The first permanent settlement of Gibraltar was founded in 1160 at the base of The Rock of Gibraltar, also known as one of the Pillars of Hercules is a limestone rock, steeply climbing up to 400m above sea level. There are many sites within the Rock itself that could easily take a whole day. Amongst the most popular ones is the Upper Rock Nature Reserve – just standing there gives you the most unforgettable and incredible views over three countries – Spain, Gibraltar and Morocco and two continents – Europe and Africa. The Reserve covers 40% of the country’s land area and is a home to caves, nature trails, military and historical sites. St Michael’s Cave is the largest and most popular cave at the rock with spectacular stalagmites and stalactites and an underground lake – today also a popular concert spot due to the great natural acoustics. The Apes’ Den is the home of the famous Barbary macaques. Around 160 of those playful monkeys live in the area and appear near the cable car stations, looking for treats. Legends says that once those monkeys disappear from Gibraltar, so will the British. If you visit them, remember they are wild animals, don’t take food with you and always keep a safe distance. The Moorish Castle is a medieval fortress, built around 1160, or even earlier and features the Gate House the Tower of Homage with its striking and dominant position, scared by the numerous battles for control over Gibraltar. The 50km of World War Two tunnels are hard to imagine when you are standing outside of The Rock. Built mostly with hand tools, they were used as living quarters for soldiers sometimes for months on end and were prepared to even function as a hospital during the war. The City Under Siege Museum is a small unstaffed museum, that is one of the first buildings that the British built after they took over the city in 1713. It presents the life as it was for the residents of the territory during the long siege by the French and the Spanish in the 18^th century.  

There are a few more sites to see in the city itself, all not far from the cruise port. One of them is the Grand Casemates Square – named after the Grand Casemates – a casemates and bombproof barracks at the northern end of the square from 1817. The square is as old as the city itself and has once been the place for public executions, now the city’s liveliest area, fringed by trendy bars and restaurants.

Europa point & Gibraltar Trinity Lighthouse is another site with a stunning view – at the very entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, the lighthouse was inaugurated on 1^st August 1841. It is the only one, operated by the Trinity House outside of the United Kingdom and is of classic British design.

The Alameda Gibraltar Botanical Gardens at the base of the Rock of Gibraltar are a breath of fresh air in this otherwise densely populated city. They span on 15 acres and reach up to 60m above sea level. The gardens feature popular monuments, such as the General Elliot Column and two Russian guns given to Gibraltar by the British, for their help with the Crimean was of 1858, as well as native and imported plants and trees. Some of the oldest of them have been there even before the garden itself – the Stone Pine, the wild Olive and the Dragon Tree, to name a few.

If you have time to visit just one site in Gibraltar – make it the Gibraltar Museum. It’s a summary of all the discoveries in anthropology, archaeology and biology, made in this remarkable city, as well as exhibits of artefacts, describes the unique history and culture of its people. Gibraltar is also a great spot to see whales, but more often dolphins.