There’s more to Gibraltar than meets the eye

Are you wondering where you can find a truly alternative 2008 travel experience? There are not many destinations that provide the opportunity to explore two continents, but Gibraltar's position at the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula means it is only a 20 minute ferry ride from North Africa and a mere daytrip from the Costa Del Sol. Its location coupled with its breathtaking scenery, wildlife and architecture means that Gibraltar is fast becoming a sought after holiday spot.

As well as being an iconic destination thanks to the Rock of Gibraltar, the province also offers a spectacular diving experience with over 30 wrecks, reefs and pinnacles to explore. Those wanting to relax and take things at a slower pace will be glad to hear that Gibraltar boasts three beautiful sandy beaches. It is also a haven for golf-lovers with 10 courses in a five-mile radius – perfect for anyone wanting to perfect their putting. And as a VAT free jurisdiction, it is also a shopping mecca, particularly in the popular Main Street.

To tell us all about this diverse travel experience we’ve got Albert Poggio OBE – Director of the Gibraltar Tourist Board. He's the man with all the facts about this Mediterranean paradise at his fingertips so why not tune and find out more…

Albert Poggio OBE – Director of the Gibraltar Tourist Board joins us on Monday 19th November at 3pm to discuss Gibraltar

H: Keith Betton, Host
A: Albert Poggio, director Gibraltar Tourist Board

H: Hello and welcome to Holiday '07, my name's Keith Betton. Well this is not going to be the beginning of a new series, that's coming up soon, this is the last of Holiday '07 though and very soon Holiday '08 will be coming your way, with all the destinations you want to think about for your holidays in 2008. This is the program where you can quiz my guests about your favourite destinations, and today we've got an unusual situation, we have a destination based in Europe but really, really close to Africa. We're going to be looking at Gibraltar, and joining me in the studio today is Albert Poggio who is director of the Gibraltar Tourist Board

A: Good afternoon Keith

H: Welcome in deed, and it's a tiny destination in a funny kind of way – about 3 square miles, something like that?

A: Yes it's 6 ½ square km

H: 6 ½ square km but an awful lot – how do you pack it all in to such a tiny place?

A: Well we certainly do, I mean it – we call it a City State and once you're in Gibraltar it never looks as small as the size suggests. Let me just give you some bullet points – we have 8 million tourists coming to Gibraltar, we pack them in. There are 30,000 people living on Gibraltar and another floating population of 10,000, that's people who live along the Costa del Sol and then will come into Gibraltar to work. And they all fit in very nicely, and you never feel too overcrowded, so we do pack them in, yes

H: Ok well it's a while since I was last there so let's have a look at some video of Gibraltar and see the kinds of things you could experience if you went there either for a day trip, or for a full holiday

Video footage

H: Well that was a few shots of Gibraltar, finishing there with an amazing view of the Rock of Gibraltar which really does set the destination apart from anywhere else. Albert, what is it that really sets it apart, that's a question from Becky, she wants to know what sets it apart from other destinations

A: Well first of all what a great shot that was, right from the top of the Rock you can go up there by cable car and you can see the two continents, the European continent and then you've got North Africa just 25 miles away. What sets it apart from other destinations? Well I think it's the fusion of culture, I mean you have a tremendous mixture there from the Arab history of Gibraltar, the Spanish history and of course the British history which goes back 300 years, and all these people come together - I mean the population of Gibraltar is made up of Italians, Portuguese, British of course and Maltese, and these people came to Gibraltar during the great Siege, they came primarily to feed the Garrison but they stayed, so this has produced this unique culture of Gibraltarians a tremendous mixture of Mediterranean people with a Britishness in them as well

H: But it's a British overseas territory -

A: It certainly is

H: Do you feel as though you're part of Britain when you're there or do you feel as though you're part of the Mediterranean?

