Area Guide to Gibraltar

Notre Dame

Tel: 00350 20075182
Type: Government sponsored

St Anne's Lower Primary

Tel: 00350 200 77161
Type: Government sponsored

Eastside is quiet and that's the way the locals like it!  Certainly not a destination dining district, but what it lacks in numbers, it makes up for it quality and charm:

Seawave Bar is a cosy restaurant by Catalan Bay with stunning views over the water

Karma Chiringuito is a family run restaurant on Eastern Beach

This is where the action is at.  Eastside is home to - arguably - Gibraltar's best two beaches, being located onthe Mediteranean side of the Rock:

Catalan Bay is the second largest sandy beach in Gibraltar.  It is a former fishing village on the eastern side of the Rock and is poopular with both Gibraltarians and tourists.

Sandy Bay is the third sandy beach located on the eastside of Gibraltar, to the south of Catalan Bay and adjacent to the Southern Waters of Gibraltar's Special Area of Conservation.

Eastside is a long narrow district, sandwiched between the sheer east face of the rock and the Mediteranean Sea.  Until the Dudley Wards Way tunnel was built, it was effectively a large dead-end cul-de-sac, although now the circumnavigational route of the Rock goes through Eastside.

This side of the Rock was thought to originally have been settled by Genoese fishermen on a seasonal basis, it wasn't until the 17th and 18th centuries that people began to live here year round.

Today Eastside is a popular destination for holiday makers and day trippers who like to sit out on the sandy beaches and enjoy the long Mediteranian summer days.

Notre Dame

Tel: 00350 20075182
Type: Government sponsored

St Anne's Lower Primary

Tel: 00350 200 77161
Type: Government sponsored

La Parilla - An innovative concept from Chef Himanshu, at The La Parrilla branch of Forbes combines the flavors of India and China to create a breakthrough restaurant experience that encompasses both authentic dishes and inspired new favorites with sublime coffee at its forefront.

Nunos at the Express – The second restuarnt to make our list, Nunos opened in September 2018 and is located next to the entrance of the Holiday Inn. The restaurant serves both quality interpretations of classic dishes (pizza, pasta and deli) and daring new ventures into the uncharted territories of Italian cuisine.  All their pasta is handmade every day. No Italian experience is complete without traditional wines and cocktails, and desserts, like their much-loved Tiramisu alla Fragola!

Facing Spain over the frontier, the North District encompases the flat lands north of the rock including the airport and the ithsmus, sandwiched between Eastern and Western beaches.

The area is dominated by the north face of the rock and was the scene of many battles over history, with defencive measured put in place like the laggon that was dug where the Laguna Estate now stands and the Great Seige Tunnels which were dug to give a view over the Ithsmus.

St Paul's Primary

Tel: 00350 200 71696
Type: Government sponsored

Bayside Secondary

Tel: 00350 200 74500

www.baysideschoolgibraltar.gi 
Type: Government sponsored

Charlie's Steakhouse & Grill offer an extensive and diverse Menu that includes the finest Steaks and Indian Cuisine in Gibraltar.  Enjoy an unforgettable steakhouse experience like no other.  Savour top quality Filet Steaks, rib-eye, Rack of lamb amongst other savoury dishes elaborated by their professional Chefs. For those with a spicy taste they offer from a Passage to India menu a delightful range of Tandoori and varied Indian dishes and starters elaborated by their specialist Indian Chefs. Their very extensive wine list will appropriately accommodate your choice of dinner.

Little Bay Bar and Restaurant launched in April 2016 andquickly established themselves as the premier Indian restaurant in and around Gibraltar. Favoured by the locals, tourists, visiting celebrities, royalty and politicians including Gibraltar's own Chief Minister, i'ts  hard to find anyone that doesn't have positive things to say about Little Bay.

Being a marina where the shore has been built onto quaysides, there are no beaches in Ocean Village itself.  However, a short hop over the airport gets you to Western Beach near the frontier.

