Driving onto the peninsula of Gibraltar, which adjoins the southern coast of Spain at the western end of the Mediterranean, is easy. From Spain take A7 (Cadiz - Málaga highway) and turn off at Junction 119 into the N351 to La Linea, the border town between Spain and Gibraltar. After presenting your passport at border security, you'll come across a string of restaurants and the local supermarket, Morrison's. The Dolphin snack bar is located partway up the mountain, and offers adequate fare for a light lunch with views of the Mediterranean. Afterwards, head to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, where a wealth of opportunities awaits.
St. Michael's Cave
If you haven't had an opportunity to see the famous Blue Grotto on the Isle of Capri, here's your chance to view a dramatic example of a natural cave, situated at about 300 meters above sea level. Admission charge is 5 Euro plus 2 for your vehicle, and includes the Cave, access to designated nature walks, such as Mediterranean Steps and Anglian Way, and the Moorish Castle (see below).
Apes on the Loose
Barbary macaques roam freely on the Rock. While feeding them is strictly forbidden, the animals are so used to visitors that it's easy to get great photos of them playing, grooming each other, etc., without a telephoto lens. (Use caution, however: we rolled down our window to shoot some pictures and instantly an ape sprang toward us, balancing himself on the driver's window sill. They can bite if frightened, although I think our Maltese in the back seat was more shocked than the ape.
The City Under Siege Exhibition depicts what it was like during the Great Siege, France and Spain's attempt to take Gibraltar from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War, and you can explore the Great Siege Tunnels, Military Heritage Centre, and Victorian 100-Ton Gun. (Additional entrance fees apply.)
As you wind down the mountain, stop at the Moorish Castle where, if you're lucky, you'll have the place all to yourself: perfect for a fantasy flight back to the early 1300's.
When you feel the need to check into cyberspace after a day offline, head to free public parking in Old Town near The O'Callaghan Eliott Hotel, a 4-star base from which to explore the churches and shops of Main Street and Irish Town. There's a charge for Internet for non-guests, however, so an alternative is a drink around the corner from the hotel at The Cannon Bar, a pub with an amiable owner and staff. fine food and brew, and free Wi-FI: a tempting trio for any weary traveler.
Tricia Pimental is the author of Rabbit Trail: How a Former Playboy Bunny Found Her Way, and a novel, Slippery Slopes. A Screen Actors Guild member and native New Yorker, she currently resides in Portugal.
Visit her at http://www.triciapimental.com and read her blog, Notes from a Movable Marriage, at http://triciapimental.wordpress.com.
Article Source: Tricia_Pimental
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