A: Well a little bit of both really. I mean we used to say many years ago Gibraltans are Brighton in the sun, and certainly there's a feel about – Brighton – I mean the English Bobby or the British bobby and the red telephone boxes, and the red pillar boxes and so on, but it is a Mediterranean culture and it is a Mediterranean destination so there is that Latin element to it as well which is made up because of what I've just explained of the culture of people that have come together, the mixture of people, so it makes it very interesting – yes I think you would feel very much a part of Britain, I mean English is our main language, I mean most people will speak Spanish but English is a main language so you do feel very much at home

H: Now you mentioned Brighton, now Brighton's really known for its shopping. Here we have a message now from Chloe, she's emailed in, she says “how good is the shopping in Gibraltar, I hear it's VAT free so perfect for a girlfriends weekend shopping trip!”

A: Yes indeed, I mean VAT free means that of course you start of from the premise that you're 17 ½% cheaper, most of the high street names that your caller would experience in her high street are in Gibraltar, British Home Stores, Marks and Spencers, Next, Top Shop - so it's a great place to bring your plastic out and spend some money. And of course you're doing it in the sun so –

H: And the money you're spending of course is Pounds, it's Gibraltan Pounds

A: It's Pound Sterling, and it's a Pound for Pound, there's no exchange rate

H: So familiar currency

A: Familiar currency

H: Familiar currency, familiar language, but the thing that surprised me when I went to Gibraltar was that you drive on the right like the Spanish

A: Yes, we do drive on the right and that's one of the cultures that we have adopted from our Spanish brothers across the border, not many but that's one that we have and we do drive on the right. But of course Gibraltar's very tiny and sometimes you're wondering whether it's left or right because you're – the roads are so narrow that you're just in one road

H: But not too many, not much in the way of traffic anyway so if you do get –

A: Oh there's a lot of traffic

H: Oh there is? Oh right

A: Gibraltar has 8 million visitors a year

H: Ok. These are mainly day visitors aren't they?

A: They are mainly day visitors but you can imagine, you know they are – it makes Gibraltar a very busy place

H: Ok, now we've got a question actually in here from Sarah, she's looking for a summer holiday for herself and her family and she really wants to know is Gibraltar suitable for young children? Because you know a lot of what we saw in that video was, you know, historical monuments and things like that – you've got some beaches though haven't you?

A: Yes we have got some beaches, small beaches and they do tend to be rather crowded but you know that makes it in some cases more fun. Very suitable for children and of course most of the hotels have got swimming pools as well, all geared up for children, so they say you know I love taking children – I took a party of school children recently on a dolphin watch, I mean how about that for an afternoon's relaxation on a boat, guarantee to see the dolphins on the strait – along the straits of Gibraltar, so safe place, very safe place, depending on the age of the children but even up to teenage there's basically no crime in Gibraltar, so children who are at an age that can be roaming about on their own are quite safe and yes it's a nice destination for children

H: Ok, now we've got a question here from Sonia, she says she's looking for a place to go on her honeymoon, somewhere relaxing but also with good nightlife and restaurants – does Gibraltar offer all of that or is it too small?

A: No, in fact you're going there for a honeymoon I would have thought that getting married there would be more romantic because –

H: John Lennon did that didn't he?

A: Indeed John Lennon did it, Sean Connery did it and many others, and it's a very popular niche market, weddings for us. What can you do there for a honeymoon? Well, I don't know how long their honeymoon's going to be but certainly there's plenty of restaurants, there's plenty of nice walks to have through the botanical gardens, there's plenty of panoramic views and restaurants on beautiful marinas overlooking panoramic views – it all depends what you're looking for but I think it's a great place for a honeymoon, and of course if you get fed up with what I've just described, you can always take a short hop across to north Africa and have a day out in Tangier –

H: That is the nice thing though isn't it about Gibraltar –

A: Absolutely

H: Because you can have a week in Gibraltar and then have a week in Spain

A: Anywhere along the coast or in Morocco, yes

H: Now what about long weekends, Jenifer, she's emailed in she says she's thinking of going for a long weekend, wondered you know what the attractions are there that she shouldn't miss. What about the long weekend, does that work?