Ocean Village sits on the western side of Gibraltar, south of the airport and facing Spain over the Bay of Gibraltar.

Initially built in the 1890s as HM Dockyard Gibraltar for the Royal Navy, the modernisation of the area was commenced in the 1980s.  Continual development over the next couple of decades saw the introduction of the residential developments into today's vibrant and buzzy neighbourhood.

St Mary's Lower Primary

Tel: 00350 200 75946
Type: Government sponsored

Little Harvard Nursery and Preschool

Tel: 00350 200 77754
Type: Private Nursery

Queensway Quay is renowned for high quality al fresco dining, here are a couple of our favourites:

Rendezvous is a new concept in Queensway preparing quality homemade breads, perfect steaks, tapas, longboards and full a la carte menu, all cooked in an authentic wood and charcoal oven they call Big Bertha.

The Lounge Bar is a family owned businss offering freshly prepared, quality but casual dining in a relaxed atmosphere right on the Marina's quyside

Camp Bay is a rocky beach within the Southern Waters of Gibraltar's Special Area of Conservation; an EU protected marine reserve.  In addition to its popularity with bathers, the beach is also a very popular diving and snorkelling area which is home to one of Europe's first artificial reefs.  It is located just beyond the end of Queensway Road, on Rosia Bay.

Located on the western shore of Gibraltar and enjoying some great views over the Bay of Gibraltar, with Westside to the north and South District to the south.

Ragged Staff Wharf is the quayside of Queensway Quay Marina.  It is thougght to be the oldest wharf in Gibraltar.  While initially built by the Spanish, the wharf was further developed by the British in 1736.

Modern residential development of the marina commenced in the early 1990s and were soon joined by The Sails, Cormorant Wharf and more recently; Kings Wharf.

LORETO CONVENT

Tel: 00350 20075781
Website: www.loreto.gi

Type: Private 

St. JOSEPH’S

Tel: 00350 20078515

Type:Government sponsored nursery, first and middle school

The Edinburgh Arms is a traditional Gibraltarian pub offering quality drinks and a simple food offering.  A great place to mingle with the locals.

The Dolphin Restaurant and Cabana Beach Bar are located on Camp Bay and offer quality Moroccan food with drinks by the seaside.

Europa Point Cafe is great for a cost-effective lunch if you're down by Europa Point.

Camp Bay is a rocky beach within the Southern Waters of Gibraltar's Special Area of Conservation; an EU protected marine reserve.  In addition to its popularity with bathers, the beach is also a very popular diving and snorkelling area which is home to one of Europe's first artificial reefs.

Little Bay is a small rocky beach within the Southern Waters of Gibraltar's Special Area of Conservation.  Located just up from Camp bay it stend to be a bit quieter than it more raucus neighbour!

As the name suggests, South District sits at the bottom of the territiory looking out towards Morocco over the straits.  From here you can head north up the eastern side of the Rock to Eastside or up the western side of the Rock to Queensway.

This was the last part of Gibralter to see large scale residential development in modern times, although there has been a religious site here since 1309 and this is the point where Moorish settlers first came ashore.

ST. MARY’S

Tel: 00350 20075946

Type: Govt sponsored primary 

HEBREW SCHOOL

Tel: 00350 20078425
Type: Govt sponsored nursery, primary and middle
Religious character: Jewish, but open to all denominations

GIBRALTAR GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL

School Annex 3 Convent Ramp, John Mackintosh Hall
Tel: 00350 20041815

Type: Private secondary school for girls
Religious character: Jewish
Fee paying: Yes

GIBRALTAR BOYS SECONDARY SCHOOL

13 Town Range 
Tel: 00350 20050596

Where to begin?  Town Area houses the majority of Gibraltar's bars and restaurants with many clustered around Casemates Square or lining Main Street.  Here are a few of our favourites:

Tapas by Gauchos bring you their passion for flavour, a love of traditions, the freshness of the best iingredients and the joy of tapas dining, located in the ever fashionable Chatham Counterguard.

