13 October 2020

Gibraltar is a great choice for anytime of the year. (In October, the average temperature is about 23 degrees). It is great for short break and there is also plenty to do for a longer holiday, due to its temperate climate. (My husband and I decided, whilst we were in Gibraltar, to stay another 2 nights and we were lucky enough to be able to defer our flight dates, too). It is situated on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. The population is only 33, 000. I visited Gibraltar in August 2020 with my husband, (post lockdown, due to Covid) as we both really needed to get away and have a relaxing break, that included guaranteed sunshine. We decided on Gibraltar, due to it being a British overseas territory, so no quarantine was required on arrival or returning back to the U.K. and there was a NHS hospital in case the worst was going to happen, (which we found out the last time we stayed there in 2016), when the hospital had just been built. British Airways is the only airline that flies the route, from London Heathrow, Terminal 5 to Gibraltar. There are also only 2 airlines that fly to Gibraltar from the U.K., so it’s worth booking early to ensure availability. The length of the flight is just under 3 hours flying time. An interesting fact is that Gibraltar is the only runway that non passengers are able to walk across. The road heads towards the Spanish border, so you can either walk across the runway or drive across and there are traffic light, which indicates when a plane [is about to land or take off. The airport’s public lounge at Heathrow, had every second seat blocked off, to ensure social distancing. There are also areas within the lounge are , where there were loads of empty seats. It is worth noting, that there are a number of seats which have phone sockets for charging your phone, this is very handy if you have had a long journey to the airport and your battery is low. Face masks are compulsory in the airport, as well as on the plane. We flew British Airways(who ensured that everyone was wearing a face mask when boarding the flight). We were all given gel and a hand wipe (indivually wrapped) so more “safety in mind “, as soon as we boarded the plane. Normally, on BA you get a sandwich and previously, when I have flown with British Airways on a domestic flight we had a cream tea. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, that wasn’t the case this time. Everything that was served by the cabin crew had to be fully sealed and nothing touched by human hands , so we were given: - a packet of crisps, packet of sweet biscuits and a bottle of water and there was no drinks trolley at all. Fruit juice and water is available free of charge on request if you get dehydrated. On arrival into Gibraltar, we were called in groups(selection of three rows at a time), so that we were socially distancing, as much as possible, as we disembarked the aircraft. Gibraltar, like Guernsey and Jersey, are tax free so cigarettes and spirits are a popular purchase for “tourist souvenirs”. We stayed at the lovely 4 star Elliott Hotel, which is conveniently located, close to the town centre hotel. The hotel has a lovely roof top pool (on the 8th floor) with a bar with table and chairs; outdoor sofas and you can take the open-air staircase to the next floor, with amazing views of the sea and rooftops. It is an open space and has a lot of direct sunlight, so an excellent place for sun bathing and has many sun lounges. The view is wonderful from the top. There are towels available (free of charge) for pool use, if you forget your towel that is provided in your room, but they tend to go quickly so if you arrive later in the afternoon, there may not be any towels available when you arrive. On the 8th floor you will almost have 180 degrees view which is spectacular. The restaurant is also on the 8th floor and this is where buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner is served. A gym and salon (although it was closed , I think due to Covid-19) is also available for guests. The currency in Gibraltar is the Gibraltar Pound, which has the same value as the British Pound, which is also accepted in Gibraltar. I also noticed that there were a small percentage of shops that accepte Euros. The square footage of Gibraltar is only 6.7, so it doesn’t take too long to get around. Currency Tip: The Gibraltar Pound coin with rugged edges is no longer accepted, so make sure that you are not given, any of these as change as this coin is no longer in use and can not be accepted. Shopping helpful tip: The shops have the ‘old English’ opening hours. Most of them close at about 6pm during the week and a lot of them are not open at all during the week-end, so if there are some duty free items you want to purchase before leaving to go home, don’t leave it till the week-end to buy them, as you will be very disappointed, if you find it is closed. There are 2 marinas in Gibraltar, one is called Ocean Village, which has many restaurants and bars to choose from, and is by far more livelier than the other marina, known as Marina Bay. There are also 2 casinos at the marina, one of the Casinos is at the 5* Sunborn Yacht hotel. (The casinos were open and their Covid-19 policy was anyone not playing was not allowed to be at the tables.) Europa Point Lighthouse – The lighthouse is not open to the public. We got a bus day pass to Europa Point which cost £3. It takes about 10-15 minutes to the lighthouse. I would strongly recommend taking a hat and sun cream with you, as there is no shade at all, apart from inside the café, which also sells ice cream and drinks. I would also recommend visiting at night time, as it is very well lit and you will have a different view and you will get a very different feel to what you would, during the day. Children can enjoy the play area and there is a picnic spot with wooden tables and benches. There is also plenty of parking, so you could drive up. There is no entrance free. Cable Car : We bought a ticket for £30, which includes: return cable car journey to the Upper Rock to see the famous Barbury Apes; The Nature Reserve, The Skywalker (was opened by Star Wars actor Mark Hamill) , St Michael’s Cave; Great Siege Tunnels (dates back to 1782, when Spain tried to regain control of the Rock) and the Windsor Suspension Bridge, which we spent ages trying to look for and still never found. Will have to go on my next visit to Gibraltar and get a taxi to take me up.