Europa Point is the southernmost tip of Gibraltar, and offers stunning views of Spain, Morocco, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. A good spot to watch shipping, entering and leaving the Med.
Up until recently this was military land and somewhat run down. At the time of my visit a programme was underway to turn it into a landscaped park complete with a new visitor centre and restaurant complex.
The place was thus a mixture of military dilapidation and a building site, served by a very new smart car park.
In the words of D:Ream, "Things can only get better ...".
Just round the corner, along the road to the newly re-opened Dudley Ward Tunnel, are two rather bizarre neighbours, the territory's Crematorium and its Refuse Incinerator. I'm not sure I would have chosen to put them next to each other, but still.
The Europa Point Lighthouse is the only one outside the British Isle controlled by Trinity House.
It was first lit in 1841 with a single wick oil lamp. This was up-rated to a four wick burner in 1864, and to eight wicks in 1894. Further improvements were made in 1905 and 1923.
Extensive structural alterations were carried out from 1954 to 1956 when an electrically operated lighting system was installed.
This involved raising the height of the tower by six feet to accommodate the additional equipment.
The lighthouse was fully automated in February 1994.
External Links and References
External Links
Europa Point
Detailed history from the Trinity House web site. https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses-and-lightvessels/europa-point-lighthouse
The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque also known at the King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud Mosque or the Mosque of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was was a gift to the people of Gibraltar from the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.
It opened in the summer of 1997, took two years to build, and cost in the region of £5 million.
As well as acting as a reminder that the Muslim Moors reigned over Gibraltar for longer than either the Spanish or British, the Mosque complex also contains a school, library and lecture hall.
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