Gibraltar (UK)

• 1.Europe

The outpost of Gibraltar is a very interesting place as a mix of British culture with Spanish and Arab influences. The obvious first destination is the Upper Rock Reserve, located on the top of the striking Rock of Gibraltar, with lots of attractions: nice views of the city below, the Barbary Apes - Europe's only free-roaming primates, the Siege and WWII Tunnels dug into the rock, lots of huge cannons and cool military installations, St. Michael's Cave and the Moorish Castle.

It's a cool experiences to see the little monkeys lying around and being silly in a location in Europe. Also, don't forget to check out a plane landing on the strip crossing the main road into Gibraltar: cars wait at traffic lights for planes to pass.

There are other scenic spots and cool things to do in the city below: Main Street and Casemates Square, Ocean Village, Europa Point - Gibraltar's most Southern point with nice views of the coast of Africa, and the Alameda Botanical Gardens are just a few. Driving around the rock is also cool, with a quick stop at the scenic little beach in Catalan Bay.

An interesting fact of note is that a cave in Gibraltar is supposedly the last outpost of the Neanderthals before their extinction, according to local researcher Clive Finlayson. Neanderthals have supposedly lived in Gorham's cave until as recently as 24,000 years ago, which I find fascinating (the cave cannot be visited). Sadly, the Gibraltar Museum doesn't cover this topic very well.

Read a detailed account of my trip to Gibraltar here (a part of my series on Europe's Microstates; I know Gibraltar is not a microstate, but it's mentioned in the guide as a bonus entry)

Additional info:
- Gibraltar profile on Wikipedia
- Gibraltar profile on Wikivoyage

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