 Daily news from the Canaries and the islands' biggest English language newspaper on-line  |  |  |     |
 Daily news from the Canaries and the islands' biggest English language newspaper on-line The beautiful country that is Gibraltar makes a fantastic destination for the British holidaymaker and also those looking for a permanent home abroad. Holidaying on The Rock The Rock rises out of the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, bordering Spain to the North and overlooking the Gibraltar Strait to the South. On the East side of Gibraltar there are many beautiful beaches such as Sandy Bay and Catalan Bay. On the West side (where I spent my recent holiday) there are plenty of bars, restaurants and other entertainment, plus it is where the High Street is situated where you can find all your favourite British stores such as Marks and Spencer, BHS and Primark, as well as off-licenses, jewellers and much more. This side of the island is buzzing with life, day and night. All the goods and services found in Gibraltar are VAT free, which is an added bonus to the British tourist or resident.  I may have had a better view of the island than most people, from a yacht in the anchorage of La Linea (just over the border of Gibraltar), but the rock of Gibraltar is truly magnificent however you view it. If you venture up the peak, which is a fairly high 1,396 feet, you can find the famous Gibraltar Barbary Macaques, the only wild monkeys found in Europe, along with a host of other flora and fauna. Be careful of the monkeys however, because some seem to have a penchant for stealing handbags, cameras and anything valuable! Gibraltar’s official currency is pound sterling (perfect for avoiding terrible exchange rates) and the Gibraltar pound (although the Gibraltar pound isn’t accepted in the UK); however, the euro is unofficially accepted in Gibraltar too. English is the sole official language of Gibraltar, which is helpful to us Brits due to the fact that the majority of us, to our shame, aren’t too hot on learning other languages, but most locals also speak Spanish due to Gibraltar’s proximity to Spain. Most Gibraltarians converse in Llanito, which is a strange mix of Andalusian Spanish and British English, as well as languages such as Maltese, Italian (Genoese), Portuguese and Haketia! Definite places to see and go would be Casemate’s square for a leisurely afternoon lunch, or a drink and a dance after dark when the restaurants are transformed into night clubs and live music venues. Ocean Village is a must for eating out in the evening with a wide range of restaurants from the All Stars Sports Café, which specialises in typical American and Tex-Mex food, to Celebrity Wine Bar and Fine Dining, which is an haute cuisine style restaurant guaranteed to impress. The High Street is great for getting all those souvenirs and presents at a cheap price to take back home to family and friends. The rock is definitely a major attraction and you will never tire of the view from the top and exploring the ruins of Moorish Castle. Around the bay of Gibraltar you will often see dolphins and whales and lots of other marine life which makes diving and snorkelling great fun and towards the South of Gibraltar there are the Botanic Gardens and Europa Point Lighthouse, which also make for good days out. There are only five hotels in total in Gibraltar (the Continental, Queens, Eliott, Rock and Caleta hotels); therefore many tourists choose to stay in La Linea in Spain across Gibraltar’s border because there are many cheap hotels to choose from. All in all Gibraltar has a multitude of good points; the climate is superb with the average temperature in July reaching 23°C and the average temperature in January dropping to an acceptable 13°C, the goods and services are VAT free, the heritage and history of Gibraltar is rich and diverse, so there is plenty to see and do and, as an additional bonus, Gibraltar is only a short drive from the lively Benalmádena, Málaga and Puerto Banús areas of Spain. This article appears in the print edition 571 of Island Connections
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