Few places in Europe allow you to walk from one country into another quite like La Línea de la Concepción. Park the motorhome, walk a few minutes to the border, cross on foot and, almost immediately, you are standing on the runway of Gibraltar Airport before continuing into one of the world’s most unusual territories.
La Línea itself is a relatively modern town. It was founded in the nineteenth century after Spain lost Gibraltar to Britain and the old defensive fortifications along the frontier gradually developed into a permanent settlement. Today it remains closely linked to Gibraltar, with thousands of people crossing the border every day for work, shopping and tourism.
Our stop was entirely practical.
We stayed in the municipal motorhome area a short walk from the border. Finding a space for our 23-foot motorhome was straightforward and the location immediately proved its greatest advantage: once parked, there was no need to drive again. We simply walked to the frontier and crossed into Gibraltar on foot.
The area itself was functional rather than scenic. It felt safe throughout our stay and, despite its proximity to the busy border, it was quieter than expected during the night. Shops and supermarkets were nearby, making it an excellent base for visiting Gibraltar without the stress of taking a motorhome across the international border.
Walking into Gibraltar became one of the most memorable experiences of the journey.
After passport control, the route crosses directly over the airport runway. When aircraft are landing or departing, traffic barriers close exactly like a level crossing, stopping pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles until the aircraft has passed. Only then does everyone continue towards the city centre. There are very few places in the world where an international airport runway forms part of an everyday public road.
Once inside Gibraltar, the contrast with Spain is immediate. Red telephone boxes, English road signs, pubs, British police uniforms and familiar high-street shops create an atmosphere that feels distinctly British despite being at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula.
One fascinating curiosity is that Gibraltar Airport is one of the very few commercial airports in the world where a public road crosses the active runway. Aircraft have absolute priority, and every take-off or landing temporarily closes one of Gibraltar’s busiest roads.
Another little-known fact concerns the famous Barbary macaques living on the Rock. They are Europe’s only wild monkey population, and local legend says that as long as the monkeys remain, Gibraltar will stay British. During the Second World War, when their numbers fell sharply, Winston Churchill reportedly ordered that additional macaques should be brought from North Africa to ensure the population survived.
For us, La Línea was never the destination itself. It was the perfect base for visiting Gibraltar. The convenience of leaving the motorhome in Spain and reaching a British Overseas Territory on foot in just a few minutes made this one of the easiest and most unusual border crossings of our entire journey.