A: Well yes it does work, yes great, long weekend is very ideal for us. I have to say that Gibraltar is very prominently a Catholic country and many of the facilities are closed on a Sunday, so I think it's fair that I should mention that

H: And shops close halfway through Saturday don't they?

A: And shops close halfway through Saturday, but again as I said before you can get all your stuff in on a Friday and on the Saturday and then Sunday perhaps you want to have a day's relaxation, maybe even go to Tangier for the day, which is a great experience and only a half an hour – well an hour-and-a-half on the ferry

H: Right.

A: But Gibraltar itself has plenty to do, I mean you know I don't want to frighten people off by Gibraltar's closeness, I don't mean that at all, but many of the restaurants are closed but there are still plenty of restaurants open and plenty of the attractions are still open

H: So obviously Sunday's the day to go to the beach

A: Sunday's the day to go to the beach, or to relax by the swimming pool

H: Well there are plenty other places in Gibraltar we should have a look at, you're going to be hearing more about Gibraltar after we've seen some video, so let's have a look at the hidden places in Gibraltar

Video footage

H: Well that was some more footage of Gibraltar, our destination this time on Holiday '07. Albert Poggio's in the studio with me to take your questions, if you've got any questions about Gibraltar then get on the email and send them to me now and we'll try and answer them before the end of the show. Now we saw a few things in there, we saw some amazing looking caves, we also saw quite a few monkeys so, what's that all about?

A: Yes, let me just talk about that cave for a bit – St Michael's cave, what a great auditorium that is, and let me say that we have classical music concerts in there, and pop music concerts, great acoustics in there so if you're lucky enough to be in Gibraltar when one of these concerts is on it's a great attraction

H: In the summer presumably?

A: Well all year round really. Yes the Macaca apes, well they – you know the legend that says the day the apes leave Gibraltar so will the British – during the – if I can tell you a little funny story, during the war, they did get a little bit thin on the ground and Sir Winston Churchill, mindful of the legend, ordered that more of these apes should be brought onto Gibraltar from North Africa which is where they come from, and of course they did, but to secure their safety he enrolled them onto the British Army, gave them all a number and ordered a squad of soldiers to look after them. This continued through 1980 when the military cut backs really hit the military and it was obvious that they could not have a company of soldiers looking after the apes so they were all demobbed and the responsibility was passed onto the local authority. Wanting to do the right thing for them, we employed a specialist, and now we have more apes than ever and from time to time –

H: How many have you got now?

A: Well they run into hundreds, and in fact so much so that they do come into town, they invade the town and –

H: So you've started exporting them back to North Africa presumably?

A: Well we'll have to certainly do something for them, but they – you know don't be surprised to see - I mean there's a village on the eastern side of the Rock, Catalan Bay, and don't be surprised to see that village closed off to give the police time to round them up and take them up –

H: Get them sorted out. Ok, well now James has emailed in, he wants to know when's the best time to visit, is it hot all year round?

A: Well it's an all-year round destination but during this time of the year, I mean like for instance today it's pretty chilly here in London and very wet, the temperature is 70 degrees and sunny in Gibraltar. I think during the late December it will probably drop off to about 60 – I would – if I had a choice –

H: Fahrenheit

A: If I had a choice when to go I would go spring, which is very nice, or this time of year which is still very pleasant, 70 degrees is still pleasantly warm –

H: Right

A: And not extremely hot

H: So for those of us who were brought up in the centigrade era, we're talking about sort of 12-13 I guess during the winter –

A: 15, 16, 17 this time of the year

H: And in summer what, up to around –

A: In summer I mean the hottest that we had this summer was 40 degrees, so that's quite warm, but on average it would be round about 35, yes

H: You've just actually answered Bethany's question so she'll be pleased, but she was interested in doing some shopping, now what about this new Ocean Village Marina and shopping complex, that sounds quite exciting

A: Yes, a huge new complex due for completion this year, it's on the sea front, it's on the marina and it will house designer shops, cafes and restaurants, casino complex and it's a very luxurious development

H: Right. Good

A: Which will transform the whole seafront of Gibraltar

H: There's a lot of things going on, you've got a new airport coming in as well now –

A: We've – at long last we have an agreement with our ex-aggressive neighbour

H: Yes

A: They've managed to push to one side the question of sovereignty because they know that this is not achievable and we're now getting on with items that we can both benefit, one of the benefits of course is that the airport in Gibraltar is now going to be opened up to other flights and from other destinations other than Luton and Gatwick

H: Well now this is a question from Rob because he wanted to know where is the best place to fly to, so I guess you've got a choice, you could fly to Gibraltar, I guess you could also fly to somewhere like Malaga and then head down?

