Spotlight: Gibraltar

Spotlight: Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. The ideally situated city sits on the Strait of Gibraltar, a narrow passage that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. The Rock of Gibraltar is a small 426 meter mountain that juts up, creating the perfect natural fortress from which a well-armed force can control the passage. Around the Rock sits the town of Gibraltar, home to 34,000 Gibraltarians. The Almohads established a permanent watch tower there in 1160. Since then control of the area switched off between the Nasrids, Castilians and Marinids during the Middle Ages. In 1704, Anglo-Dutch forces captured Gibraltar from Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession, and the territory was ceded to Great Britain in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The Royal Navy established a naval base there which gave the British a huge edge during the Napoleonic Wars and World War II since half of the world's sea-borne trade passed through the Strait.

Battery on top of the Rock of Gibraltar

The King of Gibraltar

Activities:

- Gibraltar Cable Car & Nature Reserve: The Gibraltar Cable Car is the fastest, and most convenient, method of going to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. The trip takes 6 minutes and offers great views of the rock, the city and the sea port. At the top, you'll have the opportunity to see 2 continents, 3 countries, and the meeting point of 2 great bodies of water - as long as it's a clear day. When we got there, it was foggy, but it cleared up before we left so we didn't miss out on the views.

Cable Car Station (bottom)

Cable Car Top Station

     At the Top Station, you can get a bite to eat at the Mons Calpe Suite Restaurant and Bar or visit the Top of the Rock Souvenir Shop. The famous Barbary apes can be found at the Top Station lookout as well as Middle Station (also known as Ape's Den). They are wild animals and roam freely, so don't leave anything unattended or they will make off with it.

Barbary Ape Pals

     After enjoying the view from the top, take time to stroll through the Nature Reserve. The Nature Reserve hosts several unique experiences for visitors. The SkyWalk opened in 2018 with Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) cutting the ribbon with his lightsaber. The glass walkway (a short walk from Top Station) offers unobstructed views of the steep drop below. St. Michael's Cave (less than a kilometer from the top) was discovered during Roman times and was thought to be bottomless. The cave was used as an auxiliary hospital during WWII. In addition to the beautiful natural formations, the cave is decked out with strobe lights that put on a light show in beat with the music. The cave is often used for concerts today. Other highlights include the World War II Tunnels, the Siege Tunnels, the Ape's Den (Middle Station), Windsor Suspension Bridge, O'Hara's Battery, the 100-ton Gun, the Moorish Castle and the Mediterranean Steps.

Sky Walk

St. Michael's Cave

Cave formation away from the lights

Tunnels

     If you are up for a hike, the Mediterranean Steps are a different option than taking the cable car back down to the bottom. The Steps were built by the British military and link Martin's Path (near the bottom) with Lord Airey's Battery (near the top). The path offers stunning views of the Strait of Gibraltar, Windmill Hill, Europa Point, the Great Sand Dune and the various beaches along Gibraltar's east side and Spain's Costa del Sol. Near the bottom, you'll arrive at Jew's Gate Cemetery. After passing out of the Reserve, you might want to take a look at the monument to the Pillars of Hercules - of which Gibraltar is one. The other is supposed to be Abila Mons - a smaller promontory on the African side of the Strait.

Monument to the Pillars of Hercules

The Mediterranean Steps

- Location: Red Sands Rd, Gibraltar GX11 1AA, Gibraltar

- Hours: 9:30 am to 7:15 pm daily; a new cable car arrives about every 10 minutes

- Cost: Cable Car round trip only: Adults: 19 pounds, Child (5-11): 9 pounds, Seniors (65+): 17 pounds

    Cable Car round trip + nature reserve: Adults: 38 pounds, Child: 22 pounds, Seniors: 36 pounds

    Cable Car single trip + nature reserve: Adults: 35.5 pounds, Child: 22 pounds, Seniors: 34 pounds

- Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Things You Should Know:

- Gibraltarians speak a local dialect known as Llanito - which is a mix of Andalusian Spanish and English. Tourists can get by speaking either language

- The Barbary Apes (really monkeys) can be aggressive if you have something they want. My wife had a water bottle in her backpack, and one leaped onto the pack in order to get at the water bottle. She started screaming and we got it off before we realized that we missed a great photo op. My daughter tempted one onto her back for a picture. They didn't attack us at all, just went after our stuff. Later, one stole my wife's ice cream bar. Needless to say, she didn't like them as much as the rest of us.

Ice Cream Thief

- We parked our car at the cable car parking lot and bought timed parking for 5 hours. Unfortunately, it took us longer to hike down than we thought it would, so we didn't get to see everything we wanted to see before heading back to the car. We then tried to drive back up to the Great Siege Tunnels and Moorish Castle, but couldn't find parking because there were too many cars already parked up there.

- The streets driving up and down The Rock are very narrow. Drive with caution!

- It can be cold at the Top of the Rock even if it is warm down below. Bring some sort of light jacket or sweatshirt.

Nearby: El Caminito del Rey - a fabulous hike (148 km NE of Gibraltar); Malaga - Spain's largest city along the southern coast (134 km NE of Gibraltar); Tangier - Morrocan city on the northern shore of Africa (85 km SW of Gibraltar); Parque Natural Los Alcornocales (64 km NW of Gibraltar)