Car hire Algeciras

Introduction

Most people only drive through Algeciras to take the ferry to Morocco and barely see the city itself. That's a pity, because Algeciras has an old center (where you'll find few other tourists) and there are beautiful landscapes in the vicinity, including the two nature parks: Parque Natural del Estrecho and Parque Natural Los Alcornocales.

Population

Algeciras has 120,000 inhabitants. Including the suburbs, twice as many people live in and around the city.

Location

Algeciras is located in the far south of Spain on the Strait of Gibraltar, the strait that separates Europe from Africa. The city is situated on the western side of the Bay of Algeciras; on the other side lies the British Gibraltar.

Economy

Algeciras' economic activities are mainly based around the port: it's an important passenger port for connections to Tangier in Morocco and the Spanish enclaves in North Africa: Ceuta and Melilla. Many goods are also shipped via the port, mainly agricultural produce from the hinterland. There's also a fairly large fishing fleet and Algeciras has a fishing industry.

Airports

The nearest airport is Gibraltar Airport about 20 kilometers (by road) east of Algeciras. The airport is easily reachable by rental car: from Algeciras you first take the Autovía del Mediteráneo (E-15) and then the CA-34 to Gibraltar. You cannot drive by rental car from Spain to Gibraltar, but you can the other way around.

Public Transport

Algeciras has good public transport: you can reach practically any destination in the city with buses from Cooperativa de transporte de Marruecos. And there are of course the ferry connections to the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Traffic and Parking

During summer months traffic in the city can be very busy when many people travel to and from Morocco. Especially around the port there will then be huge crowds. At other times you'll have no trouble finding your way around Algeciras. There's a large, guarded parking garage near the port, but during summer months it may be difficult to find a free place.

Hotels

Algeciras has a reasonable choice of accommodations, especially in the budget and midrange category. The cheapest guesthouses can be found near the port, along the Avenida de la Marina. Algeciras, however, also has two four-star hotels: the stylish Hotel Reina Cristina and the newer AC Algeciras, east of the city center.

External Sources

For more information about Algeciras, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Algeciras
• Official website Algeciras
• Tourist Information Algeciras