Located about an hour west of Marbella you will find the famous Rock of Gibraltar. It is situated just across the ‘border’ from La Linea in southern Spain and has more recently been in the news because of the regular disputes between Spain and the UK over the sovereignty of the Rock. A few years ago the result of the bickering meant that there were often queues of 3 hours plus to get off Gibraltar and back into Spain.
Gibraltar has its own International airport with daily flight to various airports in the UK. It is also a base for the RAF and in the past, has been used as a refueling stop for missions in the Middle East.
What is there to do in Gibraltar?
There is actually a lot of history in Gibraltar, from the battle of Trafalgar, which was fought off the coast of Vejer and Gibraltar to lots of WWII historical facts. It is possible to climb the famous steps up to the heights of the Rock or you can take the cable car to the different viewing platforms where you will find the famous monkeys.
From this viewing point you can see some spectacular sights with the Mediterranean on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.
Recently the Skywalk glass platform was opened by none other than Luke Skywalker and no visit to Gibraltar is complete without going to see the famous caves, where in the summer concerts are often held.
Shopping
Gibraltar is a tax free location so you can pick up some great deals on jewellery and alcohol. Most shops are within Main Street Gibraltar which looks like a UK High Street, complete with a Post Office, many UK high street names and even a M&S.
In the lower section there is a Morrisons supermarket which is actually one of the busiest in Europe.
Gibraltar is also a main shipping channel and as well as many commercial vessels passing through it is a stop for many of the Mediterranean cruises. In fact many of the legal firms offer shipping and admiralty in Gibraltar as one of their services.
Other services operating out of Gibraltar
It is popular with gaming and gambling firms as they have historically had their head offices in Gibraltar for taxation benefits, although this changed significantly for firms with a high UK user base as the government introduced point of consumption tax, meaning tax needed to be paid based on where the actual bets were being placed.
Finance and Insurance are also well covered in Gibraltar with some International firms having a presence or office in Gibraltar. It is also a place where some more specialised insurance firms have their main offices. One in particular is The MPLC who are a medical liability insurance provider aimed at covering the medical professionals against negligence and malpractice claims, among other things.