Are there any good beaches in Gibraltar?
Short answer
Yes. Gibraltar has six public beaches: the sandy Eastern Beach, Catalan Bay and Sandy Bay on the east side, sandy Western Beach by the airport, and the rocky coves of Camp Bay and Little Bay in the south-west, which are popular for snorkelling.
Detailed answer
Yes. Gibraltar has six public beaches: Eastern Beach, Catalan Bay and Sandy Bay on the east side of the Rock, Western Beach in the north-west next to the airport, and Camp Bay and Little Bay in the south-west. Beaches.gi lists all six with excellent bathing water quality, and each has a live webcam on that site. Eastern Beach is the largest sandy beach, stretching for several hundred metres along the isthmus, and gets the most sunshine of the three east-side beaches. Bars and food are available in summer. Catalan Bay is the second largest sandy beach, set beside a former fishing village and a hotel. Sandy Bay lies south of Catalan Bay. It was rebuilt by the Government with about 50,000 tons of sand imported from Laayoune in Western Sahara, protected by two curved groynes and a breakwater. Western Beach is a sandy beach close to the border with Spain, with the airport alongside it. Camp Bay and Little Bay are rocky beaches within the Southern Waters of Gibraltar Special Area of Conservation and are popular for diving and snorkelling. Camp Bay is home to one of Europe's first artificial reefs and has swimming pools that open during the bathing season. In 2026 the official bathing season began on Saturday 23 May 2026, with lifeguards at all beaches and pools. The lifeguard service ended on Sunday 13 September 2026, and umbrella stores stayed open until Wednesday 30 September 2026. During the season, beach attendants work at every beach except Sandy Bay, and accessible bathing stations operate at every beach except Sandy Bay and Little Bay. Beaches.gi lists toilets, showers, first aid, parking, restaurants and umbrellas at all six beaches. Littering, fishing, camping and pets are banned on the beaches, and recycling bins are provided. For a side-by-side comparison of the beaches, see the related questions below.