Days 4 & 5 – Explore Gibraltar & Shabbat
Friday morning we set out to explore the town and the “rock.” We went back to Amar’s for an English breakfast and hired a private van/guide to take us up the rock, which is one of a number of ways to get up the rock of Gibraltar, including the tram and hiking up.
The guide took us to a few stops along the way up and down which included a beautiful view overlooking the Straights of Gibraltar, where we could see the northern tip of Morocco; a massive cave that hosts large concerts for Gibraltarians; a spot near the top where the macaque monkeys will engage the tourists, and by engage I mean jump on you, pull your hat/wig, and/or potentially steal your phone – they’re quite smart; a long cave that was previously used as a military position, and more. Regardless of how you trek up, I definitely recommend the experience. The World War 2 tunnels are a fantastic stop on the Rock as well.
To book a private tour guide with van up the Rock, that includes access to all the important stops along the way, you can book in advance on Viator, or on the street with a local driver.
After heading back to the main street of Gibraltar, literally named Main Street, we had an opportunity to do some shopping, including Duty-Free alcohol and fragrances, and at the small kosher market, Deli Express to pick up a few items for our apartment for Shabbat. We also witnessed lots of frum kids getting out of yeshiva/school on Friday afternoon, which happens to be located steps from Main Street. According to the local Jewish population there, which numbers around 1,000 frum Jews, mostly of Spanish/Moroccan descent (all of whom have British accents), Gibraltar is the safest place for visible Jewish people in all of Europe.
After we got ready for Shabbat we had a choice of 5 shuls, all of which are Sephardic/Moroccan, and all within a very short distance of each other in the center of town. We were being hosted by two different families for Shabbat meals, both of who graciously opened their doors for us and welcomed us in. One of the families owns and operates kosher apartments in central GIB, The Shamor Suites, within walking distance of everything.
It was a beautiful weekend.
On Sunday morning I was given a tour of the other shuls I didn’t get to see over Shabbat. They were each a few hundred years old with beautiful ornate architecture and histories. I took lots of pics and published them here. We also stopped by the kosher bakery, Amar’s, for some breakfast pastries, which were delicious.
After that quick tour, we grabbed a taxi with all of our luggage back across the tarmac to the border with Spain and grabbed our car to head north.
>> Click to continue Spain/Gibraltar Itinerary Days 6 & 7 <<
