Gibraltar has a staggering coastline which hides some incredible secrets about humanity from hundreds of thousands of years ago
Gibraltar is an unusual city on the Iberian peninsula. A British overseas territory, this city has long been fought for by the Moors, the Spanish and finally the British. It’s location is it’s main attraction, being just a stone’s throw from Africa. Whilst we don’t suggest you start fighting for the rights of your country here, it does make an incredibly picturesque holiday location. If you’re lucky enough to get a weekend to yourself, then here’s how to spend it in sunny Gibraltar.
Stay at The Sunborn Yacht Hotel
Moored in the exclusive Ocean Village in Gibraltar, the Sunborn Super-Yacht hotel offers five star accommodation unlike anything you’ll ever have experienced. Those travelers who enjoy staying somewhere a little more unusual than the standard bed and breakfast offering will enjoy the experience of sleeping afloat. The king rooms feel exclusive without being overpriced, offering 25 square metres of bedroom space, with a king-sized bed, a marble clad bathroom with rainfall shower, and views from the large picture windows of the bay. If you’d really like to feel the ocean breeze in your hair then you can even pay a fee to change your large window to floor to ceiling doors that open out onto a small ‘boat balcony’.
As though a hotel on a boat was not unusual enough, The Sunborn also offer a casino experience on board. There are 35 slot machines, as well as seven gaming tables offering a variety of different games. A trip to the casino is a popular pastime in Gibraltar, so it is worth paying a visit. If you’d like to prepare yourself by practicing some of the games beforehand then it can be a good idea to familiarise yourself with some of the top gambling sites before setting off. Online gaming sites offer you the opportunity to get to grips with the basics from your own home, which could help with any beginners nerves you might have at the Sunborn. There’s also the added bonus that most sites offer promotions or incentives for new sign-ups, so you can make your playing money stretch that bit further.
Visit the Gorham’s Cave Complex
One of the most well-known tourist destinations in Gibraltar, is the rock of Gibraltar, but underneath it lies a fascinating insight into human history. The steep limestone cliffs here are home to four caves that are of huge archaeological importance. It’s possible to visit as part of a guided tour, which will give plenty of information as you travel around the caves. It appears that they have been here for more than 100,000 years and the remnants found inside hint at what the day to day life of our Neanderthal ancestors might have been like. Once the caves were excavated there were found feathers used as decorative ornaments, rock engravings denoting scenes of Neanderthal life, and the bones of birds and fish that had been used for food.
Until the discovery of the caves, not a great deal was known about how Neanderthals lived. The fossils found in these caves have provided a staggering amount of information that is still widely referred to in scientific debates today. The tours will allow you to visit the caves and see for yourself some of these relics of times gone by. Before leaving be sure to take a walk around the edges of the rocks to take in the native flora of Gibraltar.
Eat at Taste of Marrakech
Gibraltar marks the start of many people’s adventure to Africa, so it’s only fitting that you enjoy some of the cuisine during your visit. Taste of Marrakech is a family-owned restaurant situated opposite the entrance to the well-known O’Callaghan Elliot Hotel. The restaurant is traditional Morrocan in style, but without being a pastiche. Ornate tiles clad the walls and dark wood furniture makes space for diners. It makes a cozy spot inside for the evening, but on particularly warm nights it is lovely to sit on the small patio outside.
In terms of the food on offer, there is plenty of choice for both smaller and large appetites. The starter menu can be ordered if you’d like to sample lots of different dishes and leave full but comfortable. Aubergine, pepper, and bean dips are accompanied with bread and olives, along with a selection of spiced stews in small earthenware bowls. If you’re feeling like something hearty for dinner though, then you can’t beat a traditional Morrocan tagine. The chicken tagine with preserved lemons is absolutely delicious with a glass of crisp, dry white wine. Save space for honeyed Moroccan pastries at the end.
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