HIGH on the Rock of Gibraltar, Benny the Barbary ape and six of his tail-less, furry-faced friends scampered up and held out leathery paws.

Tourist fed them peanuts and they all posed together for photographs before the sightseers moved on -- and the apes bounded off into the scrub to continue their monkey business.

More than 150 of the animals have the freedom to roam anywhere on the Rock, the only place in Europe where primates live without fences. If ever the apes disappear, says the old legend, Gibraltar will cease to be British.

The legend could come under close scrutiny next year, when a new and possibly controversial deal with Spain on the future of The Rock is probable. But the place will remain 'home from home' for the British, with 320 days of sunshine a year just two and a half hours flying time from London.

The colony is more British than many parts of Britain. Telephone booths and mail boxes are in Post Office red, policemen wear traditional uniforms, and there is the changing of the guard and the ceremony of the keys at the Governor's House.

Look a bit deeper and you see a cosmopolitan mix which reflects both Gibraltar's turbulent past and strategic position, linked to Spain by a narrow isthmus, kissing the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, with North Africa just 15 miles away.

Its 31,000 residents include British, Spanish, Moroccan, Genoese, Portuguese, Jewish and Indian. Buildings are an architectural cocktail of colonial British, Moorish and Iberian peninsular styles.

Arab, Spanish, Roman, Dutch and Turkish forces have all coveted this natural fortress overlooking the vital entrance to the Mediterranean.

When the Muslims captured it in 711, they named the landmark 1,400-feet high Rock of pure Jurassic limestone Jebel Tarik, Arabic for Mount Tarik, in honour of their leader, this in turn became Gibraltar. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain by Spain in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrecht, but has since been the constant target of military takeovers.

Near Gibraltar is Cape Trafalgar, where Nelson was shot dead on October 21, 1805 with victory in sight after an epic sea battle. His body was put in a flask filled with brandy, taken to Gib and then on to England.

The Rock itself is honeycombed with 140 natural caves and 40 miles of man-made military tunnels built to repel invaders. The world's first downward-firing cannon were installed in high vantage points, to blast enemy ships from the sea below. General Eisenhower set up his HQ in the tunnels in 1942 to mastermind the North Africa landings.

There is more than meets the eye to Gibraltar. You can reach the upper zone by car, cable car or by rock climbing. Over 200 species of birds have been seen in the nature reserve, winged asylum seekers from Europe and the heat of Africa seeking a better life.

The most spectacular cave is St Michael's Grotto, over 900 feet above sea level, with lighted stalagmites, stalactites and crystallised formations. The grotto is so vast that it was prepared as a military hospital during World War Two and today makes a unique natural auditorium for concerts, ballet and drama presentations.

Gibraltar is so close to so many fascinating places. You can have an English breakfast of bacon, sausages and eggs in the delightful British-run Rock Hotel, take a 75-minute catamaran ride to exotic Tangier and explore the souks before a lunch of harira lamb soup, couscous and Moroccan sweets.

Then back to Spain in late afternoon and, if the appetite is there, a dinner of tapas starters, zarzuela seafood stew and rice pudding.

The mountain-top town of Ronda, straddling a 400-foot deep gorge, the busy market and fishing port of Estepona, glamorous Marbella and the rest of the Costa del Sol resorts are easily reached by car -- after you have negotiated the Spanish border checkpoint.

Best place for eating out in Gibraltar is the waterfront seafood restaurants of Marina Bay. Pavement cafes proffer international cuisine, and there are numerous pubs and coffee shops.

Gibraltar also enjoys duty-free shopping, unique in the European Union. Spaniards cross the border for petrol at 48 pence per litre, and best buys include electronic and photographic goods, watches, perfumes and clothes.

Stores in Main Street have familiar names with prices marked in pounds and, sometimes, odd creatures mingle cheerfully with shoppers. Benny and his ape chums, remember, can roam wherever they wish.