In Greek mythology Gibraltar was Calpe, one of the Pillars of Hercules, which marked the edge of the Mediterranean and the known world. In 711 Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Muslim governor of [wiki=3d5a7deaa9855d6ed198e99341eda49f]Tangier[/wiki], landed at Gibraltar to launch the Islamic invasion of the [wiki=342dacf2856e664754846ce4c015e73b]Iberian Peninsula[/wiki]. The Rock took his name - Jabal Tariq (Mountain of Tariq) eventually became Gibraltar.
Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded in perpetuity to [wiki=d7324ee53636e346409ca80c084ede70]Great Britain[/wiki] by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. Spain continues to hassle and harass Gibraltar in a so far fruitless effort to grab this territory that has been loyal to the British crown for more than 300 years. In referendums held in 1967 and 2002, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to stay a territory of the United Kingdom. On 10 June 2004, citizens of Gibraltar voted for the first time in the UK MEP (Member of the European Parliament) elections, as part of the South West constituency.
The topmost part of the Rock is still a British military installation, and off-limits to the public.
Gibraltar is a member of the European Union, however it is not part of the Schengen Area or EU Customs Union. This means that there are immigration and customs controls when travelling between Spain and Gibraltar. Citizens of the European Union are required to have a national identity card or passport, while all others are required to have a passport to enter. The entry requirements for Gibraltar are not the same as the [wiki=89f9c9f489be2a83cf57e53b9197d288]United Kingdom[/wiki]. Unless exempt from visa requirements, to enter Gibraltar you must have either a Gibraltar visa (to be applied for separately from a normal British visa at a British embassy/consulate), a UK visa valid for at least 6 months, or a UK permit of residence valid for at least 5 years. If arriving by air, Gibraltar airport staff will refuse entry to anyone who does not comply with these requirements.
Although entry into Gibraltar will technically invalidate a single-entry Schengen visa, in practice passports are checked but not stamped on entry by land, and those with single-entry visas usually get re-admitted to Spain without any problems.
After crossing customs, you may be asked to cross the airfield, being absolutely exposed to planes. DO NOT behave differently in this area. Sometimes, if you are on a tour you can stay on the vehicle and citizens using cars can cross by car.
The border between Gibraltar and Spain now has an automated ID check system, similar to the 'self check-in' systems they have at some airports. You will require an EU ID card with a chip, or a chipped passport. You can still enter/leave Gibraltar with the older type IDs, but you will likely find yourself in a lengthy queue.
Gibraltar Airport has daily scheduled flights to and from London-Heathrow (LHR, British Airways), Gatwick (LGW) (EasyJet), London-Luton (LTN) (Monarch Airlines), Birmingham (BHX) (Monarch Airlines) and Manchester (Monarch Airlines) in the UK. Royal Air Maroc have services to Marrakech (RAK) as an alternative to daily ferries.
[url=http://www.easyjet.com/en/cheap-flights/uk/gibraltar/airport-gib]easyJet[/url] has daily scheduled services between The Rock and [wiki=59ead8d1e124ccfb79f3ace06f43e703]London[/wiki] Gatwick. A daily British Airways service is available, operating to and from Heathrow. Flight schedules varies depending on the time of year. With the introduction of easyJet's operation from Gibraltar, together with the government's planned airport expansion and reduction of airport charges, it opens the door for possible new routes from Gibraltar to other European cities.
The most popular alternative airport for Gibraltar is [wiki=c555476e638103c16dca6675fc73d814]Malaga Airport[/wiki] in Spain, some 120 km to the East, which offers a wide range of destinations. Malaga can be reached by bus, but there are only a few services available per day and the trip is approximately 3 hours. [wiki=5900e7f0cc6cc8e43b1896d94e89a8bc]Jerez Airport[/wiki] is normally the second choice, despite being closer to Gibraltar.
Queues at the border may make it less time-consuming to park cars in La Línea and walk across. While parking in La Linea immediately next to the border charges, there is free parking throughout town and next to the stadium if you are willing to walk an extra kilometre. This also has the advantage of avoiding Gibraltar's complex one way system with very narrow and badly signposted streets, and limited parking. The land border is open 24 hours a day, though expect delays when planes are landing - the only road into Gibraltar runs right across the airport runway!
However, once the airport expansion is complete, traffic (except buses) will be diverted around to the east side of the runway to ease overall traffic congestion.
