Gibraltar

| Tourism objects | 3 seen

I have never been to the United Kingdom, today, thus, I had a chance to step a foot on British Overseas territory - Gibraltar. Nope, they are driving the same as in the rest of Europe (left side wheel), but some particles of British taste you can enjoy here definitely. 

Approaching Gibraltar from Spain

Approaching Gibraltar from Spain (The Rock of Gibraltar)

There is a quick border control between Spain and Gibraltar. Passengers are not obligated to leave the vehicle. It took about 2 minutes for us to cross this border, and we were in.

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located on the southern end of the Iberian peninsula. It has an area of 6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi) and shares its northern border with Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region. At its foot is a densely populated city area, home to over 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities.

View to Gibraltar straight

View to the Strait of Gibraltar

The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular Spain in Europe from Morocco and Ceuta (Spain) in Africa. 

The Rock Hotel in Gibraltar

The Rock Hotel in Gibraltar

Tourism is a significant industry. Gibraltar is a popular port for cruise ships and attracts day visitors from resorts in Spain. The Rock is a popular tourist attraction, particularly among British tourists and residents in the southern coast of Spain. It is also a popular shopping destination, and all goods and services are VAT free, but may be subject to Gibraltar taxes. Many of the large British high street chains have branches or franchises in Gibraltar including Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Mothercare. Branches and franchises of international retailers such as Tommy Hilfiger and Sunglass Hut are also present in Gibraltar, as is the Spanish clothing company Mango.

Park in Gibraltar

Park in Gibraltar

Over 500 different species of flowering plants grow on the Rock. Gibraltar is the only place in Europe where the Gibraltar candytuft (Iberis gibraltarica) is found growing in the wild; the plant is otherwise native to North Africa. It is the symbol of the Upper Rock nature reserve.Olive and pine trees are among the most common of those growing around the Rock.

Most of the Rock's upper area is covered by a nature reserve which is home to around 230 Barbary macaques, the famous apes of Gibraltar, albeit that biologists insist that technically the apes are wild monkeys. These are the only wild apes or monkeys found in Europe. This species, known scientifically as Macaca sylvanus, is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List and is declining. Three-quarters of the world population live in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco.

Construction works in Gibraltar

Gibraltar

The Airport of Gibraltar

The Airport of Gibraltar

Gibraltar maintains regular flight connections to London, Birmingham and Manchester. Scheduled flights to Morocco and Madrid proved unsustainable due to insufficient demand

Location
36.129508, -5.3708096