Gibraltar is a British Territory located in Southern Spain where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is a very interesting place to visit for a variety of regions and hiking the trail that leads to the summit of the famous Rock of Gibraltar is obviously number one on the list. We took the cable car to the summit and then hiked down the trail, which includes going into the caves that served as part of the fortress system. As interesting as that is, seeing the monkeys that live along the trail is also very fascinating.
The monkeys are Barbary Macaques that have inhabited the area for hundreds of years, if not even more. There are several theories as to how the macaques came to live in what is now Gibraltar, but no one is sure if they were introduced by the Moors, migrated there naturally, or brought by some other group of people. Either way, they can’t be missed if you decide to take the trail that provides stunning views of the area.
Although the monkeys look cute, it is important to remember that these are wild animals and should not be approached. In fact, they are the only wild monkey population in any part of Europe. You also need to be very careful with your cameras, purses, or other items that you might carry as they are known for grabbing them and running away. As long as you treat them with the respect that they deserve, they will enhance what is already a wonderful experience.
When we were in southern Spain a few years ago, we visited Gibraltar, which is a British territory located on the most southern end of the Iberian peninsula. Gibraltar is more of a sovereign city than a country, but despite its size, you still have to pass through customs and border patrol in order to enter and leave. The Rock of Gibraltar is the most famous landmark of the region and is strategic due to its location on the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the location of an important naval fortress that is built into the hills of the Rock of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is distinctly British despite its location in southern Spain. The pubs, the people, the atmosphere of the city almost all go out of their way to emphasize their allegiance to Britain and the United Kingdom. It was very interesting to visit, but in many ways it was very odd, and to say that there is controversy over the ownership of Gibraltar would be an understatement.
Before going, we talked to several people in Spain who had very strong opinions about this tiny country within a country. First and foremost, the people of Spain believe that the land should be theirs and they believe that the citizens of Gibraltar are occupying foreign land. In addition to that, the other thing that we were told was that there were huge problems with people going into Gibraltar and buying cigarettes and alcohol where it is cheaper and then selling it on the black market in other parts of Spain. There are strict limits on how much alcohol and tobacco can be brought across the border, but due to the number of people crossing on a daily basis, obviously there is the opportunity for smuggling. Regardless of the political friction, it was still an interesting place to visit.
Visiting the Rock of Gibraltar and walking the trails that led to the top was certainly the highlight of our visit there. The views of the Strait of Gibraltar were certainly stunning and definitely worth the hard hike in the heat, even though we were there in November. One of the more well-known, yet still interesting, things about the Rock of Gibraltar is the population of Barbary macaques that roam wild throughout the park area. Although these monkeys are definitely cute, they are wild animals and have been known to attack people at times, but are more likely to steal anything held too loosely. So, even though they make for great photo opportunities, don’t approach them and keep an eye on your possessions while you’re around them.
Walking through the caves and tunnels that make up the fortifications was also quite fascinating. There is also a cable car for those that don’t want to hike the steep trail to the top of the giant rock, but we would recommend only taking the cable car one direction and taking the time to either hike up or down since that is the only way to go into the fortifications that have been carved into the hillside. The fortifications are no longer in use today and we couldn’t imagine how claustrophobic it must have been for the soldiers who manned the canons within the tunnels. We definitely earned a pint by the time that we finished hiking around the Rock of Gibraltar.
Despite the controversy that exists over the ownership of the Gibraltar, it is definitely worth visiting while in southern Spain. Stepping across the border, you are immediately transported into a different world with thick British accents, the Union Jack flying everywhere to be seen, and restaurants serving typical English food such as fish and chips, bangers and masher, and kidney pie. We have to admit, we did take a couple of bottles of wine back to our hotel with us since the prices were so much less than what we were paying throughout the rest of southern Spain. All-in-all, it was a very interesting day, but a day was about all of the time needed to visit this country within a country.
For this week’s challenge, Half-Light, we were supposed to take inspiration from a poem, song lyric, or literary work of art for a picture that captured the moments just before dusk. Watching the ships coming in from the Strait of Gibraltar brought back fond memories for us since we lived on the water for the first year of our marriage. We used to sit outside in the restaurants and watch the fishing ships come in to the harbor through the channel in Ocean City, Maryland.
“But the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman, he thought.” – Santiago from Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.
The day that we took this picture, the sea had clearly decided to grant her favors to the cargo ships as the water was as calm as glass. The calm water just adds to the reflection of the sun, which is just starting to make its way down towards the horizon. We thought that the photo below, from Estepona, Spain, would have also been fitting, but thought that the photo from Gibraltar was more fitting.