JELAJAH ANDALUSIA, SPAIN - CROSSING BORDER TOWARDS GIBRALTAR

View from the Rock - Pic courtesy of Wikipedia

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. It has an area of 6.7 km2 and shares its northern border with the Province of Cádiz in Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region.

Aerial view of Gibraltar - Courtesy of World Maritime

From Malaga, it only took us around 1 hour and 41 minutes drive to reach Gibraltar.  The view was excellent since we are using the coastal route of Costa del Sol.  We passed by several beautiful beaches and exclusive beach resorts that attract people to Southern Spain. The terrain was flat here compared to those previous trips to Granada and Cordoba.  Towards the end of the Southern Spain, the flat terrace becomes hilly and we made a stop at the top of the hill.  There was a rest area here where people can look beyond the hill towards Gibraltar.  It was breathtaking view of sloping highway leading to the Province of Gibraltar!

Upper Rock

Stuck inside the car due to heavy rain 

Stand on top of the Rock of Gibraltar and you feel as if you were on top of the world. Europe is at your feet. Africa fills one horizon, while the gates to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic are on either side. The journey to the top of the Rock rewards you with a truly breathtaking view. From a height of 426m you will see the African coastline, where the waters of the Atlantic meet the Mediterranean, Spain’s Costa del Sol and a panoramic view of the City far below, the quays, marinas and bays.  Stroll the quiet path to St Michael’s Cave and you will be alone with nature.

It was rainy day when we decided to head for the Upper Rock.  The road there was so small luckily we had our C3 compact car as it was easier to maneuver it in this kind of road.  We could not let the kids out of the car, so hubby managed to snap some photos while we were waiting there inside the car!

 

 

  Europa Point Trinity Lighthouse

Europa Point Lighthouse stands at the southernmost point of Gibraltar. Situated at the gateway between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean it serves as landfall and waypoint for vessels passing through the Strait. 

The Mosque of The Custodian of the The Holy Mosques

The new mosque has already become a landmark at Europa Point, together with the newly refurbished Shrine of Our Lady of Europe and the Lighthouse, all lying within a few yards of each other an excellent beacon for peace and harmony between religions. During our visit there, the mosque is till under construction.  We managed to snap few photos of the mosque as we were in awed that even in Gibraltar, the presence of Islam is still persist even though the mosque was just a new landmark in Gibraltar.  This showed recognition of the historical presence of Islam in this continent!

The completed Mosque - Courtesy of Wikipedia

~yatiseman~