I've made a new topic at http://www.worldheritagesite.org/forums/index.php?action=vthread&forum=3&topic=2106 to further prepare the meeting. I'll transfer some of the discussions, so this post can remain for the sole use for other visits of Gibraltar WHS

Hello everyone,

In just about a week I will be boarding a Container Ship for a crossing of the Atlantic. This particular voyage has only one port call before I disembark, specifically in Algeciras, Spain.

Port calls on that type of ship last usually between 4 hours and a day and a half, and the length of the stop is usually unknown until arrival with last-minute cancelations always a possibility.

Given that, I may try to fit in a visit to Gorham's Cave if I feel confident that I can get back to the ship in time.

Since many of you were there for the '17 meetup, pehaps some would be willing to share their thoughts, specifically:

What would be the minimum amount of time needed for a reasonable, non-rushed, visit to the Site, according to
--start at La Linea->border crossing->travel to the south, where the site is located->visit Site->return to border, and cross->end at La Linea?

I will work out how to get to La Linea separately, since it doesn't look very straightforward either. If there was a ferry across the Bay of Gibraltar between Algeciras and Gibraltar, this whole visit would be a no-brainer, but as far as I can tell, there isn't one.

Keep in mind that while I always enjoy a nice archeological Site, under the circumstances I would be happy with-- "Those are the caves over there?"/grabs a few photos/reads information plaques/leaves/reads more later.

In fact, if this ends up being too complicated even for that, I might just go to Tarifa to look for Birds, instead.

Thanks, and best of luck for 2020!

But later on you say

Which is it??
If the latter then, having crossed the border into Gibraltar, (uncertain timing depending on time of day etc) you could get a taxi to the "Visitor's Centre" (plenty available at the frontier), look at the caves from outside its gates. See my photo for what you can see of the caves from outside the Visitor Centre - my opinion is that the view of the caves is very little different from inside the Centre boundary (Remember its very limited opening hours as described in the reviews on this site) read the limited outside info boards using your telephoto lens (as we did because the info centre was closed. But, IMO, they add nothing you couldn't have found out from this and the UNESCO Web site) and get back to the frontier in around 30 minutes!!! If you had to wait for a plane to land on the runway which the road crosses then that would add 15 minutes or so!! Just for that tick??

If the former then it really depends on what you want to have seen in order to consider the visit "reasonable"!! As the 6 reviews on this site make clear this isn't a site which makes its main OUV accessible since the caves themselves are closed! So what do you "need" to have seen instead? Spending longer outside the visitor centre entrance would add nothing. Entering the visitor centre if it is open could add an hour as the review by Shandos Cleaver makes clear and would give you a talk by an "expert" (and would you keep your taxi waiting??). If you want to climb/descend the Mediterranean Steps and see the Paleolithic caves (see my review) then you need half a day and the extra return transport. Then there is the Museum ......... oh and the rest of the walk up on the Rock which really is a great thing to do,,,, You also have Hubert's review of the potential value to be gained from a "sail-by" on a boat - not a lot and outside the core zone so not a true "tick"??

Yes, I suppose that was a little contradictory.

By "non-rushed" I was mainly referring to the act of actually getting to the site (would there be annoying traffic jams at all hours of the day that would make me nervous about making it back on time?, etc.) But your comment about 30 minutes (45 with plane) sounds good, so depending on how long it would take me to get from the port to La Linea, it sounds like it should be possible to make a visit.

In this case, I would consider a "reasonable" visit to be one where I could see everything that I would be "allowed" to see, even if that were somewhat underwhelming. I am not as particular as some community members when it comes to really drilling down into a certain sites ouv, if it is not straightforward to do so.

The Mediterranean Steps would be something I would normally be up for, time permitting, but in this case some circumstances might cause me to skip that. I'll have to play that by ear and will need to make final decisions for all of this at the last minute, anyway.

Thanks for your comments!