We have spent a couple of New Year's Eves on the Algarve and decided that this year it was time for a change. Seville had been our goal. After all, the Spanish love a party, don't they? I did a quick search on Google to find out what was planned in the city and to be fair, it sounded a bit lame. I read that there would be fireworks at midnight but most of the restaurants would be closed to make way for family and private parties. That didn't sound like much for a big night of the year. Gibraltar, however, seemed much more organised. The Tourism Board website advertised entertainment in Casemates Square and fireworks. That had to be better. So, when we left Albufeira on the 30th December we headed for Gibraltar.
The journey couldn't have been more straight forward. (Map below) and we arrived at the Marina in La Linea at around 4.30pm. This was a great spot, stunning backdrop of the rock and a nice outlook through the front windscreen of the marina. It cost 10 Euros a night, no electric but grey and freshwater. There was also a washing machine and tumble dryer available to use for 7 euros a night. The maximum stay was supposed to be 72 hours in the designated spaces but the staff were laid back and said as it was quiet we could stay 5 or 6 nights if we wanted – no problem.
Soon after arriving we headed straight for the border on foot. It was just getting dark and we decided to catch the bus to the town centre. Crossing the border was easy – a row of passport machine readers greeted us in the immigration hall and we crossed with no hold ups. The town was buzzing and had a real international feel. I guess that's not surprising when you think of the location and history. Having landed there once in the eighties and only got as far as a cashpoint before going back to Spain I hadn't had much experience or knowledge about the place. The main high street had a collection of english high street chains, perfumeries, pubs, jewellery shops and off licences. The width of the street and the type of window front to the older style of shops reminded me of Malta. I couldn't help but notice how cheap the perfume and booze was. £7.00 for a litre of Gordons!
After about an hour and a pint at one of the pubs we returned to La Linea and had a mooch around there. It was incredibly busy and had a great holiday atmosphere as many cafes and bars had chairs and tables out on the street. We patted ourselves on the back thinking that we must have chosen a great place for New Year's Eve.
The journey couldn't have been more straight forward. (Map below) and we arrived at the Marina in La Linea at around 4.30pm. This was a great spot, stunning backdrop of the rock and a nice outlook through the front windscreen of the marina. It cost 10 Euros a night, no electric but grey and freshwater. There was also a washing machine and tumble dryer available to use for 7 euros a night. The maximum stay was supposed to be 72 hours in the designated spaces but the staff were laid back and said as it was quiet we could stay 5 or 6 nights if we wanted – no problem.
Soon after arriving we headed straight for the border on foot. It was just getting dark and we decided to catch the bus to the town centre. Crossing the border was easy – a row of passport machine readers greeted us in the immigration hall and we crossed with no hold ups. The town was buzzing and had a real international feel. I guess that's not surprising when you think of the location and history. Having landed there once in the eighties and only got as far as a cashpoint before going back to Spain I hadn't had much experience or knowledge about the place. The main high street had a collection of english high street chains, perfumeries, pubs, jewellery shops and off licences. The width of the street and the type of window front to the older style of shops reminded me of Malta. I couldn't help but notice how cheap the perfume and booze was. £7.00 for a litre of Gordons!
After about an hour and a pint at one of the pubs we returned to La Linea and had a mooch around there. It was incredibly busy and had a great holiday atmosphere as many cafes and bars had chairs and tables out on the street. We patted ourselves on the back thinking that we must have chosen a great place for New Year's Eve.
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