Gibraltar, Britain
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and a city at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. The predominant 1400ft limestone “Rock of Gibraltar” can be seen for miles around and is the official meeting point of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. First settled by the Moors, and then the Spaniards, it has been in British hands since 1704. There have been no less than 14 attempts by Spain to take it back since then. The Great Siege of Gibraltar in 1779-1783 resulted in most of the city being burned down.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Gibraltar became a major outpost for The Royal Navy. During WW2, most of Gibraltar’s population was evacuated and the territory was used by Allied forces to control much of the traffic in and out of the Mediterranean. Even Eisenhower was based at Gibraltar for a period during the war.
During the 1950’s, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco renewed Spain’s claim to Gibraltar and restricted movement to and from Gibraltar. There have been two referendums, in 1969 and 2006, where Gibraltarians overwhelmingly supported remaining under British control. Even so, the sovereignty of Gibraltar remains a point of contention between the two countries. It is said the King and Queen of Spain dissed the British royal family when they did not attend William and Kate’s wedding, out of protest.
Today we were with Tours by Locals guide Paul and he whisked us up the rock to the St. Michael’s Cave. Part of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, the Gibraltar Rock is actually full of caves and many can be accessed. This cave was a beauty and was enhanced with colors and sound. Next, we stopped at a vantage point which included a cantilevered glass platform, providing outstanding views and a chance to interact with the famous Gibraltar monkeys. No one really knows how the monkeys came to be on Gibraltar. But today they are considered treasures and are well cared for in the Nature Reserve. Finally, we came to The Great Siege tunnels, which were built in 1782 to provide defenses against invading Spanish troops. The tunnels are 30 miles long and include 10 cannon installations. It was amazing to think how those heavy cannons were hauled up that rock.
After our tour, Paul delivered us into town and we walked the full length of the main pedestrian street, had fish and chips, and enjoyed some music in the square. There are approximately 34K citizens, and the economy is built mostly on tourism, with help from approximately 10K Spaniards who cross the border every day to work in Gibraltar. Everyone we interacted with were friendly and helpful.
Recommended: Tours by Locals
https://www.toursbylocals.com/tours/gibraltar/gibraltar/tour-details/gibraltar-essentials-tour-145hrs-664d2333f7e596905bd182ba
Post Gallery
Famous fish and chips at Roys Pub.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Crowned, Gibraltar.
I love the British mail box.
Entrance to the tunnels.
The hook and pulley system to haul the cannons to the top.
The Rock has its own weather system. There's the Island Princess in the harbor.
This one supposedly knows how to open car doors. Yikes!
Here come the monkeys.
This is what it looks like without color.
Doesn't this look like an angel?
With no color. Now watch as the image changes.
Straight ahead, that is the African continent.
Straight ahead, that is Spain.
We ran into our very favorite waiters, Frandi and Brian.
Be careful there…those are technically APES not monkeys.
They are Barbary Apes or Barbary Macaques.
One stole my purse when we went there!
Beautiful port!!