How could I pass up the opportunity to visit Europa Point and the Southernmost tip of Gibraltar?
I have been to many ‘most extreme points’ on my travels. The Northernmost point of the African Mainland, Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia, the Southernmost Point of South Korea, and the Southernmost Point of the European Mainland in nearby Tarifa.
Having rock-packed the Rock of Gibraltar the day before, my legs were still smarting after the day’s effort.
So after a morning spent catching up on some pendings, I took the #2 bus from the Central Market at 1.30 pm. 1 trip tickets cost £1.80 or €2.40, paid in cash.
Europa Point: 36.109609°N 5.34626°W is the Southernmost point of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. On a clear day, you can see across the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa. The narrowest point between Gibraltar and Morocco is 7.7 Nautical Miles. At its narrowest point, the distance between Punta de Tarifa in Spain and Point Cires in Morocco is just 7.0 Nautical Miles.
Can you see Africa from the Rock of Gibraltar? On a clear day, yes. Here, beyond the lighthouse, is Africa.
View from Europa Point:
The Ibrahim-Al-Ibrahim Mosque and the Rock of Gibraltar with O’Hara’s Battery, the highest point of the Rock (behind the street light):
Things of Note Worth Seeing at Europa Point, Gibraltar
Europa Point Lighthouse:
The Europa Point Lighthouse, sometimes called the Trinity Lighthouse, stands at Europa Point, the southernmost tip of Gibraltar. Light shone out for the first time on August 1,1841
Sikorski Memorial:
Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski was a Polish military and political leader. He died on July 4, 1943, after the B-24 Liberator in which Sikorski was flying in, crashed shortly after take-off from Gibraltar. 15 other passengers were also killed. Only the pilot survived.
The present version of the memorial was unveiled on 4 July 2013.
Harding’s Battery:
Harding’s battery was built on the remains of the 7th Europa Battery in 1859. It is named after Sir George Harding.
Europa Point underwent a major refurbishment in 2010 and in 2013. A 12.5-inch 38-ton RML gun weighing 45 tonnes that was found half-buried at the Gibraltar Docks, dating from the 1870s, which was identical to the battery’s original gun, was installed. at Harding’s Battery.
Ibrahim-Al-Ibrahim Mosque:
The Ibrahim-Al-Ibrahim Mosque is the Southernmost Mosque in Europe.
It was donated by the late King Fahad Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia in 1997.
Shrine of Our Lady of Europe:
The Shrine of Our Lady of Europe is a Roman Catholic Church at Europa Point. It used to be a mosque but when the Spaniards captured Gibraltar from the Moors in 1462, they converted it to a Catholic Shrine, dedicated to Our Lady of Europe.
Keightley Way Tunnel:
The Keightley Way Tunnel is a 412 m long tunnel driven by the men of Tunnelling Troop of the 1st Fortress Squadron between 1960 and 1962.
It only allows traffic heading to Europa Point. I couldn’t resist the temptation to walk the tunnel.
The tunnel is named after General Sir Charles Keightley, the Governor of Gibraltar at the time.
Having passed through the tunnel, I just kept going back to the Emile Hostel.