Before I was ensnared by World Heritage Sites, the geographic and cultural list that most intrigued me were the British Overseas Territories. Unfortunately, these last small vestiges of the empire tend to be the small outcroppings of rock nobody else wanted to claim in the middle of distant oceans and so are rather difficult to reach from the UK. There are a few notable exceptions, one of which is Gibraltar. Ceded “in perpetuity” by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 from Spain to Great Britain, although modern Spanish governments have pushed to reverse this, Gibraltar is the last British foothold on mainland Europe. A quick glance at a map makes it clear the strategic significance of the naval chokepoint that control of Gibraltar affords and so explains why a fading maritime superpower would’ve wanted to cling to land like this to try and keep some relevance, to say nothing of the self-determination of the people who live on this small Mediterranean strip. It is rather surreal to walk down a high street that is architecturally Iberian but filled with stereotypically English shops like Marks & Spencers or Holland & Barrett. I arrived by air and had the equally surreal experience of walking across an active runway in the dark towards the looming illuminated shape of the Rock on arrival.

According to the tourist board, 86% of visits to Gibraltar are day trips so I was unusual in staying overnight. If you were only interested in the WHS tick, a day trip crossing the border from Spain would probably be the best way to go about it. However, the remains of the defensive works across the vast limestone monolith of the Rock are well worth visiting. Combined with dolphin cruises, the botanic gardens, and other attractions in the urban areas, there is enough to warrant a couple of days here but not much more. Ascending on the first cable car of the morning to the top station afforded superb views on a clear and warm (by UK standards) January morning northwards all along the Costa del Sol and southwards across the strait to the mountains of Morocco. From there, I walked south along the road at the top of the Rock, passing many of the famous Barbary Macaques, to O’Hare’s Battery then down the Mediterranean Steps. You might think that going downhill is less strenuous than up, which is true, although not by much and, by the time I reached Jew’s Gate at the end of the path, my ankles were certainly the worse for wear. Some of the steps were a stretch and many were uneven but there are railings or at least rope fence to hold onto for the whole descent.

Along the way, the trail passes through the core zone of the WHS even though the inscribed caves are at sea level and so directly below you, completely out of sight. The value here is supposedly in the vegetation and landscape being unchanged since the time these caves were inhabited by Neanderthals, which sounded fanciful at first but walking through the palms and other Mediterranean foliage without another soul in sight did give a sense of being transported back to another world. This was spoiled a little but the constant stream of container ships on the horizon, especially as the sea level would have been much lower at the time the caves were inhabited. Along the way, it is impossible to miss the Goat’s Hair Twin Caves (picture attached), which lie just inside the inscribed area and are indeed mentioned in the nomination file as containing both Neolithic and Upper Paleolithic remains with potential for further excavation. Thanks to Solivagant for pointing out these caves are actually inscribed; I don't know why but had it in my head that they were not when I visited and for some months after before being corrected that they are indeed within the boundary. There is ‘rock art’ inside but the earliest I could find was from 1969. It is always a shame to see graffiti in a historic place but, if it is still there in 1000 years, then it can be inscribed in its own right.

Shortly after I returned, I was at the Natural History Museum in London and, completely unintentionally, stumbled across some Neanderthal skulls that had been excavated at Forbes Quarry in Gibraltar. Like other reviewers on this site, I have mixed feelings about the merits of Gorham’s Cave Complex. My view is that Gibraltar is sufficiently unique to deserve being on the list in some form or other. Perhaps a natural nomination for the mighty Rock itself or an attempt at the former tentative entry focusing on the various fortifications and siege tunnels would have been more appropriate. As it happened, the Neanderthal focus worked and Gibraltar is on the list and worth visiting, even if the prehistoric aspects are perhaps less intriguing than the later history of the area.