A to Z of Must-Do Travel Experiences – R for ‘Rock of Gibraltar’
{ Tags: Barbary Macaques, Gibraltar, Rock of Gibraltar \ Jun24 }
The Rock of Gibraltar is arguably the most famous rock in the world. A monolithic limestone promontory located off the southwestern end of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, its vast stature marks the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Standing at 426 metres tall, over an area of less than six square kilometres, the Rock is amazingly home to 30,000 people. Although bordering Spain, the rock belongs to the United Kingdom.
The Rock was known in ancient times as one of the Pillars of Hercules and marked the limit of the known world. Legend has it that to pass beyond the pillars was to sail to certain destruction over the bottomless waterfall at the edge of the world.
Today, there are several unique features that every visitor should explore. Firstly, an extensive system of underground passages known as the Galleries or the Great Siege Tunnels. They are an entire system of halls, embrasures and passages running a length of nearly 1,000 feet. The other major attraction is the Rock’s upper area, which is home to around 250 Barbary Macaques. The Gibraltar monkeys are the last of its kind in Europe.