Gibraltar is a tiny British Overseas Territory stuck to the bottom of Spain. It is 6.7 square kilometres, roughly the size of a large airport. Around 34,000 people live there. It is dominated by a 426 metre limestone ridge called the Rock of Gibraltar, one of the most recognisable landmarks on Earth. Southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It shares a land border with Spain and faces Morocco across a 14 kilometre strait. Two continents visible from the top of the Rock. The Atlantic on one side, the Mediterranean on the other. Britain. Since 1713, under the Treaty of Utrecht. Spain wants it back. The Gibraltarians have voted twice to stay British: [99.6% in 1967 and 98.5% in 2002](/blog/is-gibraltar-a-country-status-explained). It is not a country and not part of the UK. It is a [British Overseas Territory](/blog/is-gibraltar-a-country-status-explained) with its own parliament, its own laws, and its own currency. English is official. Spanish is everywhere. Most Gibraltarians switch between both mid-sentence in a local creole called Llanito that also borrows from Genoese, Maltese, and Portuguese. You will hear all of it within five minutes of crossing the border. The Gibraltar pound, pegged one-to-one with British sterling. UK notes accepted everywhere. Euros accepted in most shops but change comes back in Gibraltar pounds. The Barbary macaques are the only wild monkeys in Europe. Around 230 live on the Upper Rock. Legend says Britain loses Gibraltar when the monkeys leave. Churchill took it seriously enough to [order reinforcements from Morocco during World War Two](/blog/is-gibraltar-a-country-status-explained). Do not feed them. It is a 4,000 pound fine. A 426 metre Jurassic limestone ridge with over [50 kilometres of tunnels](/blog/rock-of-gibraltar-guide) carved inside it across three centuries. The Great Siege Tunnels from the 1780s. World War Two barracks and hospitals. Eisenhower planned the invasion of North Africa from a chamber inside. The Upper Rock Nature Reserve covers the top, with walking trails and views to Africa. Yes. The [runway crosses the main road](/blog/how-to-get-to-gibraltar-flights-driving-border). Cars stop at traffic lights when a plane lands. It is exactly as surreal as it sounds. Direct flights from London Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol, and Edinburgh. No. Gibraltar is duty free. Electronics, perfume, alcohol, and tobacco are cheaper than Spain or the UK. Main Street is the shopping hub. A [collision of everything](/blog/food-drink-guide-gibraltar). Fish and chips next to tapas. Full English breakfast beside churros. Curry houses, Italian restaurants, Moroccan tagines, and pub grub all within a 20 minute walk. Yes. Two to three days covers the [Rock](/blog/rock-of-gibraltar-guide), the monkeys, the tunnels, the [beaches](/blog/beaches-watersports-gibraltar), the [food](/blog/food-drink-guide-gibraltar), and the old town. Combine it with [day trips to the Costa del Sol](/blog/day-trips-spain-costa-del-sol) for a [full week](/blog/one-week-gibraltar-southern-spain-itinerary). The [best time to visit is spring or autumn](/blog/best-time-to-visit-gibraltar-month-by-month). [Victory Suites](/) on Devils Tower Road is three minutes from the airport. Fully equipped apartments with kitchens, a heated indoor pool, 24-hour gym, and high-speed WiFi. The newest apart-hotel on the Rock. What: British Overseas Territory, not a country. Where: bottom of Spain, facing Africa. Size: 6.7 km2. People: 34,000. Language: English and Spanish. Currency: Gibraltar pound (same value as GBP). Famous for: the Rock, the monkeys, the tunnels, the airport runway, duty free shopping, and being unlike anywhere else in Europe.