Cheap flights to Gibraltar, UK
There are many reasons to book a cheap flight to Gibraltar. As famous for the troops of Barbary Macaques that reside on the upper rock as it is for its low priced, VAT free goods and duty free tobacco and alcohol. As you approach Gibraltar you will see how magnificent the rock actually looks rising out of the sea. Made of limestone, the rock itself houses over 140 caves. Thought to be shelters for inhabitants of many years gone by, the caves and tunnels can now be explored on guided tours. For stunning views above ground it’s worthwhile taking a trip on the cable car to the top of the rock. Be warned though, before you have time to take in your surroundings you’ll be met by the local residents, the apes. A very mischievous bunch they won’t be afraid to come right up and take the food from your hand. Once you’ve navigated yourself already the Macaques you can gaze at the sights that surround you.
If that isn’t enough to temp you to take a flight, the price of food and drink is certainly another reason to visit. The food in Gibraltar has many influences including French, British, Moroccan, Spanish and Italian. The local dishes combine both Mediterranean and British flavours to create dishes like Rosto, a pasta dish in a tomato sauce with beef or pork. Seafood is also in abundance and you can find wonderful restaurants offering fresh catch of the day on the east side of the rock at Catalan Bay.
We offer cheap flights to Gibraltar three times a week from East Midlands Airport.
Find Gibraltar's best:
- Eating
Eating
Best Dining:
Café Rojo
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from but try this superb establishment located in the Irish town behind the main square. The menu combines British and Mediterranean cuisine and offers a fantastic selection including sautéed langoustines in chilli and oil, grilled fresh tuna and caramelised onion skewer, and roasted lamb shoulder.
Where: 54 Irish Town Tel: +350 200 51738
Best place for people watching:
Casemates Square
Yes, there are two swanky marinas on the Rock and, yes, these are maybe the most obvious place to go if you want to look at good-looking people on even better-looking yachts but, believe us, Casemates is a lot more fun. For a start, it’s vast – always was, apparently; this was, historically, where executions used to take place. Ouch! These days, Casemates is all about ‘chairs on the square’ with plenty of terrace cafés and restaurants serving everything from fish ‘n’ chips to those artfully-designed tower-and-drizzle dishes. Above the cafés there are some art and craft shops and an art gallery, while near the entrance, Gibraltar Crystal has a vast exhibition space with some fabulous glass jewellery and décor items for sale. Not the most sensible thing to carry in your hand luggage, it’s true – but they do ship.
Where: Gibraltar Crystal, Casemates Square
Website: www.gibraltar-crystal.com
- Day Trip
Day Trip
Best day trip:
Upper Rock Nature Reserve
You can head up here on a cable car, then walk, drive up from Rosia Bay or opt for a pricy private taxi rock tour. Best option is the cable car up, then walk halfway down, before swinging aloft once again for that final descent. The monkeys are breeding more like rabbits these days, so except to see plenty; watch your sandwiches and those expensive cameras as they are nifty pickpockets. Don’t miss St Michael’s Cave, a psychedelic grotto of extraordinary rock formations, stalactites, stalagmites and even a lake. You can also sign up at the tourist office for a twice-weekly tour of the Lower Cave, which is real Duke of Edinburgh award stuff, with plenty of rope climbing and rock scrambling.
Where: Upper Rock Nature Reserve, adult/child/car ₤8/4/1.50. Cable Car adult one-way/return ₤6.50/8; child one-way/return ₤4/4.50
- Wildlife in Gibraltar
Wildlife in Gibraltar
Best place for wildlife:
Dolphin World
Join a cruise aboard the “Brixham Belle” and keep your eyes peeled, for the bay of Gibraltar is home to 3 species of dolphins! This is a natural habitat for these playful mammals who enjoy swimming in front of the bow of the boat. When you’re not looking out for the local wildlife you can expect to be regaled with historic tales and facts about the rock and it’s surroundings.
Tel: +350 200 79478
Website: http://www.mhbland.com/dolphin-world.aspx
Whale watching
Spotting a whale at sea is real David Attenborough stuff and there are a few outfits in these parts that offer excursions. Dolphin Adventure runs 3¼-hour trips from July, leaving from Marina Bay. These guys are experts and will provide a running commentary, along with drinks from the mini bar. Hopefully you will spot pilot whales and sperm whales, with the possibility of even spying the orca (killer whale) on his way through the straits (and, hopefully, not too hungry when he passes your boat). Dolphins are far more plentiful and these trips run all year. Bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins and the common dolphin (who never went to elocution classes) can generally be spotted, often swimming in shoals, right behind the boat.
Where: Dolphin Adventure, Marina Bay. Tel: +350 20050650. Adults ₤35/children £25 (whale watching); adults £25/children ₤12.50 (dolphin trip)
Website: www.dolphin.gi
- Museum
Museum
Best hidden gem:
Gibraltar Museum
Most visitors stroll up and down the main street, duck into M&S, have a couple of pints and maybe go to the Upper Nature Reserve. Few ever seem to make it to the museum here, which is a pity because as museums go, it’s up there with the best. Gibraltar has a pretty impressive 200-million year history, from when it was geographically part of Africa. Highlights include a reproduction of the ‘Gibraltar Woman,’ the Neanderthal skull discovered here in 1848 – eight years before a similar skull was found in the Neander Valley in Germany. So, yes folks, Neanderthal Man should have more accurately been called Gibraltar Woman! Another real surprise here is a beautiful 14th-century Moorish bathhouse, apparently discovered during construction.
Where: Gibraltar Museum, Bomb House Lane, Tel: +3567 200 74289, entry £2
Gibraltar (GIB)
Location
The airport is 0.6 miles / 1 km from the city centre
Public transport
Buses operate from just opposite the terminal building to the city centre and other routes around Gibraltar.
A taxi rank is situated just outside the terminal building. The journey time to the city centre is approximately 5 minutes.
Check in
Opens 2 hours prior to flight departure time. Desks close promptly 40 minutes prior to departure.
European Emergency Number
Did you know 112 is the European emergency number? It is reachable from fixed and mobile phones, free of charge, everywhere in the EU.