plenty of time, I decided to stroll to the protruding stone embankment on the left side of the beach (facing the sea). Access to the embankment is open, so you can take some photos there.

On the right side of the beach, I discovered a cozy café. "Discovered" because the tables are hidden behind a wall, and I didn't notice them at first. The coffee here, by the way, is much worse than in neighboring Spain, and I didn't dare to try the tea—perhaps I should have given that I was technically in Great Britain!

Reminders that you're on British territory are everywhere. There's a painting of the British flag on the rock, and nearby, an actual flag flutters, thoughtfully hung by a local resident from a window.

The next stop on my route was Sandy Bay Beach, about 1.5 km from Catalan Bay. I had to walk along a narrow road where cars would occasionally pass. Yes, speed limits are enforced on these stretches, but one collision would have been enough to send me straight to the local hospital instead of the sea. Fortunately, everything turned out fine, though there were a couple of close calls.

Sandy Bay Beach

The beach acts as a private beach of the Both Worlds apartment complex. All the buildings stretching along the sandy coast belong to this complex, and access to the beach—as it seemed to me—is only for residents. However, on the north side (about 150 meters before reaching Both Worlds from the airport side), there's a long staircase that anyone can use to reach the sea. I took advantage of this (I dislike dealing with hotel security), especially because the staircase was right along my route.

I liked this beach more than the previous one and decided to stay here for a swim. There was only one problem—the lack of a shower. But the heat won me over, and despite potential issues with dry skin from the seawater, I indulged in my favorite activity—swimming.

The beach perfectly matched my criteria: a gradual increase in depth, fine sand, and crystal-clear water without a hint of seaweed. If not for my planned route and willpower, I might have stayed here until evening. Everything needed was available, even a café serving Mediterranean cuisine.

There were already quite a few people on the beach, as it was approaching 1 p.m., and even more tourists were arriving as I swam about. I don't particularly like overcrowded beaches, and that was the deciding factor for me to continue on my journey.

This time, my destination wasn't exactly beach-related but more maritime—the Europa Point Lighthouse.

Europa Point Lighthouse

Since I started moving clockwise (typically, tourists explore Gibraltar's attractions counterclockwise), I had two options to reach the lighthouse: spend about 1.5 hours walking or wait for a passing bus. Not knowing the local schedule made it a tough choice, and I risked not getting anywhere, as the prospect of walking under the scorching sun wasn't appealing. Surprisingly, I didn't have to wait long for the public transportation—only about 30 minutes—which was a pleasant surprise. The route continued from the parking lot near Black Strap Cove Beach; I had to backtrack a bit because I wasn't sure the driver would cheerfully pick up a passenger on a whim, but there was a bus stop easily visible at the parking lot.

Nevertheless, I still had to walk a bit because the bus went west, and I needed to head south to the lighthouse. Fortunately, I had initially asked the driver to stop near my destination—specifically, near the Mosque of King Fahad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud—from which I reached the lighthouse within five minutes.

What can I say? My feelings were mixed. From a practical standpoint, there's nothing particularly special here: a lighthouse, a small square, parking, a mosque, and a café. What to do? Look at Africa and battle the wind that tries to mess up your hair.

From a philosophical perspective, the place is undoubtedly significant and important. Where better to ponder the universe and existence? There’s a magnificent sea view, Africa in the distance—outside the summer travel period—not many people around. If you're in the mood to reflect and savor the moment, I highly recommend it. If you're seeking a "wow" factor, you might be disappointed. But at least you can check it off your list!

Moving on to the most ambiguous beach location of this route. Personally, I didn't like it at all, so if you trust my opinion, you can skip to the next point. For those craving details—here they are!

Little Bay Beach

The beach is essentially an area near a pool with sun loungers and a ladder into the sea—just as I've described. The swimming zone is enclosed by a rectangular area of buoys, and swimming beyond them is, of course, not recommended.

As for attractions, there's the pool (where most tourists relax), and that's about it.

I didn't stay long; I took a couple of photos and moved on, especially since I faced the challenging task of conquering the Rock of Gibraltar.

The Rock of Gibraltar

The Rock of Gibraltar was the last point of my journey (though not its final destination). I had been eager to visit it after seeing beautiful landscapes in online photos.

Initially, I considered climbing up on foot but had some doubts. On one hand there was a huge queue for the cable car, but on the other hand I had already walked a great deal. In the end, I chose the cable car and joined the long line.

While waiting, I met a lovely married couple who recommended dedicating an entire day to visiting the Gibraltar tunnels. Sandy (the husband) gave me a lecture on how and why these tunnels were created. Now I have another reason to return to Gibraltar.

As for the cable car ride itself, it's hard to impress me, and Gibraltar's cable car didn't. It's a fairly ordinary mode of transport with the expected city views. Yes, it's Gibraltar, Great Britain in Spain, but still, nothing extraordinary.

What did amaze me was the rock itself—the views from it in particular. It's hard to describe in words; you have to see it with your own eyes. There, in the distance, I could see the road I had walked along just 2.5 hours earlier. I now observed the route from a bird's-eye view. The sea landscape was fantastic! I love the sea, and the sea from a mountain is something else entirely. True enthusiasts will understand!

If you ever find yourself in Gibraltar, don't hesitate to spend 2–3 hours climbing the rock. It's worth it.

Camp Bay Beach

The final point before crossing back over the border was Camp Bay Beach.

Since I didn't have much time left, I took the opportunity to quickly dip into the sea once more.

Yes, this beach was very similar to the previous one, and yes, I didn't like it much either. My choices were a pool, the gentle sea with a rocky bottom, or heading straight to customs.

Due to the terrain, all the beaches in this part of Gibraltar are rocky, whereas on the eastern side, they are all sandy.

Camp Bay is a larger version of Little Bay Beach; it is slightly better maintained and has its own small shoreline that's quite crowded during the peak of the summer season.

If you have a snorkeling mask, you might be able to explore the marine life quite well here (I didn't have a mask, hence "might"). Overall, that's it. Lazy lounging on a concrete base near the pool doesn't really count—we're here for sea adventures, right?

A final swim and then off to customs, as I had about an hour left.

Overall, the trip was a rich experience, and I definitely enjoyed it, especially the part before visiting the lighthouse when the beaches were all sandy. And to think I skipped swimming at Catalan Bay! Let this be a lesson to seize the moment!