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However you arrive into Gibraltar, by air, foot, car or sea, you will very soon experience its intricate layers of history all around you.

Day One

Morning:

The best way to familiarise yourself with Gibraltar’s diverse heritage, as well as witnessing some of its natural beauty, is to walk up to the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Upper Rock. This will take around 4 hours giving time to visit to the attractions. The official taxi tours have a 1.5 hour guided tour of the Nature Reserve, Upper Rock. Alternatively, take the Cable Car to the Top of the Rock and discover the Nature Reserve at your leisure. You could rent an e-bike or take an e-bike guided tour.

Start by entering the Reserve at Jew’s Gate and make your way up to St Michael’s Cave, with its stunning stalagmites and stalactites. St Michael’s cave is home to many live performances and is used as an auditorium. 

After leaving St Michael’s Cave carry on up to the highest point of the Rock, O’Hara’s Battery, that houses a 9.2” gun with original WWII material on display. A film from 1947 about the Battery is also on show. 

Head back down the hill towards the Gibraltar Skywalk. At 340 metres above sea level, Gibraltar’s Skywalk offers breath-taking 360º views, spanning three countries and two continents. Near the Skywalk you will find our famous Barbary Macaques, Europe’s only free roaming monkeys, that can be found at various locations within the Reserve. 

Head on down the steps on Charles V towards The Windsor Suspsension Bridge, the impressive suspension bridge at Royal Anglian Way. 

Walk towards the northern point of the Rock and up a steep hill to The Great Siege Tunnels, an impressive defence system devised by military engineers. Excavated during the Great Siege of 1779-83, these tunnels were hewn into the rock with the aid of the simplest of tools and gunpowder. 

On your way back down, stop at the Military Heritage Centre for a fascinating array of artefacts of military history, housed in Princess Caroline’s Battery. 

The City Under Siege Exhibition is one of the first buildings ever constructed by the British in Gibraltar. The most important aspect of the building is the graffiti that can be seen on the walls, the earliest of which dates back to 1726. 

Finish your visit to the Reserve with two attractions, The Moorish Castle and The WWII Tunnels. The tunnels accommodated what amounted to an underground city. An entire 16,000-strong garrison could be housed there along with enough food to last for 16 months. Within the tunnels there was also an underground telephone exchange, a power generating station, a water distillation plant, a hospital, a bakery, ammunition magazines and a vehicle maintenance workshop. The total length of the entire tunnel network inside the Rock is approximately 34 miles or 55 kilometres. 

The fortifications on and around the site of the Moorish Castle were first built in 1160. The Tower of Homage, its main feature, dates primarily from about 1333 AD when Abu’l Hassan recaptured Gibraltar from the Spanish.

Image of Macaques

Lunch:

Feeling peckish now? Head towards Chatham Counterguard, where the old magazines have been converted to house a string of restaurants, or perhaps visit one of Gibraltar’s stylish marinas, Queensway Quay or Ocean Village. Enjoy a meal at the water’s edge beside a number of luxury yachts - a stunning location, taking a break before the afternoon’s activities.

It is a little known fact that the Bay of Gibraltar is home to several species of dolphin. Visitors are able to go out into the Bay in one of the many dolphin watching boats to watch pods of dolphin at play. The tour takes approximately an hour and a half. 

Image of Gibraltar Street

Afternoon…into the evening

Casemates Square at the end of Main Street, was once the centre of public executions. Today it is the thriving hub of Gibraltar’s café lifestyle, alongside with the sunny marinas and bustling Main Street. There is a wide selection of places to eat to suit all palates, well into the evening.

Image of Perfumes Shop
Day Two

Morning:

After a refreshing night’s rest and a hearty breakfast, it’s off to Sandy Bay  to test your balance on a paddle board and watch the sun rise across the Mediterranean. 

Lunch:

Later, make your way to Rosia Bay. Stop to visit the Victorian 100 Ton Gun and walk through Camp Bay, a beach area, which was formally a quarry and now a lido where divers discover Gibraltar’s wrecks and marine life

Venture through one of Gibraltar’s tunnels and exit at Europa Point where a sea, an ocean and two continents meet. Gibraltar was recently granted UNESCO World Heritage status for the Gorham’s Cave Complex, which is now recognised as the last known home of Neanderthal man. This is a vital part of Gibraltar’s historical past and visitors can now visit the interpretation centre at nearby Europa Advance Road.

