The always-sunny British holiday hotspot with internal waves – and the only place in Europe with wild monkeys
LOCATED just south of Spain on the Iberian Peninsula, Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory with plenty of unique attractions.
Often referred to as the Rock, Gibraltar is a small 2.5-mile-squared area with a population of just 30,000.
Despite its small size, Gibraltar has always been viewed as being a strategically important location for a naval base.
This is because naval forces can potentially control shipping in and out of the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar – a narrow body of water separating Europe from Africa.
As a British Overseas Territory, the UK has both a naval and military base stationed in Gibraltar.
The Strait of Gibraltar also connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
Not only is the Strait of Gibraltar home to both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, but its depths are also hiding an unusual type of wave.
Unlike Square Waves, which can be seen on top of the water, Internal Waves form around 100m below the water’s surface.
Internal waves are caused by a difference in the density of the water, like when the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet, which causes the layers in the water to rise and sink.
Because Internal Waves occur deep below the surface of the water, they’re rarely dangerous to swimmers.
Boats are also unlikely to feel the impact of these waves, which is a good thing because there are plenty of water-based activities in Gibraltar for holidaymakers to enjoy, including a dolphin Safari.
The Common Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin and the Striped Dolphin all live in the waters surrounding Gibraltar.
A four-hour dolphin watching excursion with Get Your Guide costs £38.50 per person.
Dolphins aren’t the only mammals that attract holidaymakers to Gibraltar either.
While the Barbary Macaques are normally found in North Africa, they’ve been a prominent part of Gibraltar since the early days of the British garrison.
It is believed that the wild monkeys were imported from North Africa.
The Apes Den is regarded as one of the best places to see the Barbary Macaques in Gibraltar – although visitors are reminded not to touch or feed the animals.
Other popular tourist attractions include a visit to the Rock of Gibraltar.
The giant limestone rock is home to 200-year-old tunnels, a Moorish castle as well as hundreds of caves, including St Michael’s Cave.
Gibraltar enjoys a warm and sunny Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot summers.
The best time to visit Gibraltar is between May and October when temperatures can reach 28C.
Both easyJet and British Airways operate direct flights from London to Gibraltar with prices starting from £28 for a one-way ticket.
Flights been the UK and Gibraltar take just under three hours.
Unlike the cheap flights, accommodation is a little more expensive, with overnight stays costing around £100 per night per person in the shoulder seasons.
For example, Sun Online Travel have found an overnight stay at the
Roch Hotel, which is a four-star hotel located just 850 yards from the beach, for £97 per night per person.
The official language is English, although Spanish is widely spoken as well as a dialect called Yanito, which is a mixture of English, Spanish and Italian.
The Gibraltar pound is the country’s official currency, and it is interchangeable with the Sterling.
According to Visit Gibraltar, Euro notes are also widely accepted.
There are plenty of other destinations around Europe that seem to have flown under the radar in recent years.
One of those is Bratislava in Slovakia, which is relatively small for a European capital, but it has a lot for visitors to explore along its streets.
Chief among them is its incredibly affordable beer selection, with pints averaging around £1.60.
Such is Bratislava‘s pull for beer drinkers, food and drinks blogger Global Treats described it as “heaven” for those who like a pint and said beer was cheaper than water in some places.
Sarajevo in Bosnia & Herzegovina is also home to cheap beers too, with a pint costing less than £2.
A short history of Gibraltar
- In 711, the Muslim commander Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād captured Gibraltar
- In 1501, Spain began controlling Gibraltar
- In 1704, the Rock came under British control during the War of Spanish Succession
- In 1779, Spain attempted to retake Gibraltar during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, but failed.
- In 1830, it was declared a colony
- In 1967, the citizens of Gibraltar voted to be a dependency of the United Kingdom.
