Gibraltar - Sail-In and Port Views

We entered the Straits of Gibraltar early in the morning on May 7, 2012.  I had always thought that Gibraltar was at the southern most tip of Spain, but I was wrong. We had to sail past the Spanish coastline and along the eastern edge to get to Gibraltar. The maps will give you an idea of the location.  The first one shows the relationship to Spain and the second one shows a closer view of the Gibraltar area.  Gibraltar used to be an island but is now connected to the mainland by the airport strip.  Yes, that is a main road crossing the airport strip. Cars are stopped when planes take-off and land.

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. It has an area of 6.8 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi) and a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region. At its foot is the densely populated city area, home to almost 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities. (Source: Wikipedia)

 We sailed in with a lot of other working ships.  This is looking at the coast of Spain.  Somewhere along the entry route, a small boat approaches the ship. It is marked "Pilot" and someone will get on board our ship to help us through the entryway to the port and docking.

 As we sail in to the port, we witness the Captain perform his first of many outstanding maneuvers.

 Gibraltar with the sun peaking over the horizon.

 The dock is already quite busy, with several cruise ships already docked. I can see our tour buses lining up, ready for our passengers to set foot on land for the first time in eight days.

 The Discovery was in port with us.

 A lot of activity. The red paint on these ships caught my eye.

 Busy cargo areas with "The Rock" in the background.

 Space limited, so high-rise is the way to go.  This didn't look like much space was wasted as they built as close to the waters edge.