Motorists, and on occasion pedestrians, crossing the border have been subjected to long delays and searches by the Spanish authorities. Spain has closed the border during disputes or incidents involving the Gibraltar authorities, such as the Aurora cruise ship incident and when fishermen from the Spanish fishing vessel Piraña were arrested for [url=http://www.gibnet.com/fish/pirana.htm]illegal fishing in Gibraltar waters[/url]. In 2013, a row over a concrete reef caused the Spanish government to increase searches causing lengthy queues.
Despite being an overseas territory of the UK, traffic in Gibraltar moves on the right-hand side of the road and the speed limits are in kilometres per hour. Gibraltar-registered vehicles (country code GBZ) are left-hand-drive, the same as mainland Europe.
Buses from Spain stop just short of Gibraltar in [wiki=7c6f8e75eb2121d1c74b83d4ce823091]La Línea[/wiki], but its bus station is only a three minute walk to the border. From Algeciras San Bernado bus station route 120 can be taken to La Linea. This costs €2.45 (May 2015) for an adult single (you buy the ticket from the driver); the bus runs about every 45 minutes until 23:00.
The bus station in [wiki=000c0cd4f7fedd4ed15c6fb149b0b74b]Algeciras[/wiki] is opposite the railway station. To go to the bus station from the harbour, turn left, walk along the main street for about 100m and then turn right. Continue about 200m along this street to the small building with railway tracks.
At the end of May 2011, bus routes and fares were revised for a trial period of 3 months. Most bus routes became free to travel on for all. However, at the end of the 3-month trial, and following public consultation, the Gibraltar Government decided that free travel should be available to Gibraltar residents only. As a result, tourists and Spanish commuters now have to pay a fare once more.
Route 5, which is the only bus service between the Frontier/Airport and the bus station in town, was not affected by the trial or the subsequent changes, and visitors and residents alike are charged a fare on this service. [url=http://www.gibraltarbus.com/]Full details of bus routes[/url].
At [wiki=7c6f8e75eb2121d1c74b83d4ce823091]La Línea[/wiki] there are regular buses to and from [wiki=dd6ee5049d042bf91a10eb69a39778f4]Seville[/wiki], [wiki=c555476e638103c16dca6675fc73d814]Malaga[/wiki], [wiki=ab6121f3435fa072b675cf26c42ad809]Cadiz[/wiki], [wiki=a636d56431e8c9d3473ecb8def4d215a]Granada[/wiki] and regularly to [wiki=000c0cd4f7fedd4ed15c6fb149b0b74b]Algeciras[/wiki] (the latter one direct or with stops on the way).
Current info for [wiki=c555476e638103c16dca6675fc73d814]Malaga[/wiki] bus station: [url=http://www.estabus.emtsam.es]Estación de Autobuses de Málaga[/url]
Tour buses and coaches can be available at all Andalucian major cities, holiday resorts and some mainland hotels.
When the frontier was closed, there was a ferry service from Gibraltar to [wiki=4d4a1722d8e85909a576da2c42878ff0]Morocco[/wiki]. There's a passenger service geared up to the Moroccan workers in Gibraltar, who have problems crossing the frontier, but only about once per week on the weekend.
There used to be a daily service between Gibraltar and [wiki=000c0cd4f7fedd4ed15c6fb149b0b74b]Algeciras[/wiki] in Spain, however this service ceased in January 2012 due to low passenger numbers.
[wiki=33705032f9f8fc5b55aedee04ed80de2]Cruise ships[/wiki] often include Gibraltar as part of their itinerary.
Gibraltar receives a large number of visits from cruise ships, and the strait of Gibraltar is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Passenger and cargo ships anchor in the port of Gibraltar.
Catalan Bay also offers access to enter Gibraltar.
There is no train service to Gibraltar, but a connection by bus from Algeciras train station to La Linea or a taxi is possible.
There are a couple of Kosher restaurants, bakeries and minimarkets in Gibraltar. Just ask around and someone will point you in the right direction. Unless you're planning on going to Morocco, Gibraltar is NOT the only place you could stock up on Kosher food when you're travelling in the Costa del Sol; there are many Kosher shops and restaurants in Marbella, Torremolinos and Málaga.
The legal drinking/purchasing age is 16 for beer, wine or cider containing less than 15% ABV on licensed premises, 18 is unrestricted.
A family-run [wiki=4fa7dacf2ebfceef5bf9eff43072be4a]hostel[/wiki] with basic shared rooms for £15 or €25, though the dad only wanted €20. including continental breakfast consisting of two prices of toast and jam.It should be noted that the kitchen is not for guests use. Certainly not the best,but closest thing to the border. As of 2011 the charge for a bed in the dorm is £17. They also charge for washing clothes £5 and for the wireless internet £5. Well they will probably never change the wifi password: E244F2DDE8 . Be sure to type it with caps. There is no longer any free breakfast, also you are not allowed to bring your own food into hostel (probably because they have their own cafe right now). Although expensive at £17 per night, it's a quiet nice place to relax.
