Tourism

Are shops in Gibraltar open on Sundays when a cruise ship is in port?

Short answer

Many are. Most Gibraltar shops close on Sundays, but a good number of Main Street shops open when a cruise ship is in port, and some food shops, including Morrisons supermarket on Westside Road, open every Sunday regardless.

Detailed answer

Gibraltar shops follow British rather than Spanish hours, so there is no long afternoon closure.

Typical opening hours

  • Monday to Friday: most shops open from about 09:00 or 09:30 until about 18:00 to 19:30.
  • Saturday: most shops close in the early afternoon, around 13:00 to 14:00, with some open later.
  • Sunday and public holidays: most shops are closed, but many Main Street shops open when a cruise ship is in port.

Why Sunday opening varies

Shop hours are governed by the Shops (Days and Times of Opening) Regulations 1990. Ordinary shops must close on Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day unless the Commissioner of Police has granted them a permit to open on extra days or at extra hours. Whether a particular shop opens on a cruise Sunday therefore depends on whether it holds a permit and chooses to use it, so the picture changes from shop to shop and from one call to the next.

Usually open on any Sunday

  • Morrisons supermarket on Westside Road, which opens seven days a week.
  • Restaurants, cafés, pubs and bars around Casemates Square and Main Street. Premises licensed to sell alcohol fall outside the shop hours rules.
  • Bakeries and shops selling cakes, pastries, sweets, chocolates, soft drinks and ice cream, which the rules allow to open on Sundays.
  • Newsagents (for newspapers and magazines) and petrol stations.
  • The Upper Rock attractions, such as the Moorish Castle, which open seven days a week.
  • The tourist information desk in the cruise terminal, whenever a ship is in port.

Most likely to open on a Sunday cruise call

Duty-free, perfume, electronics, jewellery and souvenir shops on Main Street. See duty-free shopping on a cruise stop.

Closed on Sundays

The Gibraltar National Museum and the Natural History Museum at Parson's Lodge are closed on Sundays and public holidays.

If your call falls on a Gibraltar public holiday, expect fewer shops to open, even with a ship in port. Check the list of public holidays before you sail.