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We present high resolution pollen, dinocyst and isotopic data for the Last Interglacial complex from marine core MD952042 (southwestern margin of the Iberian Peninsula; 37°48′N; 10°10′W; 3148 m). Direct land-sea correlation from this core indicates that during this period, North Atlantic sea surface temperatures were in phase with Iberian climate. Our palynological analysis suggests a Younger Dryas-like event at the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS)-6/5 transition. The analysis also indicates that the Eemian spans from the lightest isotopic values of MIS-5e (ca. 126 ky BP) to the heavier isotopic values towards the MIS-5e/5d transition. Therefore, the Eemian is not entirely equivalent to MIS-5e. Pollen analysis identifies four climatic phases of low amplitude during the Eemian. A Mediterranean climate in southwestern Europe is gradually replaced by oceanic conditions. The middle of the Eemian is characterized by an …