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With time to sink your teeth into the savoriness of Spanish life, you can walk the cobblestone streets until your soles are worn, ride a funicular to a hilltop overlooking San Sebastián, enjoy tapas and Spanish wine with sunsets, and maybe learn to cook a dish or two of Catalan and Spanish specialities. And with cheap domestic flights, it’s a cinch to travel from Catalan Barcelona to British Gibraltar.

Look for the “Jackson Place Cafe” sign on the Sansome Street sidewalk between Jackson and Pacific. Turn down into the breezeway toward Battery Street and find this secluded, New Orleans-like courtyard. When the summer fog hasn’t rolled in, the sun beams down between the historic buildings, creating a perfect place for a break from work (or sightseeing in nearby Chinatown and North Beach). Order an off-menu “Africano” aka “Gibraltar"--an intense espresso drink, between a macchiato and a cappuccino--or a New Orleans iced coffee. Either will spark up your afternoon. Earlier in the day, try the breakfast bagels and lunchtime panini. Giovanni, Gina, and Jenna will take care of you.

There are many things to love about staying at La Tangerina, but the panoramic views from the roof terrace are at the top of my list. In this photo, the Strait of Gibraltar is visible under a cloudy sky. Standing at this viewpoint, if you turn a little to the right, you’ll see the busy Port of Tangier and endless beaches. Turn a bit further to the right, and you’ll enjoy a spectacular multilayer vista, with the White City’s historic Kasbah in the forefront, followed by an array of more modern buildings, with the Rif Mountains as a distant backdrop. The hotel is perfectly located at the highest point on the Kasbah and has been beautifully restored and decorated. We enjoyed large breakfasts and a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of the medina.

Valley of Fire is the oldest state park in Nevada, and a great place to see 3,000-year-old Indian petroglyphs and explore the red sandstone formations created during the age of the dinosaurs. Bring your camera to photograph the landscape while hiking this rocky landscape formed over 150 million years ago. The red sandstone gives off an incredible light, which makes the grey rocks nearby appear turquoise. Great place to camp while watching incredible sunrises and sunsets! Photographers will go crazy for this place, especially in spring, when a variety of wild flowers bloom. Skip the Las Vegas strip and head straight to this magical place!

There is perhaps no landmark of San Francisco, and perhaps even the entire state of California, more iconic than the Golden Gate Bridge. This much-photographed bridge spans the Golden Gate, the strait separating San Francisco (to the south) and Marin County (to the north). The 2.7-kilometer-long (1.7-mile-long) bridge was completed in 1937 in one of the most remarkable engineering feats of its time. Although the idea of traversing the Golden Gate by way of a bridge had been discussed for decades, the fear that fog and wind would make the project nearly impossible discouraged planners. In the end, the bridge was completed in four years at the cost of $35 million as well as the lives of 10 construction workers. A pedestrian path along the bridge offers stunning views of the bay and San Francisco as well as an up-close look at this Art Deco wonder.

Uncover the great urban outdoors in Toronto, Canada’s most bustling city, to enjoy leisurely days of swimming, hiking, and kayaking complemented by delicious, eco-conscious restaurants and city excitement.

Make the Gibraltar shopping circuit: Admire unique wares made by local craftspeople at Gibraltar Arts and Crafts in Casemates Square. On Main Street, stop and smell the handmade soap and beauty products at Gibraltar Soap. Then browse the quirky paper goods and kitsch crafts at All Wrapped Up or find the perfect accessory at the Silver Shop.

The official residence of the governor of Gibraltar, originally a Franciscan convent, is home to a few curiosities. Notice anything strange about the wooden doors on the eastern wall of the Banqueting Hall? They used to be tables which, in turn, were made from wood salvaged from Spanish ships wrecked during the Great Siege (from 1779 to 1783)—the repaired gunshot holes might give them away. In this room, under glass, you can also see the last working keys to Gibraltar’s gates. Legend has it that this 16th-century building is haunted by the ghost of a nun sent to the convent against her wishes.

Get away from the crowds on Main Street and enjoy bream, massive prawns or the catch of the day. You can also choose from Spanish-style meat and rice dishes or share a round of tapas. Be sure to pair your selection with delicious wines from Spain.

Some great photos are possible from the top of the Rock: You can capture Gibraltar, Spain’s Costa de Sol, the African coast and the spot where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic from a height of more than 400 meters. Then explore the Tower of Homage, all that remains of an 11th-century Moorish castle, or admire stalagmites in St. Michael’s Cave. If you are up for a strenuous two-hour hike, ascend the Rock via the Mediterranean Steps.

Immense pods—up to 100 strong—of bottlenose, common and striped dolphins can often be seen playfully bounding alongside ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. These dolphins are year-round residents of the waters here, as are around 250 long-finned pilot whales (so affable that they sometimes approach small craft to greet them). In late summer’s tuna season, orca whales can occasionally be spotted hunting. The rarest (but still possible) sightings of all here are of humpback, minke and sperm whales.

The currents of the Strait flow constantly in both directions—the denser, saltier Mediterranean water sinks to the bottom and is pulled westward into the Atlantic while the waters of the cooler, less salty Atlantic flow steadily eastward along the top, right under the surface. In World War II, 62 German U-boats used the swiftly moving water to their advantage: The submarines would cut their engines upon entering the Strait of Gibraltar from the Atlantic and coast silently on the currents into the Mediterranean, evading detection.

Pose for pictures with the charming lighthouse at Gibraltar’s southernmost point. Prior to its completion in 1841, sailors were guided into this port by the light from Our Lady of Europe shrine. Dedicated to the patroness of Gibraltar, it was built over the site of a mosque after the Moors were driven out of Spain. A new mosque, inaugurated in 1997, is the southernmost mosque in continental Europe.

Explore the underground fortress, burrowed into Gibraltar’s famous rock, where Winston Churchill strategized. Britain’s Royal Engineers and a contingent of Canadian engineers constructed a network of tunnels between 1939 and 1944, extending earlier 18th-century passageways, to protect Gibraltar in case of attack by German and Italian forces. The military maze has been open to the public since 2005, and artifacts and photographs on display capture the realities of life here during the war.

Alameda Gardens presents a strange mélange of botanical and military information about Gibraltar. While you wander among 200-year-old dragon trees and stone pines and rare native plants, keep an eye out for guns, mortars and howitzers, too. These guns, and memorials to General George A. Eliott and the Duke of Wellington, remind visitors of the long military presence here. Displays in the restored 17th-century stone cottage explore the history of the gardens.