Europa Point

Europa Point is the southernmost tip of Gibraltar, the point where the Rock finally runs out of land and yields to the Strait of Gibraltar. Standing here, you are at one of the most geographically significant locations in Europe: to your south, just fourteen kilometres across the water, is the Moroccan coast. To your east, the Mediterranean opens up. To your west, the Atlantic begins. On a clear day, which happens more often than the reputation for Gibraltar's famous poniente wind might suggest, the view is extraordinary. The lighthouse at Europa Point is among the most photographed landmarks on the territory. The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, built with funding from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and completed in 1997, stands nearby and is one of the most visually striking buildings in Gibraltar, its white minaret rising above the southern cliffs. The mosque is open to non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times and provides a remarkable architectural contrast to the British colonial buildings in the town centre. Europa Point also contains the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe, a Catholic shrine that has been a place of pilgrimage since the fourteenth century and which, given the mosque a hundred metres away, makes this one of the more quietly symbolic spots of religious coexistence in the western Mediterranean. The small chapel is simple but atmospheric. Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar's national football ground, is situated just north of Europa Point and is where the Gibraltar national team plays its home matches. On match days, the area around the stadium is one of the liveliest corners of the territory. Getting to Europa Point requires either a taxi, a rental car, or the number two or three bus from the town centre. The journey takes around fifteen minutes from the main bus station. Entry to the area is free, and there is ample space to walk around the various landmarks without feeling crowded. Spend an hour here at minimum.