Day 18 Gibraltar, The rock of Gibraltar, trip to the Canary Islands, 30th January 2026

We walked all the way to see the rock of Gibraltar which took us to the opposite side of the island.

The harbour.

The rock.

The skull pub

We walked back through the only way into the old town.

We have breakfast at the Lord Nelson.

Have to say it was an awesome breakfast. Seven different things. Bacon, sausage, beans, black pudding, egg, potatoes, toast.

Many steps in the island which we take to try to go to the nature reserve. We get there and its 22 pound each and five hours walk sooo since the captain has to get out of port by 15:00, we don't have enough time. Instead we walked to the lighthouse at the point of the island where we can see Spain and the other side Morocco.

A aircraft crash that took place in the second world war.

I think its an airport at the top of the rock. 

Moorish fortress 

Lots of passages made up of steps.

Mosque

Huge gun

Carlos store

The old town.

Gibraltar’s history spans over 2,900 years, evolving from a mythical place of worship into one of the world's most strategic military fortresses. 

Gibraltar was one of the last known habitats for Neanderthals, with remains in Gorham's Cave dating back 24,000–28,000 years.

Known as Mons Calpe, the Rock was considered by the Greeks and Romans as one of the two Pillars of Hercules marking the edge of the known world.

Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans used the Rock as a navigational landmark and religious shrine, though they did not establish permanent settlements. 

The Islamic Berber commander Tariq ibn Ziyad landed here in 711 AD, initiating the Muslim conquest of Iberia. The name "Gibraltar" is derived from Jebel Tariq ("Mount of Tariq").

Control shifted between the Moors and the Kingdom of Castile throughout the Middle Ages. Spain permanently reclaimed the Rock in 1462 during the Reconquista when Queen Isabella I annexed it to the Spanish Crown in 1501, emphasizing its role as the "key" to the Mediterranean. 

During the War of the Spanish Succession, an Anglo-Dutch fleet under Admiral Sir George Rooke captured the Rock.

Spain formally ceded Gibraltar to Great Britain "for ever" to end the war.

The Great Siege (1779–1783): The longest siege in British military history, where British forces repelled a four-year Spanish and French attempt to retake the territory.

World Wars: Gibraltar was a critical naval base for the Royal Navy in both World Wars. During WWII, the civilian population was evacuated to turn the Rock into an impregnable fortress.

 

Spanish dictator Francisco Franco closed the land border for 13 years after Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain British in a 1967 referendum.

Residents again rejected shared sovereignty with Spain in a 2002 referendum by 99%.

Post-Brexit Status: While the UK left the EU, a 2025 preliminary agreement aims to include Gibraltar in the Schengen Area to maintain an open border with Spain while preserving British sovereignty.