A new route taking off from Birmingham Airport next summer will give Birmingham sun-seekers direct access to Gibraltar’s stunning coastline with flights starting from £28 one-way.
EasyJet will reinstate the severed link between BHX and Gibraltar with twice-weekly flights starting from June 1. The British over-seas territory is located on the south coast of Spain, so benefits from a Mediterranean climate, with long hot summers that see 30C highs.
Gibraltar is dotted with whitewashed towns and framed by mountain-backed sandy beaches. Most of Gibraltar’s visitors are day-trippers, who spend their time duty free shopping on lively Main Street, navigating the tangled passageways and stairways of the old town and riding the cable car trip to the world-famous Rock, where Europe’s only wild monkey population roam the Gibraltar Nature Reserve.
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Tourists also flock to Gibraltar for its golden sands, the longest stretch of which can be found at Playa de Levante. Known as Eastern Beach, it offers some of the best views of the Jurassic Limestone peak.
As the name implies, the beach is situated on the eastern side of the peninsula, meaning it benefits from sunlight for most of the day, unlike others in Gibraltar that are eclipsed by the Rock. Planes pass over sunbathers throughout the day, as the beach is one of the few in the world that run directly up to an airstrip.
Eastern Beach in Gibraltar
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Eastern Beach is conveniently located just a five-minute drive from Gibraltar International Airport. Its prime location also means it’s within walking distance of some of Gibraltar’s best dining and drinking spots.
One recent visitor to Eastern Beach said in their Google review: “Nice sandy beach, with lots of space, especially at the far end. nice clear water with great views of the rock. Theirs a nice café for refreshments and also a restaurant. Handy beach for the airport and bus stops.”
And another wrote: “Large beach, full of life in summer and with beautiful views of the Rock of Gibraltar, the Alcaidesa, some distant mountains and a clean horizon.”