- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Jan 11, 2025
- 🌬 19 °C
- Altitude: 915 ft
- GibraltarCatalan BayCharles V Wall36°7’59” N 5°20’50” W
Gibraltar and La Linea
January 11 in Gibraltar ⋅ 🌬 19 °C
Following our successful crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar the next challenge was the Bay of Gibraltar. After cruising downwind the whole day the wind shifted entirely once we were in the Bay of Gibraltar and suddenly we were sailing upwind! We had been warned for strong winds by our friends who had conquered the Bay a day earlier, but an increase of 15 knots we hadn't seen coming. All around us massive container ships were passing through or anchored; here and there ferries to Morocco sped along; and while I was trying to keep Nimrod in control, while she was bashing through 29 knots, Bart tried to enjoy a dolphin show.
Meanwhile the Rock of Gibraltar was staring at us all along the way. We went into the harbor of La Linea, on the Spanish side, for a couple of days to spend some time with our friends after being separated for a while. On day two we went into Gibraltar. After we had been cleared by customs we crossed the Gibraltar Airport runway. Crossing the runway is just the same as crossing a bridge in the Netherlands. When a plane is coming, the barriers are lowered and you have to wait to cross until they have gone up again.
Gibraltar felt a bit like a theme park such as the Efteling or Disneyland where you go from one world into another. It feels like you are still in Spain, but there is the British part, the Irish part and so on. We weren't big fans. I tried to call mama with a typical red phone cell, but they aren't even connected anymore... They are there just for the pictures.
Later on in the week we visited the Rock of Gibraltar. Which was really fun. We went into the siege tunnels that were used in the 19th century, the WW II tunnels, the Moorish castle, hurried past the monkeys, walked up about 200 stair steps but our favorite part was the Saint Michael's Cave. This cave is several thousand years old and they use lights and sounds within to make it even more beautiful. The highlight was the sound and lights artwork that demonstrated how the Rock of Gibraltar came into existence.
Meanwhile we also spend a bunch of time trying to figure out whether it will be possible for us to do some part-time work. We have experienced that sometimes, such as our eleven days in Gibraltar/La Linea, we have some time left to work a bit. This could mean we would have some more money to have a bit more budget for fun things, boat repairs or maybe an extension of our trip. We will see.Read more
Traveler ❤️
Traveler 😍💋
Traveler Mooi hoor; “the King rules” 👑