The Queens Picturehouse and Eatery is a beutifully decorated restaurant providing quality dining in a quiet corner of Casemates Square.  They even have a cinema room available for private hire.

Vinopolis offers fine Mediteranean style dining with a modern twist, located just off John Mackintosh Square with a great outdoor dining area.

Jury's is located next to Gibraltar's Court House on Main Street, offering high end casual dining from breakfast until dinner, turning into a bar in the evenings.

As the name suggests there are no beaches directly in Town Area (despite Casemates Square actually being a beach originally before it was built over by the Moors).  There are many bus routes leaving from either end of Main Street that will take you directly to the Eastside beaches, while Camp Bay is a pleasent stroll away.

Town Area sits on the gentle western slopes of the rock and it therefore relatively flat in itself.  Overlooked by Upper Town as it rises up the rock to the East and itself overlooking Westside over the Line Wall to the West, Town Area is within reach of most of Gibraltar.

First settled in 1106 by the Moorish settlers from Morocco, the first part of Town Area to be built up was the northern parts below the Moorish Castle.  Over the years, subsequent development by the Spanish and the British, crept ever further South until the middle of the 19th century, when the as we now know it was pretty much complete.

ST BERNARD’S

Tel: 00350 200 73863
Type: Govt sponsored nursery 

Prior Park School

Tel: 00350 200 62006

Type: Private Secondary School 

Mons Calpe Suite If you're feeling adventurous, Mons Calpe Suite is about as high as you can get on the Rock.  It's worth the climb though, the views and the food is suburb.  If you can't face the walk, it's located right at the top of the Cable Car so there's no excuses not to visit.

The Rock Salt is the rooftop restaurant located on the 8th floor of the Elliott Hotel.  Featuring magnificent panoramic views of Gibraltar, it is an idylic spot for guests to sit back and take in the stunning views of the Mediteranean coastline.

Unsurprisingly, Upper Town is as far away from Gibraltar's beaches as you can get - certainly from a height perspective.  Don't worry though, the number 1 bus goes from here.  But who needs a beach when you have those views?

Upper Town sits to the east of Town Area as the gentle slopes gradually become steeper.  In theory this area includes the very upper reaches of the Rock, although there are very few residential properties within tha nature reserve itself.

Most of the older buidlings here date from the early Victorian period although many have been subdivided and developed or extended since then, with varying degree of sympathy architecturally speaking.

Most of the stepped streets were stepped around the end of the Victorian period with the advent of the motor car.  This enabled people to drive the 'long way round' along gentler inclines leaving today's stepped streets for pedestrians only.  This must have come as a relief to the horses trying to pull their carts up Castle Street!

St Paul's Primary

Tel: 00350 200 71696
Type: Government sponsored 

Governor's Meadow

Tel: 00350 200 71696

Type: Government sponsored 

Bishop Fitzgerald 

Tel: 00350 200 77162
Type: Govt sponsored middle school

Westside Comprehensive

Tel: 00350 200 74525
Type: Govt sponsored secondary

The cluster of restaurants in Westside are along Chatham Counterguard, just outside of the Line Wall.  These are mostly Tapas bars such as Gaucho's or Chimneys, or also My Wines Gibraltar which offers casual dining from breakfast to evening.

As you would expect, the central business district around EuroCity hosts some great places to grab lunch, while the territory's only McDonalds is also located in Westside.

With the majority of the shoreline in Westside put to use as apartments or logistical purposes, residents tend to take the short bus ride down to the beaches around Rosia Bay

Westside sits on an area of reclaimed land justting of the western edge of the Rock, north of Queensway.  It is therefore quite flat and low lying.  There has not been much historical activity on land here as it didn't exist until quite recently, that doesn't mean there is no history at all.  The majority of sea battles over the centuries took place where Westside is now located, since this was the closest part of the Bay of Gibraltar to the Spanish mainland and also the main entrance to the City of Gibraltar from the sea via Waterport.