St. Michael's Cave, Gibraltar (must see)

Rainwater, slowly seeping through limestone, will change into a weak solution of carbolic acid. The acid solution gradually erodes the limestone. It creates tunnels and caverns from cracks. This simple process has been carving away at the Rock of Gibraltar for thousands and thousands of years. The result is St. Michael's Cave.

St. Michael's Cave is really a vast network of tunnels and caves in the Upper Rock Nature Preserve of Gibraltar. Alonso Hernandez del Portillo, the leading historian of Gibraltar in the 17th century, held that the cave is named for the Grotto of Monte Gargano in Apulia, Italy, where archangel St. Michael is said to have appeared.

St. Michael would have felt at home. Humans certainly have, since Neolithic times. Pottery, utensils, weapons, and artwork of the Rock's prehistoric tenants have been found. A charcoal drawing of an Ibex is on a wall. The drawing is about 20,000 years old. There were two Neanderthal skulls found, dating from 40,000 years ago.

In 45 AD, geographer Pomponius Mela described Gibraltar as "A mountain with wonderful concavities." The caves were well-known to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Phoenicians. In the Victorian era, the caves were used for picnics, concerts, marriages, and duels. In 1840 Colonel Mitchell and a friend went in and were never seen again.

In 1942, while blasting rocks in the cave to improve ventilation, a deeper system of caves and underground lakes was discovered. It was called New St. Michael's Cave. The largest room is called the Auditorium. It is used for a theatre space showing sound and light shows, beauty pageants, operas, and concerts.

St. Michael's Cave attracts over 1,000,000 visitors a year. The cave can be reached by car, by foot, or by cable car. Tickets include visits to the Moorish Castle and the Great Siege Tunnels of the Rock. Safety helmets are available. Non-skid shoes are recommended.