The Rock, Gibraltar

There is a footpath which leads up to the rock called the Union Jack steps. It is supposed to be quite a dilapidated set of steps and it crosses a road which leads to Devils Gap Battery and the Apes Den.

For the person interested in natural history, whether it is on land or sea, Gibraltar is incredibly rich and full of surprises at any time of the year with a wide array of plant life, many of which are native to the area, the Rock Apes, dolphins in the Bay of Gibraltar, and other marine mammals which include the Pilot Whales of the Strait, Killer Whales and even larger species such as Sperm Whales. Gibraltar also has its own unique bird: the Barbary Partridge and not to be missed is the spectacular migration of birds when you can see several thousand of up to fifteen different species in a single day including birds of prey, storks, vultures, songbirds and seabirds.

In spring, the time when many birds breed, and others arrive from the south, many insects, including beautiful butterflies, emerge, making Gibraltar a truly beautiful paradise for wildlife.

I know that I would have been upset if I had not seen Gibraltar from the sea. Just a bit of a note: to get to Africa we had to leave by Algeciras, Spain, which is directly across from Gibraltar in the bay area. Now, I think you can leave directly from Gibraltar for Africa.

{picture of Gibraltar from sea as we were going to Tangier, Morrocco}