A: Well you could and in fact there are certain tour operators who are now putting programs together using Malaga as a hub airport and then it's only 60 miles to Gibraltar so it's about an hour on the motorway to Gibraltar. That would certainly make the holiday cheaper

H: Now when you get there, Helen wants to know about the hotels, how many hotels do you have, because it's a small place?

A: Yes, there are seven at the moment, 3 of which are 4 star, 3 are 3 star and then there is a number of sort of bed and breakfast type of accommodation

H: So if she's – I suspect she's looking for a good value trip, so what would be the kind of bottom end price that she could expect to pay perhaps at this time of the year?

A: This time of the year you can probably get a good deal for a week for about £280

H: Ok, for a week?

A: For a week, yes

H: Excellent. Ok, now we've got Peter, he wants to know if there are any good package deals and do we need to book early for next year? Well with 8 million people going I imagine – and only 7 hotels – you may well have to book early

A: Well I would suggest you book early, you get a better deal if you book early anyway and there are – most of the leading tour operators here in the UK feature Gibraltar so I suggest you shop around, they're all different prices, but yes I would suggest book early

H: Ok so we've got good weather, we've got a nice variety of hotels, 4 different beaches, quite a lot of things to do, flying in you said is easy. How do we get more information about Gibraltar?

A: Well I would suggest you visit our website which is visitgibraltar.gi, plenty of information on there and in fact all the information anyone requires to book a holiday is on there

H: Ok, now Ruth said that she's only got 24 hours to spend in Gibraltar – what does she have to see and do, so you've really got to think about the nightlife I guess – we'll assume it's nice weather

A: Well 24 hours is going to be a very full day, isn't it really? I mean you must take in some of the panoramic views of Gibraltar, you've got to take in St Michael's cave that we just mentioned on that film, you've got to do the Moorish Castle, and you've got to have a nice restaurant, plenty of choices for restaurants in the evening by the marinas. So – shopping is a must, so you know Gibraltar is one of the cheapest duty free destinations in the Mediterranean so you've got to bring something back from Gibraltar

H: What about the cable car, I guess that's something –

A: And the cable car of course, yes I should have mentioned the cable car will take you right to the top of the rock and what a panoramic view of the two continents you can have from up there

H: Well it's an amazing destination, I've been there once and I think I had three days there – do you know what, I was there three days, I never knew you had all those underground tunnels

A: Ah well you know there is 35 miles of tunnels inside the rock, they were all – most of them are now open to the tourists and you can do a walking tour if you're fit enough to do it and it will take you into some of these tunnels. They're quite amazing, they were built – most of them were built in the Second World War, to house the Garrison inside the rock

H: Yes

A: Very –

H: Also in case of invasion presumably?

A: In case of invasion and you know they have – underground hospitals, they built a whole town underneath the rock. Great day to see that, and you need to be a little bit fit because there's a lot of walking but it's a must

H: Well Albert thank you very much indeed for sharing your experiences of Gibraltar, I mean I know it's been a lifetime experience for you, I've only had three days. People watching hopefully will be thinking about going there again, so you've got the website there which we mentioned earlier, visitgibraltar.gi if you want more information about Gibraltar, a destination that includes so many things, underground tunnels, fantastic hotels, beaches – a bit of nightlife and of course those amazing Barbary apes. Thank you for joining us here on Holiday '07, it's the last program of this series but we'll be back again with Holiday '08 and we'll looking forward to seeing you then next time. Thanks