What do you know about Gibraltar, apart from that it’s on the Spanish mainland but, oddly, is part of Britain, it has a very large rock and rather a lot of monkeys?
If this is all, you might not realise that Gibraltar has a lot of unique attractions to wow your clients.
Here’s our pick of some of the most amazing things your clients can do in Gibraltar:
Swim with dolphins
You can get up close to dolphins in the bay and strait area of Gibraltar, where they can be seen almost every day so sightings are pretty much guaranteed.
Species that inhabit the waters around the Rock include the Common Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin and the Striped Dolphin, which feed on the local sardines, herring, quid, anchoives and flyng fish.
Take a dolphin-spotting boat trip and you’ll also get to the get to see the Rock from the water and enjoy views of Morocco and Spain.
Take a Skywalk
Standing 340 metres directly above sea level, Gibraltar’s Skywalk is located higher than the tallest point of London’s Shard. Built on the foundations of a WWII base structure, it gives 360 degree views from Europe into Africa.
Clients can combine a visit to the Skywalk with a trip to the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Upper Rock including the Windsor Suspension Bridge, and the famous Apes’ Den via a series of walking trails.
Go searching for Neanderthal man
Gorham’s Cave Complex, now an UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains archaeological remains that provide provide evidence of Neanderthal and early modern human occupation of Gibraltar.
Excavation of the caves, which include a rock engraving by the Neanderthals, show the Rock was their last refuge around 32,000 years ago.
Climb the Mediterranean Steps
Steep and arduous, it’s best to tackle the vertiginous Mediterranean Steps from Jews’ Gate at the southern end of the Nature Reserve up towards O’Hara’s Battery close to the summit of the rock early in the morning or late afternoon when there’ plenty of shade.
The walk, mainly along the east side of the Rock, passing through WWII fortifications, is mainly low cliffs and Mediterranean scrub but in the spring the greenery is punctuated by sporadic flowers. Looking across the Strait of Gibraltar affords a spectacular view of the African coastline.
Ape around
Legend has it that if the North African Barbary macaques ever disappear from Gibraltar, the British will also leave, probably because it’s believed that they both arrived on the Rock at the same time. The apes numbers diminished during WWII but Sir Winston Churchill had more imported from Morocco.
The macaques are mainly found at Apes’ Den, but there are other packs living wild on the slopes of the Rock.
Visit the war tunnels
During WWII, a tunnel system was built under Gibraltar to protect stores, food and equipment and siege accommodation for the troops, creating an underground city some 34 miles long. Two of the tunnels run almost the entire length of the rock.
Licensed 30 to 40-minute tours of the tunnels, available every day, include static exhibitions and photographic displays.
Gibraltar is on the UK Government’s ‘green’ travel list so there is no need for holidaymakers to quarantine when they return to England. The territory is expected to offer British holidaymakers test-free entry. For more information on entry requirements, see the Foreign Office advice For more ideas on what to do in Gibraltar, go to the official tourist office site.
