Looking for help please! We will be in Marbella this summer and will be out on a boat for a half day (looking for dolphins, swimming, seeing Gibraltar from the sea etc). If we want we can add on an extra hour or so and land on Gibraltar. The person I am booking the boat trip with says there’s not much point in adding on Gibraltar for so little time, and I’m wondering if you agree.

I’m Irish, so get to the UK a lot, and Marks & Spencer, chip shops, sterling etc are not novelties for me. It does seem a shame to be so close to the rock and not visit it, but the only thing that really attracts me I suppose is the idea of seeing the apes. However we are going with our daughter (age 6) and I am not sure whether she would love them or find them terrifying.

So:

If we don’t add on Gibraltar we will have a really relaxing morning and will still see the rock of Gibraltar from the sea.

If we do add it on, we arrive back a little bit later than I would have hoped so our day will be mostly taken up with this trip. Will it have been worth it for less than 1 hour on the rock? What is there to see just when you get off the boat? (for example, if the monkeys are all a 40 minute trek from the docking station, that would make my decision for me as the only real reason I’m thinking of it is to see the monkeys…)

Thanks a million for your help

Jane

Skip it. I've been twice - once on purpose, once because I was on a cruise that stopped there and I had broken my glasses and knew a shop there could fix them. I would not have chosen to go the second time and hope never to go again. Not much but some shops and stuff (and not great ones at that) unless you take a van or taxi up to the top where the apes and caves are. Military things were somewhat interesting. Caves, OK, nothing to write home about.

I suppose you could ask them to drive you straight to the place the apes hang out and back, but it would be very rushed and not cheap for a ten minute experience. I love animals, so did enjoy the apes, but it is, IMHO, absolutely not worth it. Relax, enjoy your day and get back earlier.

Thanks so much Sassafrass. Just what I needed - some clear direction!

Gibraltar is not worth it for an hour and you won't get up the rock to see the apes in that time.

I'm not sure that Gibraltar is worth it for a day in fact. It's British and a bit like walking through the pedestrianised centre of a small town in England with better weather.

Thanks Rubicund. Feel better now, and not like a philistine for skipping it...

I did Gibraltar in a day. Took a taxi to the top of the rock, walked down and saw the monkeys, then did the cave tour.

If you only have an hour, that's not enough time to do anything except get your passport stamped.

IMHO definitely not worth the time.

And they are NOT apes - but monkeys, and are quite demanding, nasty and nippy and not at all afraid of people. I would not let a 6 year old anywhere near them.

Seeing It from the sea is the best of Gibraltar. We did not enjoy our day in Gibraltar at all and the monkeys are awful and I like animals. Enjoy Marbella. Going on a boat sounds great.

Good point. The monkeys are NOT tame -- they are just accustomed to humans which is probably worse since they have no real fear of people.

Fantastic advice as always -thanks everyone