Image of Europa Point Lighthouse

Afternoon:

Head back towards the centre of city and stop off for a stroll and some peace and quiet in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, The Alameda, designed in 1816 and linked to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Spectacular examples of rare flora, fauna and succulents enjoy a calming six hectares of serenity that also includes an open-air theatre and wildlife conservation park. Pop into the Animal Wildlife and Conservation Park located within the gardens and get to know the excellent work they are doing for international wildlife. 

Why not finish off the afternoon with a Cable Car ride to the Top of the Rock for an afternoon tea with a panoramic 360 degrees view.

Image of Alex Trinidad
Day Three

Morning:

Kick off your day by delving into Gibraltar’s history. The Gibraltar National Museum houses a collection of Gibraltar’s original artefacts, old prints and photographs along with an audiovisual presentation of the making of the Neanderthal models; two very accurate forensic reconstructions of a Neanderthal woman and child. The Rock’s rich military and diverse natural history is also represented, while the lower part of the building is arguably the best preserved Moorish Bath House in Europe. 

Head into Main Street for a VAT-free shopping experience with a range of local and famous British brands, and walk through Gibraltar’s mix of historic architecture. 

Lunch:

Try some locally produced gin made with locally sourced botanicals at Gibraltar's only gin distillery.

Afternoon:

Casemates Square is a good starting point for those with an interest in art. Visit the Fine Arts Gallery on the first floor of these former barracks, showcasing temporary exhibitions. Here you can sample the work of some of the more prominent local artists and groups, with international artists also using the venue. 

From the Square walk up Casemates Hill to Montagu Bastion and visit the Gibraltar Exhibitions of Modern Art Gallery, GEMA. Here you can enjoy around 50 artworks, many previous winners of the three main art competitions held annually in Gibraltar. GEMA is also home to six works of internationally acclaimed Gibraltarian artist Christian Hook. A varied collection, which includes sculptures, video, installation and photography.

Our Art Walk guide is perfect for art lovers.

Continue your walk through Irish Town before arriving at John Mackintosh Square, where you will find the City Hall. This building has an interesting history in its own right and houses the Mario Finlayson National Art Gallery, established in 2015. This Gallery is dedicated to four deceased artists, Gustavo Bacarisas, Jacobo Azagury, Leni Mifsud, and Rudesindo mania, considered to be the most renowned and prolific local artists of the time. It also pays tribute to the work of Mario Finlayson, the artist who was the main campaigner for a National Art Gallery in Gibraltar.

Evening:

Take it easy this afternoon at King’s Bastion Leisure centre, which can also offer an evening of entertainment. Choose from the multiplex cinema and bowling to accompany your dinner in the former military bastion, that has been redeveloped as a leisure centre for families, offering food and activities for all ages. 

Day Four

Activity highlights:

  • Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Upper Rock
  • Mediterranean steps
  • Irish Town
  • Landport Gate
  • Parliament building
  • The Convent
  • Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
  • Commonwealth Park
  • King's Bastion
  • Queensway Quay Marina
  • e-bike
  • Ocean Village marina
  • Casino

Morning:

After an early breakfast head towards the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Upper Rock to experience one of the most spectacular climbs, the Mediterranean steps. Built by the British military the climb links Martin’s Path with its highest point at Lord Airey’s Battery standing at 400m. The path offers spectacular views over the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar, climbing up past the Goat Hair twin caves, which are among a number of caves in Gibraltar with evidence of prehistoric habitation.Head back down and head towards the old town of Gibraltar, a lively cluster of streets and squares in and around Main Street. Take a refreshing mid-morning coffee in a historic coffee house in Irish Town. Peruse Gibraltar’s unique eclectic architecture that reflects Gibraltar’s multi-faceted history and culture, with its buildings a mix of Italian balustrades, Portuguese tiling and Georgian frontages. Indulge in a fascinating city walking tour. Some of the sites along the way include Landport Gate, Parliament building, the Law Courts and the Convent.

