What is Camp Bay in Gibraltar?
Short answer
Camp Bay is a lido-style rocky beach on the western side of the Rock, with a large pool and a toddler pool, ramped access, seasonal lifeguards and one of Gibraltar's most popular diving and snorkelling areas.
Detailed answer
Camp Bay is a rocky beach on the western side of the Rock, within the Southern Waters of Gibraltar Special Area of Conservation, an EU protected marine reserve. The official beaches website rates its bathing water quality as excellent. It is laid out as a lido, with terraces on several levels leading down to the shoreline. The site was once Europa Quarry, one of several quarries opened during the construction of the dockyard between 1894 and 1906. The Gibraltar National Museum notes that the rubble and dressed limestone for the South Mole extension came mainly from Europa Quarry, which is why many people in Gibraltar know Camp Bay as "El Quarry". Government interpretation panels around Camp Bay, Juan Carlos Perez Promenade and Keightley Way explain the history and environment of the area. There are two pools: a larger pool and a smaller toddler pool, both fenced. Lifeguards supervise them and can close a pool, or stop someone using it for the rest of the day, if safety is at risk. The pools occasionally close for repairs, so check Government announcements before a visit. The beaches website lists lifeguards, toilets, showers, first aid, parking, umbrellas and a restaurant. Dogs, fishing and camping are not allowed. A series of ramps leads from the main road down the levels of the beach to the shoreline, there are Blue Badge parking spaces, and a Changing Places toilet is open daily in the bathing season. The Beach Accessibility Service, with amphibious chairs and hoists, also operates at Camp Bay during the official bathing season, which runs from the second Saturday in June to mid-September. Camp Bay is a popular spot for diving and snorkelling and is home to one of Europe's first artificial reefs. Little Bay, a smaller rocky beach with its own small pool, lies in the same marine conservation area.