Is camping or staying overnight in a campervan allowed in Gibraltar?

Short answer

No. Camping on public land, which includes streets, car parks and beaches, is an offence without written permission, and the Gibraltar Tourist Board says campervans may not enter the Upper Rock or park anywhere in Gibraltar. Campsites and caravan facilities are over the border in La Línea.

Detailed answer

Gibraltar's Crimes Act 2011 makes unauthorised camping a criminal offence. A person who camps on Crown land without the prior written permission of the Minister responsible for the environment (or the Ministry of Defence, for its land) commits an offence, and camping on private land needs the owner's permission. Crown land is defined widely and includes cliffs, beaches and foreshore, streets, roads, paths, lay-bys, parking areas and public gardens. A "caravan" under the Act includes any motor vehicle designed or adapted for living in, so campervans and motorhomes are covered.

The Commissioner of Police can also direct people living in vehicles on a road or other land to leave and take their vehicles with them, and failing to comply is a further offence.

The only listed exception for camping is the Governor's Lookout Scout Camp on the Upper Rock, for people authorised to use it, along with seashore use under a permit issued by the Minister.

The Upper Rock Nature Reserve is closed to everyone except residents and their visitors once it shuts for the night, open flames including campfires are banned there, and visitors may not drive into it.

In practical terms, the Gibraltar Tourist Board warns that Gibraltar's streets are narrow and that campervans are not allowed to park anywhere in Gibraltar. It points visitors to campsites and caravan facilities in La Línea de la Concepción, just over the border, and mentions Alcaidesa Marina, about 700 metres from the frontier, and the large Parking Santa Bárbara next to the border. Many visitors leave their vehicle in La Línea and walk across, using buses 5 and 10 from the frontier into town.

If you want to stay overnight in Gibraltar itself, you will need a hotel or other licensed accommodation.