DAY ONE
09.00am
Finished Breakfast at the Caleta Hotel and feeling hungry for an adventure. Select your mode of transport and off we go!
10.30am
Beginning your adventuring in the morning, the best way to familiarise yourself with Gibraltar's diverse heritage, as well as witnessing some of its natural beauty, is to take an official Rock Tour to the upper rock nature reserve. A tour can be taken in a number of ways, by official taxi or tour company, by private car or by foot. Alternatively, you can take the cable car from Grand Parade (not for those with a fear of heights!).
A basic tour lasts around two hours and takes in thousands of years of Rock evolution, including the famous Barbary Ape Den, habitat to Europe's only free roaming primates, St Michael's Cave with its stunning stalagmites and stalactites and once home to Neanderthal and Neolithic man. The Upper and Middle galleries form part of the honeycombed inside of the limestone Rock, and illustrate the defence of Gibraltar during the Great Siege of 1789, when the forerunners to the Royal Engineers scraped out tunnel systems to position guns to fight off the enemy. Other highlights include a stop at Europa Point, the southernmost tip of Europe with its breathtaking views across the Strait to North Africa.
12.30pm
Feeling peckish now, head back towards one of Gibraltar's stylish marinas. The Waterfront restaurant in the west facing Queensway Quay has an extensive menu to suit all tastes. Enjoy your meal overlooking the many luxury apartments and large yachts that are moored there, while taking a break before the afternoon's activities.
15.00pm
It is a little known fact that in addition to prize-winning fishing, 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 safari boats to watch pods of dolphin at play. The tour takes approximately 2 hours.
Arriving back into the Marina there's time for some afternoon refreshment, before heading back to your hotel for a rest before dinner.
20.00pm
Casemates Square at the end of Main Street was once the centre of public executions. Today it is the thriving hub of Gibraltar's nightlife, filled with numerous lively bars and cafes that stay open into the early hours. There is a wide selection of places to eat to suit all palates, but we're heading for Café Solo for its relaxed ambience and eclectic menu.
After dinner stop off at any one of the trendy bars, many offering live music, for a late night drink. Alternatively, if you fancy a little more glamour and sophistication, head out of town to the International Casino for a flutter at the tables and take in the breathtaking evening views across the Bay of Gibraltar.
11.00pm Head back to the Caleta Hotel for a nightcap in the Catalan Lounge, weather permitting admire the amazing views from the terrace.
DAY TWO
10.30am
After a refreshing night's rest and a hearty breakfast, it's back to Main Street for some city touring. Gibraltar's town centre is largely protected by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust and part of a continual restoration programme. Its original city walls and fortifications date back to the 1800's including Casemates Gates, Charles V Wall and Kings Bastion.
The 'Let's Go' walking tour will take you around the town area and introduce you to some of Gibraltar's unique architecture reflecting it's blend of Genoese, Portuguese, Spanish, Moorish and British Regency style buildings.
The Catholic Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned in the centre of Main Street and part of the walking tour, was built on the original site of the chief mosque but was demolished during the Great Siege. It was later rebuilt as a Cathedral. Some of the early structures can still be seen.
Gibraltar's museum situated on the original site of a Moorish bathhouse is a short walk from Main Street.
13.00pm
After a morning of walking around the city, head towards Irish Town, a sub-district of Main Street and named over two hundred years ago when Gibraltar was split into differing quarters. Enjoy lunch with a historical flavour, at The House of Sacarello's, Gibraltar's oldest coffee house restaurant.
Founded in 1888 by Bartholomew Sacarello, a Genoese immigrant and grandfather of the current owners, Sacarello's roasts its own coffee beans and supplies most of Gibraltar's cafés and hotels with its delicious blended coffees. A wide variety of snacks, sandwiches, salads and fresh homemade cakes are on offer in the cosy coffee shop.
14.30pm
Main Street is recognised today as Gibraltar's main commercial and shopping district. After a morning of skirting around its intricate lanes and streets you may now be tempted to stop and look at some of the VAT free bargains to be had. Gibraltar offers exceptional value added shopping. Popular purchases include, cosmetics, perfumery, tobacco, spirits, electronic goods and jewellery. It's the perfect pre-Christmas weekend shoppers' destination with everything in close proximity.
16.00pm
Once you've walked your feet off in Main Street, there's one more stroll worth taking, up towards the Rock Hotel. If you're too tired or laden down with shopping bags jump into a taxi. Passing the Trafalgar Cemetery the taxi ride will take 5 minutes or at a slow walk 20 minutes.
The Rock Hotel built in 1932 by the Marquis of Bute is the epitome of colonial Britain. Its Wisteria Terrace with its views across the Bay is the perfect spot to take a full English tea with cucumber sandwiches, scones and teacakes. As you look out across the Bay you may catch a glimpse of the Alameda gardens, Gibraltar's Botanical gardens designed in 1815 and linked to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.
20.00pm
Dinner this evening is on the east side of the Rock at Catalan Bay, evolved from a Genoese fishing village whose original inhabitants famously had red hair. La Mamela is an unassuming specialist fish restaurant with superb fish and a vibrant atmosphere you would expect from a favourite locals haunt.
Just further along Catalan Bay and it is back to the Caleta Hotel for your last nightcap in Gibraltar.
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Things to See and Do
