Mediterranean
SeaAtlantic
OceanNCeuta
MarinaAlcaidesa
MarinaMount
Sidi MusaBarbate
MarinaMarina
SmirEsteponaSotograndePuerto de la
DuquesaLa LíneaEuropa
GibraltarBay PointPunta
AlminaCabo
EspartelCape
Trafalgar
Strait of GibraltarPunta
MalabataPunta
Paloma PuntaCarneroPunta de
AlcázarPunta
CiresCabo NegroCatalan BayLos
Cabezos
Shoal
TarifaBarbateAlgeciras GibraltarTangierCeutaSPAINANDALUCIACOSTA DEL SOLMOROCCORio
GuadiaroEuropa
PointAirportGibraltar
BayStrait of GibraltarRock of
GibraltarGibraltar
HarbourSPAINGibraltarMarina
BayQueensway
QuayOcean VillageAtlantic
OceanMediterranean
Sea
MOUNTAINSRIFFes
CasablancaTétouanCadiz GibraltarSevilleLisbonMadridMOROCCOSPAINPORTUGALnautical miles0 5 10 15T
he far west end of the Mediterranean has an
aura of expectation and transition. Passing
through the Strait of Gibraltar in either
direction, you feel a sense of new experiences
waiting round the next headland. Outside
this famous shipping gap is the restless
Atlantic, beckoning adventurers towards
empty horizons. Inside stands the stunning
rocky outcrop of Gibraltar which, together with Mount Sidi Musa
at the tip of Morocco, forms the classical gateway to the Middle
Sea – one of the great Pillars of Hercules in Greek mythology.
Gibraltar is a fantastic limestone anomaly opposite the
hot Spanish hillsides of Algeciras, towering 1,400ft above the
blue waters of a spectacular bay. At its south tip, the red and
white lighthouse on Europa Point is a strategic and romantic
landmark for countless ships bound between the Atlantic and
the Med. A dozen miles to the south, mysterious Morocco looms
in and out of focus, its mountains sometimes starkly clear and
sometimes hiding in shimmering haze, tinged with desert sand.
Ships from all nations lie at anchor in Gibraltar Bay, waiting to
fuel from lighters that work from the harbour.
The colonial vibes are strong here, and the Rock is still
a reassuring outpost of old England. In these uncertain times,
keeping a boat in the Med is not quite as simple as it used to be,
but Gibraltar Bay seems almost like home waters. Basing your
boat here for a while has much to recommend it. There are three
excellent marinas on Gibraltar itself – Queensway Quay in the
elegant old naval harbour, and Marina Bay and Ocean Village
further north near the airport. The British-owned Alcaidesa
Marina is on the Spanish side of the border, beneath the Rock’s
dramatic slopes and a 15-minute stroll from Gibraltar town centre.
These are warm, sunny cruising grounds where you can
spend Christmas Day in shirt sleeves. Not far to the east, the
balmy southern tail of the Costa del Sol has attractive marinas
at Sotogrande, Duquesa and Estepona. To the west, through the40TRAVELAlcaidesa Marina
sits in the shadow
of the rock itselfOne of the many
beaches within
easy reach