Safety Tips in Gibraltar

GIBRALTER
What a releif it was , finally reaching Gibralter after a lot of messing around with Spanish border Customs and Immigration . I had looked forward to this for some time after spending a really lot of time in Spain this was a big change. After having left southern England three months prior and travelling to the Channel Islands then across to France and through Spain and Portugal this was my first contact with a little piece of England once again.. My trip so far was absolutely wonderful. I had previously planned my Travel Insurance as I knew that I would be on the road for at least six months this time.. I felt completely comfortable in all the places that I had so far travelled but after Gibralter it was across to North africa...Once again not so worried of the dangers but mainly any form of Accident..I knew that an accident in North Africa could mean all sorts of problems...with Hospital, and Medical being a worry. I always also cover for theft and lost luggage.The thought of having a Travel Insurance to cover your travel needs is really important and also it's a lot easier travelling with that peace of mind..knowing that you can go about everyday activities without a problem.You see , I don't jump off bridges or out of aeroplanes and I try to keep the cost of my travel insurance to a minimum. I wouldn't travel without it..

The Barbary Apes are wild animals. They may be used to humans, but don't do anything silly. There are reports of ape bites everyday.

This is a real tip, but I also needed a place to put a picture of a bobby. It is probably not a good idea to feed him either.

Most people will tell you to park outside of Gib and to cross in on foot. The car queues are long going in both directions, so this is a good idea.

But be careful where you park in La Linea. Just outside of the Gib border there is a long beautiful stretch of grass seemingly perfect for parking. You will find many cars parked here every day. This was purposfully designed this way for the local government to collect a great amount of money from towing these cars.

As in most southern Europe, parking is usually done wherever one can find it, but beware to leave your car anywhere in La Linea besides the underground paid parking. There is a very large underground car park 5 minute walk North from the Gib border, but you will find no signs pointing you in it's direction. Ask the locals how to get to it. It is relatively cheap...

Parking in unauthorized areas will result in 100 Euro fine and about 2 hours of your time.

If you visit Gibraltar and you require a visa for Spain make sure that your visa shows multiple entries. Since Gibraltar is not part of the Schengen Agreement the Spanish authorities will not let you back into Spain on a single visa!!

You can use Euros, British pounds or Gibraltar pounds while in Gibraltar. If you use Euros or British pounds you may get change back in Gibraltar pounds, spend them or exchange them before you leave because you may not be able to convert them once across the border, a lesson I learned on my first trip to the Rock.

I've also read that the exchange rate for Euros is less favorable than using pounds but for our limited time there this time it wasn't an issue.

If you are visiting Gibraltar from Spain and only have Euros you can of course spend these on Gibraltar, however the rate of exchange they give you when you use them in the shops/restaurants/bars is not good. It is much better to use british currency.
When we visited this time (June 2005) we were sitting in a bar chatting to a british man who had come over from Spain for a few days and he said how expensive the beer was. I then asked whether he had paid sterling or euros and he had paid euros. As I said the exchange rate is awful.

On the Southern End of Gib starting at Jews Gate are the Mediterranean steps which lead around the side of the rock and back up to O'Hara's Battery. Me and my dad climbed them a couple of years back but they are pretty dangerous. Many of the steps are crumbling and the ground is loose, vegetation such as cactus is everywhere. In fact I liked it here because it felt like somewhere totally different. The more you see of Gibraltar, the more you want to see. Around this end it feels like you are in an Arizonian desert or something. The path leads through a couple of tunnels and along very VERY steep slopes that go straight down to the sea below. There are a couple of Batterys around here and the views are amazing. We saw a couple of snakes but didn't know whether they were dangerous, I doubt it though. The last section is a zig-zag path up steep steps to the highest point in Gib - O'Hara's Battery. I remember the seagulls being quite territorial up here and swooping down at us

I have included a link to a really good website about Gibraltar.

On Eastern Beach and maybe Catalan Bay there can be strong tides. One year I swam out to far and found it hard to swim back. The current was taking me southwards down the beach and because the beach is so crowded I couldnt see where my family was. My Dad came and got me on the lilo though! But its well known among the locals though that it can be dangerous if you're not careful, especially if you're not a strong swimmer.