Gibraltar: 'I stayed in the iconic hotel once frequented by James Bond writer Ian Fleming'
Lindsay Sutton reports on her stunning stay in Gibraltar as she stays at The Rock Hotel, once frequented by James Bond writer Ian Fleming and actors such as Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton and Alec Guinness.
You certainly get that James Bond feeling as you stroll along the stylish terrace in Gibraltar’s renowned Rock Hotel.
After all, Bond creator Ian Fleming stayed in this legendary Art Deco residence when he was working on the character.
As did Bond film actors Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton, along with a host of other celebrities who have graced the hotel with their presence over the past 90-odd years.
Connery chose Gibraltar for his marriage to actress Diane Cilento and honeymooned at The Rock, declaring his stay there as being “among the happiest days of my life”.
Since The Rock (www.rockhotelgibraltar.com) was built in 1932 by the Marquess of Bute, it has been a magnet for royalty and the rich and famous.
It’s fair to say that it’s Gibraltar’s answer to Raffles in Singapore. Among the famous clientele – as displayed on The Rock Hotel’s impressive Wall of Fame – are Sir Winston Churchill, Princess Diana, actors Alec Guinness and Errol Flynn, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono... and that’s just for starters.
The hotel, which has been renovated and furnished with more modernised facilities over the years, still retains that feeling of 1930s style, sophistication and elegance.
However, it is not intimidating or overwhelming: it has a relaxed and welcoming ambience, and the food offering is excellent.
Every one of its 104 rooms faces the sea, affording spectacular views over Gibraltar Bay, with the Spanish mainland on the far side. In front of you are the Alameda Botanic Gardens (www.gardens.gi), which are free for you to stroll among its 15 acres of exotic plants and the rescued wildlife in the conservation park.
Looking south, across the Straits of Gibraltar, you can even take in the North African mountains of Morocco, just an hour and thirty minutes away by boat.
From the hotel terraces and bedroom balconies, the golden sunsets over the Spanish coast are to die for.
Down below, the constant movement of shipping into and out of the bay, and on into the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean, adds to the feeling that you’re at the heart of one of the world’s big frontiers.
Ferries, large and small, ply their trade between the nearby Spanish port of Algeciras and the Moroccan mainland, and on to Tangiers and Casablanca, with all the exotic imagery that those places conjure up.
It all adds to the feeling of excitement that a few days in Gibraltar gives you. Far more than the archetypal sun, sea and sangria holiday on Spain’s nearby Costa del Sol.
Nothing wrong with that, but there’s a feeling of added value in Gibraltar.
So what about the essential attractions of Gibraltar itself? This former British colony and defensive stronghold at the entrance to ‘the Med’ retains that quintessentially British feel.
How could it be otherwise, with place names like Winston Churchill Avenue and traditional red telephone boxes?
Many of the moored yachts have place-of-origin names like Portsmouth, London and Aberdeen on their sterns.
On Gib’s pedestrianised Main Street, there’s a Marks and Spencer, and there’s even a Morrison’s supermarket near the port.
The backcloth of the world-famous Rock of Gibraltar is a huge attraction in itself. It looms large as you come in to land on the runway that crosses the narrow strip of land between the Spanish mainland and Gibraltar.
With very affordable and comfortable easyJet flights from various regional airports, including Manchester, your journey takes less than three hours, with spectacular views over the Channel Islands, France, and the arid interior of Spain.
Gibraltar itself is only three miles long and less than a mile wide on either side of the limestone mountain that towers above it. Going up by cable car is quite an experience, offering panoramic views.
Narrow road access allows taxi vans to take you up, if you prefer. There is also the option to hike up, using the ‘Med Steps’ up the limestone outcrop – but it’s a tough option.
Once on top, you can take a short walk to see the legendary Barbary apes, where you have to be alert to their naughty habit of pinching mobile phones, bags and sunglasses.
But it’s charming to see them cuddling their babies, and the key is to arrive after they have been fed with fresh fruit.
Nearby is the Skywalk, masterminded by architect Carl Viagas, who also project-managed the graceful Windsor Bridge across a gorge halfway down the Rock slope.
As he told me: “Gibraltar needed refreshing with some tasteful but interesting features, and hopefully this has added to our attractions.”
Certainly, the cantilevered, glass-floored Skywalk is spectacular as you walk out, with only fresh air below you.
A minibus tour of the Rock, or a trek from the Cable Car landing, gives you access to St Michael’s Cave, where a seven-minute light show of the huge interior highlights the gigantic figure of St Michael himself.
Then there are the miles of tunnels within the Rock, ranging from the 18th-century, hand-dug ones to the ‘underground city’ that was excavated by the British Royal Engineers to defend the fortress from German and Italian attacks during World War II.
Soon to be added are the Northern Defences – more tunnels, this time facing the narrow strip towards Spain.
In the last war, Gibraltarian and British forces took a pounding but held out.
Just as they did during the Great Siege, when the Spanish and French combined to attack during the British distraction of the American War of Independence.
Three long years later, the British were still in control. Whether out in the Bay on a Dolphin Adventure boat trip (www.dolphingi), or just enjoying an English, Spanish or Moroccan meal, Gibraltar is a great place to be.
www.visitgibraltar.gi.