My holiday to Gibraltar wasn’t hassle-free, but it was worth the wait

It was our last quarantine-free holiday option before Lockdown 3.0, and one of our first now the foreign holiday ban has ended. Thanks to featuring on the ‘green list’, the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar has caught the eye of restless UK travellers. Better yet, Gibraltar promised to welcome Britons without any Covid-related rigmarole. 

Fabian Picardo, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, said on May 5 that PCR tests would be waived for travellers from the UK. He added that this was due, in part, to the UK’s “higher vaccinated population and a lower incidence of Covid than the rest of the European Union”. However, this approach was tweaked on Monday morning, just as the first batch of holidaymaking Britons enjoyed the steep ascent to Gibraltar’s runway.

I spent my first few minutes on Gibraltarian land admiring the 1,396ft (at its highest point) hunk of Jurassic limestone – formed from the shells of primordial sea creatures and elevated to its current position by the shifting of tectonic plates – which loomed behind the Union Jack livery of the British Airways plane. It was my first encounter with that beguiling mix of the unfamiliar (Barbary macaques; the fusion of English and Spanish; road tunnels that snake within the Rock itself) and the familiar (red telephone and post boxes, a branch of Marks and Spencer, sterling banknotes) that characterise this craggy peninsula.

Wonder was soon replaced with confusion when I peeled myself away from snapping pictures of the Rock and tacked onto the queue forming for passport control. While waiting, I was handed an A4 notice which explained that travellers who had been in green list countries in the 14 days preceding their arrival would now need to take a Covid-19 lateral flow test within 24 hours of arriving in Gibraltar. Those staying for more than seven days would need to take an additional test on day five. 

Some in the queue appeared unfazed. I was, initially, baffled. I later learned from the territory’s tourism minister (who I’d checked in with just before boarding) that this new precaution had emerged just that day. It came in response to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statements about about the spread of the so-called “Indian variant” in the UK. 

The test is free, available outside the airport doors and arrivals don’t need to isolate while awaiting results. Plus, you do not need to book it before reaching Gibraltar (contrary to the details on the notice I was handed). Travelling during the pandemic, you can become somewhat used to last-minute changes and, compared to quarantine and testing requirements for entry to some countries, this rapid test is a small imposition. Of course, further rules could creep in as the pandemic evolves. For now, those of us who arrived on that first, two-thirds full BA flight served as test cases for ironing out any kinks.

A small clutch of passengers were perturbed. Ms Schofield, who was queueing just ahead of me, was among them. She’d travelled from Dorchester to Gibraltar for the week. “We’ve paid for PCR tests, now we’re being told we can get a test for free,” she told me. Her husband was quizzing the staff in the makeshift testing hut about if, and how, he could claim a refund for their costly tests. The answer appeared to be no.

The testing staff were patient and efficient throughout. My tester told me to stand up straight while she wriggled the swab disconcertingly far up my left nostril – uncomfortable, but painless. Within 30 minutes I’d received both a text and an email confirming a negative result. 

In all, the small amount of confusion was a blip on my arrival to Gibraltar, but it wasn’t the first teething problem I’d encountered on the first day of the resumption of overseas holidays. On check-in at Heathrow, I was questioned as to whether I’d been given permission to travel. This seemed to be a clerical hangover from the foreign holiday ban, during which all passengers leaving the UK had to complete a Declaration to Travel form for all international trips. I did note, however, that BA’s website still reminded customers, as of yesterday, to complete this document ahead of their flight. I asked the airline to provide some background to this. A spokesperson said: “​We are so pleased to have welcomed so many of our customers back on board. We advise customers check the latest international travel advice at Gov.uk before flying.​”

So my passage to Gibraltar wasn’t quite as seamless as predicted; it included a 30-minute wait at passport control, then another 30 minutes to complete the testing process. However, it’s easy to immediately pick up your holiday once past these hurdles. The territory’s compactness (2.6 square miles) ensures convenience. My hotel, the Sunborn, was just five minutes’ drive from the airport.  

Then there’s the feeling of normality that Gibraltar offers, thanks to its swift vaccine roll-out, dubbed Operation Freedom (and supported by the UK Government). Its adult population is fully vaccinated, except for around three per cent who refused the jabs. Now the territory is inoculating Spanish residents who are employed in Gibraltar. Gail, a local tour guide, joined the vaccine effort in January and has been part of the drive ever since – she’s spent up to 10 hours a day arranging residents’ vaccine appointments. “Some of the first people I contacted got a little teary,” she said. The calls represented a step towards normality, and long-missed time with family and friends.

Gibraltar has weathered many of the same Covid-related experiences as the UK mainland: an eerily quiet first lockdown, furlough, school closures, the shuttering of tourism. Yet it is noticeably closer to resuming life as normal. One-way systems and mandatory mask wearing for guests are absent from my hotel in Ocean Village, while social distancing reminders are infrequent and subtle. The face mask rule only remains in shops and on public transport (although some attractions will ask you to wear one): you don’t need to remember to slip one on to go to the toilet while in a pub or restaurant.

The instructors at In2Adventures agreed that locals are beginning to warm up to the old way of life. That precious proximity to friends and family has seeped back into day-to-day interactions. Indeed, with a population of just 33,000, Gibraltarians have a clear sense of community spirit. This was evident while driving around the Rock with Tom Cawthron, founder of the activity adventure company. He passed many people he knew along the way. Everyone knows everyone in Gibraltar, he said. “I’ve taken Government ministers paddleboarding; I can’t imagine that with politicians back in Britain.” 

In2adventures is well situated on Sandy Bay on the island’s east side. Several years ago, this little curve of coastline was filled with Saharan sand after time and tide had almost washed away the existing beach. Under the guidance of the instructors, I headed north from here, first clambering over boulders, then abseiling down rocks, before taking a dip in the sea and ziplining part of the way back. 

One instructor, Andy, pointed across to the Costa del Sol jutting out into the sea north of Gibraltar, and to the spiky outline of Morocco’s Rif mountains to the south. He also highlighted the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the African side.

I was fed further tidbits of Gibraltar’s history: from the Neanderthal remains and rock art discovered in the Unesco-listed Goreham’s Cave Complex, to the bunkers built into the rocks around Sandy Bay, which were Gibraltar’s last line of defence should an invasion have occurred in World War Two (and, of course, centuries worth of military struggles for Gibraltar have left the Rock pockmarked with battlements). They also enticed me to return for more wildlife spotting. Species such as the Egyptian vulture (I learned from Andrew Fortuna, who runs Aviantours) pass Gibraltar on their migratory flight path between Europe and Africa.

Earlier in the afternoon, I’d taken the obligatory cable car ride up to the top of the Rock for views across its peak, and to encounter the Barbary macaques. Subdued in the heat, they lounged and groomed. I did get a glimpse of their penchant for goading the humans that encroach on their residence: one larger animal made a half-hearted attempt to grab a woman’s tote bag. I hope to gain a better appreciation for these creatures on a trip with primatologist Brian Gomila later in the week. “Wait until you see him eat a banana right in front of them,” said Tom. 

After a day in Gibraltar, I’d barely grazed its surface. The initial testing debacle may not have been the smoothest start, but it belied the ease of a break in Gibraltar. With our holiday options so limited, the territory remains one of the most rewarding for Britons. 

UK travellers entering Gibraltar will require a free, rapid lateral flow test and to complete a passenger locator form. For your return to England (rules may differ for arrivals to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), please check the Government’s requirements.

• Read more: The best hotels in Gibraltar