Lunch:

Time for lunch sohead south to Cathedral Square past the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the Church of England diocese in Gibraltar and Europe.   Its dramatic main entrance depicts Moorish style horseshoe arches. Heading further south below the city wall you’ll find Commonwealth Park. Built to the south of King's Bastion and the north of South Bastion it provides a open and green space close to the city centre. Flanked by the city walls with a range of water features, it offers an oasis of calm from a hectic and busy city.From here cross into Queensway Quay Marina, home to a wide selection of restaurants and enjoy a leisurely lunch overlooking the quayside.

Afternoon:

Head over to Ocean Village and hire an e-bike for the afternoon. There’s little limitation on where you can take it. Explore the historical defences on the west coast of the Rock to the southerly most tip and return via the eastern coast road, taking in fabulous Mediterranean views and sandy coves. 

Evening:

Spend your evening at Ocean Village marina and maybe take a flutter at a Casino. Even if you don’t want to gamble you can take a drink on the sun terrace and enjoy great views across the marina.

Day Five

Activity highlights:

  • Sandy Bay
  • Catalan Bay
  • Paddle Boarding
  • Monkey Talk
  • Gibraltar's hotels

Morning:

Start today with an early morning beach walk at Sandy Bay. The third of Gibraltar’s boutique beaches located on the eastern side of Gibraltar, to the south of Catalan Bay and adjacent to the Southern waters of Gibraltar’s SpecialArea of Conservation. Join In2adventures at Sandy Bay for a relaxed SUP in the stunning sheltered bay. The morning paddles provide ideal conditions to view the spectacular Rock monolith which dominates the landscape and to view the sun rising over the Mediterranean Sea.

Lunch:

Lunch in Catalan Bay village. Historically, a fishing village populated by Genoese fishermen during the 18th and 19th centuries, Catalan Bay is the second of Gibraltar’s sandy beaches.

Afternoon:

This afternoon take part in a truly unforgettable wildlife experience. Gibraltar’s Macaque  educational encounter – Monkey Talk, the only opportunity in Europe to spend time with a habituated troop of free-living monkeys, in a natural setting, away from other tourists. As part of a small group in the company of a local primatologist (monkey expert!) participants can learn all about the social behaviours of the Barbary Macaques’, observing them in their natural habitat wherever possible away from the roadside and respecting their space. Outings are intimate, personal and improvised on the day according to the macaques’ trajectories.

Evening:

After a full and varied day, dine out for a terrace dinner at one of Gibraltar's hotels.

Day Six

Activity highlights:

  • Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Upper Rock
  • Mediterranean steps
  • Irish Town
  • Landport Gate
  • Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

Morning:

Start your day at Rosia Bay, known as the place where Lord Nelson’s body was brought ashore following the Battle of Trafalgar. Here you can try your hand at a try dive in Gibraltar’s water. Designed for diving beginners, a professional PADI instructor will show you some of Gibraltar’s spectacular aquatic marine life and rock formations.

Lunch:

Take lunch in one of Gibraltar’s historic pubs spread out in and around the city centre.

Afternoon:

Today try your hand at Gibraltar’s caving experience at Lower St Michael’s Cave. Discovered by accident during WWII, the cavern was discovered with several chambers, which may have been sealed for over 20,000 years Today there are organised tours into Lower St Michael's Cave available to the general public. The cavern is of extraordinary beauty, glimmering with white, grey and red stalactite columns. The highlight of the tour is a beautiful underground lake. The tour normally lasts around three to four hours.

Evening:

After an exhausting but exhilarating day why not book a spa treatment or head back to your hotel for pre-dinner drinks.

Day Seven

Activity highlights:

  • Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Upper Rock
  • Mediterranean steps
  • Irish Town
  • Landport Gate
  • Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

Full day:

The Strait of Gibraltar, connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and has been talked about from mythical days. The Strait separates the continents of Europe and Africa by 13 kilometres.

Enjoy the full splendour of the Mediterranean by chartering your own motor yacht or with its own crew for the day and enjoy amazing views to the Rock of Gibraltar.

Try your hand at snorkling and swimming in the sea, whilst back on board the crew will serve you a sumptuous lunch with beverages.

Alternatively, for a slower speed join the crew of a sailing boat in and around the waters of Gibraltar.

Lunch:

Hit the night time scene at Ocean Village or Chatham Counterguard for some live music in one of the bars.

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