While on a solo adventure in Southern Spain, I decided to take one day to go to the British territory of Gibraltar. It sits on a tip of coastline that juts into the Mediterranean Sea. It took me about 45 minutes to drive there from Estepona (near Marbella).
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Although I decided to go on a solo hiking adventure, there are tour options if you prefer that. Here is one that includes a dolphin watching boat tour and round trip cable car to the top! There are even tours that provide transportation from Malaga. If you decide to stay in Gibraltar for a night or two, The Rock Hotel is right on the rock. It’s near the cable car or the path leading to the top of the rock. For a budget friendly option, and something a little more fun, consider staying on the Spanish side of the boarder in the Boat Haus.
I researched before going and decided my best option was to park in Spain and walk across the border. This honestly was great because I found parking in a garage that only charged €3. It took me 10 minutes to walk to the passport check and the line was super quick.
Once through customs, the bus that takes you straight to the base of the Rock of Gibraltar is a 3 minute walk on Winston Churchill Avenue. It cost around £6 for a round trip (cards accepted). The downside of the bus was that it took awhile to get there. I’d say I was on there for at least 45 minutes. It was right at mid-day though. When I finally arrived, the bus stop was a short walk to the cable car that can take you right to the top. The cable car costs vary, however, I prepared to hike up to the top.
How to Hike Up the Rock
I won’t lie, I had to ask for directions on where to go from one of the locals selling tours. And even then I made a wrong turn and had to walk back. I got on the right road, but wasn’t sure if it was the right road! So I decided to walk back down, and then had to walk back up. So don’t be like me!
The best way from the cable car parking lot is through the botanical garden – a pretty walk through to the street above. The road you are looking for is called Engineer Road, and it is quite the hill the further you go. After walking for a couple of minutes, you will come across a sign for the Gibraltar Nature Reserve – keep going! You’re in the right place.
At the top of the hill, there is a kiosk to purchase your ticket. This gives you access to all the points on the rock. It’s £18 per person, which I think is worth it now that I’ve done it (especially with the Med Steps!). It’s £12 for kids. If you want to buy tickets ahead of time, you can here.
Mediterranean Steps
After using the bathroom, I decided to do the hike (yeah, another one!) on the Med Steps. Everything I read about this said it is so worth doing, and I will continue on that soap box. This was one of the most incredible hikes I’ve ever done. The views were insane even though the terrain was tough at times. It made the hike that much more exciting for me!
When you go up the initial steps from the ticket kiosk, you’ll see a sign for the steps. A bit further up you’ll see a sign about the trail. It’s listed as difficult, and as someone who hikes fairly often, I would agree for the most part. It isn’t a long trail, so I thought it was exaggerating – but there are a lot of steps!
Start by going right. If you’re a beginner hiker, this is the easiest part of the trail and you can turn around as it gets harder. Don’t let the beginning fool you though, I had to take quite a few breaks once you hit the stairs! Despite these warnings, like I said this was one of the greatest hikes! I 1000% recommend trying it!
Saint Michael’s Cave
Once you reach the top of the stairs, you go back down a small hill which leads back to the road. If you continue for a quarter mile, you’ll see a break on the left heading down a very steep hill. This is Saint Michael’s cave. Remember- if you go down, you must come back up! Fair warning after you’ve just done 2 intense hikes!
The thing that brought me down there most was the promise of the store having ice cream! I walked down and got a snack, went to the bathroom, and then I checked out the cave! This is included in your ticket, you just scan your wristband to get in. It is pretty incredible to see, because the stalactites and stalagmites have been forming for thousands of years. They have created a light show in the cave, which I thought was kind of cheesy, but it did allow for some interesting ideas. The cave has tons of history!
The Monkeys of Gibraltar
After the cave (and the steep climb back out), I continued to wander down the road where I immediately encountered some of the famed Barbary Macaques (monkeys). Thought this species isn’t native to Gibraltar, they have lived there for a very long time. I was a bit nervous because, though they are around people every day, they are still wild animals. They should definitely be treated as such! Many of them had babies as well, and I was worried about them becoming territorial.
Truth be told, I had no issues getting near them. However, I respected them and did not touch or feed them. I had to get pretty close as I took the stairs down the rock right through Apes Den (see photos!). None of them bothered with me, hardly even sparing a glance in my direction. If you are too freaked out to go down this way, you can take the cable car, or go back the way you came. I braved it! It was a short walk back down to the cable car parking lot once at the bottom.
The Rest of The Rock
There are a few other things on the upper rock: The great siege tunnels, Windsor suspension bridge, the Queen’s lookout, etc. Much of the goings on up there are leftover from the military. You can imagine the vantage point up there was a really good one for military defense. You can check them all out at your leisure. I was tired by the time I went up on the Queen’s lookout, so I went back down without much more exploration.
Overall, I felt like I got the most out of this trip to Gibraltar, and am so glad I went! If you are in Southern Spain, I highly recommend taking a day to check out the Rock of Gibraltar. Let me know in the comments what you think when you go! If you’d like to read more about day trips from Southern Spain, read about Tanger, Morocco here. Happy reading!