* The Cannon Hotel, 9 Cannon Lane, just off the middle of Main Street, [url=http://www.cannonhotel.gi].]Single room and breakfast for £30.00.
* The Queens Hotel, Boyd Street, is located at the south entrance to Main Street, [http://www.queenshotel.gi[/url]. Marketing themselves as "Gibraltar's 'only' Budget Hotel" (not what category they'd put the Cannon in), a single room starts at £60 per night, double is £70, if you want room with a sea view, you have to pay extra. There is breakfast, internet and AC included in the price, every room has TV. It's very close to bus stop, so you can take bus to Europa Point, and get out near cable car station.
The Bristol Hotel , Cathedral Square, [url=http://www.bristolhotel.gi/]]near the south end of Main Street.
* The Elliot Hotel, Governor's Parade, [url=http://www.gib.gi/eliotthotel/[/url]]is just off Main Street, located roughly half-way between the Cannon, and The Queens. Good location and good quality.
* The Rock Hotel, Europa Road, [url=http://www.rockhotelgibraltar.com/[/url]]located approximately 400 metres south of the Entrance to Main Street, up a fairly steep hill, the Rock Hotel isn't as central as some of the others mentioned here, but has great views of the bay. It's one of the more expensive hotels in Gibraltar and was where John Lennon and Yoko Ono got married.
* The Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay, [http://www.caletahotel.com/[/url] on the opposite side of the rock, is about a 2 miles by road from the town centre. The upside to this is a quiet relaxing atmosphere, that you're unlikely to get in the Town Centre.
Gibraltar's international telephone code is +350. [wiki=907eba32d950bfab68227fd7ea22999b]Spain[/wiki] finally recognized this code in 2007 and the old domestic (Spanish) code of 9567 was discontinued, making calls from Spain into Gibraltar in sync with the rest of the world. Another indirect consequence of this was that all landline numbers in Gibraltar have been prefixed with 200 in October 2008, making all numbers 8-digit long now. If you come across with a 5-digit number, just prefix it with 200 (and, of course, with the country code prior to that if you are calling from out of Gibraltar). Mobile phone numbers have not been affected by this change, however.
The prefix to dial prior to country code for international calls is 00 in Gibraltar.
Free wireless is available in the following places:
* Fresh - a cafe/bar just down through the archway when leaving the main square towards the bus stops.
* The Gibraltar Arms - about half way down the main street.
* The Lord Nelson - just by the tunnel exiting the main square.
* The Cannon Bar - behind the Catholic Cathedral.
* The Clipper - on Irish Town near Tuckey's lane. Ask bartender for password.
* Corks Wine Bar - on Irish Town near the Clipper. WEP key is written on a chalkboard above the bar.
* The Horseshoe - on Main Street near the Gibraltar Museum & King Street. Ask bartender for password.
* The Wembley Bar - in the South District at the top of Scud Hill. Ask bartender for password.
* Trafalgar Sports Bar - Just outside the southern end of Main Street. See menu for password.
Gibraltar Telecom offer paid wireless hotspots across Gibraltar, but only in a very small number of locations and they may not all be working. The cable car trip up the rock comes with a voucher for three hours of free wifi up at the top.
Gibraltar is part of the European Health Insurance Scheme and has a health service similar to the United Kingdom, with a modern Hospital. If you are from a participating country, your EHIC card will entitle you to full free emergency medical treatment. For more information see this wikipedia article: .
Tourists should be aware that the Barbary macaques are wild animals and do bite. It is advisable not to feed the Barbary macaque, despite encouragement from irresponsible taxi drivers. In addition, there are kiosks recklessly selling 'monkey food', further encouraging this. It is indeed illegal (hefty fines are in force) and bad for their health. Never try to pick up a baby Barbary macaque - its mother will not be happy, and neither will you. If you are bitten by a Barbary macaque, you will require hospital treatment. Whilst the Barbary macaques are rabies-free they can infect you with hepatitis, and they are most aggressive on the top of the rock, as the most successful animals claim the uppermost reaches of the rock, with their less successful fellows being shoved down the rock and the social pecking order.
This said, the macaques will generally ignore you if you are not openly carrying food or plastic bags in your hands. They associate plastic bags with food, so as long as you keep everything food-related inside your bag you will be safe. As of June 2013 there are no longer any kiosks that sell food for the macaques; some taxi drives will encourage you to touch them but it is better to avoid doing this.