Gibraltar's World War II tunnels - the secret city in The Rock

During the Second World War, Gibraltar was thought to be a key military target. The British Government assumed that Germany would want to get hold of its small territory in order to get control of the Mediterranean.
It was a major strategic base for the Allies too – both in terms of being the headquarters for the North Africa campaign and refuelling ships.
As part of all this activity, over 50km of tunnels were drilled into the Rock, with stores, command and communications centres, electricity generators and sleeping quarters all included. It took just three years to dig out this secret city, and somehow the Germans never found out about it.
A small section of this mindblowing underground network is open to visitors on guided tours.
An ex-army guide leads visitors through the accessible parts - the rest is still used by the military to train Afghanistan-bound troops in tunnel warfare – and the adventure is packed with tales of conditions, mischief and mind-blowing logistics.
Allied leaders were frequent visitors during the war, and it is possible to see the rooms in which they made key plans. The dank underground barracks where soldiers would be cooped up for six days a week are also on display.
Intriguing graffiti, carefully fortified lookouts and the equipment used to sustain life in the Rock are also part of the tour. For anyone with even a passing interest in history, engineering or tales of derring-do and plotting, it’s a brilliant experience.

Getting to the World War II tunnels in Gibraltar
Nearest international airport: Gibraltar has its own international airport, although in practice
By public transport: It’s possible to trudge up the Rock to get to the innocuous entrance where the tour starts, but a cheap cab ride is a much better bet.

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The Barbary Apes of Gibraltar

The tiny British territory of Gibraltar is essentially one big rock, and for a long time it was under control of the British military.
If there’s any uncertainty about who’s in charge now, head on up there with a plastic bag full of food.
The Barbary apes are at the same time the best loved and most cursed inhabitants of Gibraltar. Technically, they’re Barbary macaques, but almost no-one calls them that – and they roam free across the Upper Rock.
Aside from a colony that was taken from Gibraltar to Germany, they are the only wild apes in Europe. Superstition has it that if the popular primates ever leave, the British will lose Gibraltar. In World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered that the numbers should be topped up – just in case.
They’re incredibly entertaining. Some just sit staring out over the Mediterranean Sea to Spain and Morocco, but others are far more active. And that can mean jumping on top of buses, trying to steal any food going, or running away with camera straps.
Signs warn tourists about their monkey business, but visitors still get jumped out, robbed and – if they’re really stupid – bitten or scratched.
But for those who take care, and don’t take food, the Barbary apes (or macaques) are totally adorable.

Getting there:
Nearest International Airport: Gibraltar has its own airport, though flights only tend to go there from Spain and the UK. Otherwise, Malaga and Jerez are nearby. The ferry from Tangier in Morocco is another alternative.
By public transport: The best way of getting up to the Upper Rock, and where the monkeys are is either on a tour or in the spectacular cable car that goes from ground level.

Gibraltar - remnant of the British Empire

Gibraltar is one of the few remaining remnants of the British Empire, and very odd it is too. It is essentially a big rock tacked on to the bottom of Spain, but because it is at the narrow mouth of the Mediterranean, it has been a prized strategic base for centuries.
It is still a major British military base, although progressively more land is being released by the chaps in uniform.
Tourism is becoming increasingly big business, and Gibraltar has enough crammed in – caves, monkeys, diving, tunnel tours – to be a great weekend break destination.
The tiny territory became British in 1713, when the War of the Spanish Succession was ended by the Treaty of Utrecht. Gibraltar was ceded to the United Kingdom in perpetuity.
It’s fair to say that the Spanish aren’t too happy about this. The border between Gibraltar and Spain was shut off between 1969 and 1982, and it’s only very recently that planes heading for Gibraltar have been allowed to fly over Spanish airspace.
But the locals wish to remain British – 99% voted against proposals of joint Spanish-British sovereignty in 2002 – and a very British feel permeates. In a hot, Latin corner of the Mediterranean, there are still red phone boxes, policemen with helmets and fish and chip shops.
Perhaps most odd of all is the language visitors may catch being spoken on the streets. Called Llanito, it appears to switch at random between English and Spanish, although in truth there are also elements of Maltese and Genoese thrown in.
Amongst the bizarre places in Gibraltar that are worth seeing, there are the World War II tunnels, the airport and the monkeys on The Rock.

Walk across Gibraltar Airport's runway

The British Territory of Gibraltar on the southern tip of Spain is absolutely tiny. And when you’ve got less than seven square kilometres to play with, you have to be a little creative when it comes to placing an airport.
A lot of the land for the runway has been reclaimed from the sea, but the interesting bit runs along the border with Spain.
Across the runway runs Winston Churchill Boulevard, the territory’s main road. When the planes aren’t landing, traffic streams across the runway but the barriers come down when an incoming flight is hovering above waiting to land. It’s a little like a level crossing, but with massive jet planes.
Pedestrians wanting to get across the Spanish border into La Linea De La Conceptión have to run the same gauntlet. The pavements also stretch across the runway.
And if anyone’s a little slow, they’ll know about it – loud warnings are blasted out from above if a plane is about to land and the barriers are going to close.
Unfortunately, the airport is due to undergo a major upgrade soon. This will see a dual carriageway being built under the airport terminal so that cars don’t have to cross the runway.
Pedestrians are in luck, though – they’ll still have to walk over when planes aren’t landing.

Nearest international airport: Go on, have a rough guess.