A day in Gibraltar, where monkeys and people live together on a small peninsula
A British overseas territory, located at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. Known for its rock, its Barbary Macaque monkeys, their extensive history, typical UK telephone booths and one of the few places in the world where you can walk across the airport runway by foot.
We visited Gibraltar in January 2024, and in this travel guide we’ll share all our travel tips and experiences.
Gibraltar is a destination that was high on our list, with its lovely weather, stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and adorable Macaque monkeys on The Rock.
Car Parking
After an 1-hour drive from our apartment in Marbella, we parked our car at La Linea Parking Constitucion – Frontera (Google Maps). From this parking you can easily walk across the border to Gibraltar in only 8 minutes.
Ofcourse it’s also possible to drive straight to Gibraltar and park your car there. Just keep in mind, the wainting line for cars at the pasport control can be much longer than by foot. Also many car rental companies don’t allow you to cross the border (without paying an extra fee).
Since the UK is no longer part of the EU, a passport is required to enter the country. After a quick stop at the passport control, we continued our way over the airport runway, to the Cable Car.
Gibraltar Cable Car
Our first acitivity of the day was visiting the Macaque Monkeys on The Rock. There are several options to get to the summit, such as taxi’s, private tours or the Cable Car. We decided to choose the last one. Cable car return tickets were £19 per person. We actually only went up with the cable car, and walked back down while we stopped at some of the sights!
We do advise you to check the opening hours on their official website.
In only 6 minutes, the Cable Car brings you to the Top Station near the summit, where the first monkeys welcome you already with pleasure. The observation platform provides beautiful views from all sides, and given Gibraltar’s location, this creates an unique experience. From the observation platform, you can walk a little higher, without paying extra for entry to the Nature Reserve.
The monkeys are a joy to watch. Watching them take in the beautiful views, is a real delight. After seeing that, you can’t help but do the same yourself.
Please keep in mind, eventhough they may seem tame, the monkeys are wild animals. Make sure to follow the instructions on the signs and respect the monkeys at all time. In the end, we are just visitors in their natural habitat!
Gibraltar Nature Reserve
It was time for our next activity, the Nature Reserve, Upper Rock. Admission to the Reserve was £18, but in our opinion worth every penny!
Besides the many monkeys, amazing views and nature, entrance to the park also includes several activities. Due to lack of time, we had to make a selection, but we are pretty sure there is something fun for everybody.
Skywalk
From the Entrance it is only a 5-minute walk to the first sight. In front of the skywalk you’ll pass a feedingstation, where you can enjoy some more monkeys eating fruits.
The skywalk located at top of the Northern Pillar of Hercules, offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of three countries spread across two continents. That said, it is not for people with fear of heights.
O’Hara’s Battery
On to the next stop, O’Hara’s Battery, a historical military site which is the highest viewpoint of the Nature Reserve. It is located near the southern end of the Upper Rock. From the Skywalk it is a good 15 to 20-minute walk but it is uphill, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring some water to stay hydrated.
The coastline is impressive, but unfortunately O’Hara’s Battery itself was closed due to renovation work, so we continued on our way to the Mediterranean Steps.
Mediterranean Steps
Next to the entrance of O’Hara’s Battery you can find The Mediterranean Steps. This UNESCO site is a beautiful hiking trail that goes all the way from the highest point of the rock, down to the Jew’s Gate. The trail consists of a series of steep steps, rocky paths, and narrow ledges carved into the limestone rock. If you are a outdoor lover and have the time, it is a must-do activity! Hiking the trail up to the summit will take you approximately 1.5 – 2 hours.
We did not walk this trail due to lack of time, but instead walked to the Windsor Suspension Bridge.
Windsor Suspension Bridge
A 30-minute walk downhill brought us to the Windsor Suspension Bridge. The bridge hangs 70 metres above a deep ravine, and it’s a pretty cool activity. Big chance there are some monkeys acompany you across the bridge.
Apes Den
Just behind the bridge lies Apes Den. Given the name, we expected most of the monkeys here. This was not the case, but there were a few. We couldn’t get enough of them!
Apes Den is located at the Middle Station, but in low season the Cable Car doesn’t stop here. Eventhough there weren’t a lot of monkeys, the views over Gibraltar are yet again beautiful.
Moorish Castle
Another 25-minute walk downhill brought us to the Moorish Castle. Gibraltar has a tumultuous history, and the Moorish Castle is one of the unique things left over, from the time before Gibraltar fell into the hands of the British. The castle itself is not really worth seeing from the inside, but the outside is. It offers panoramic views of the surrounding area.
This was our last activity in the Nature Reserve, but there is more to explore!
- St. Michael’s Cave
- World War II tunnels
- Great Siege Tunnels
- Princess Caroline’s Battery
- Lime Kiln
- City under Siege Exhibition
- Charles V Wall
- Jew’s Gate Cemetery
- Pillars of Hercules
All information necessary can be found on the ”Visit Gibraltar” website.
Overall, Gibraltar Nature Reserve is a must-see! Whether you like animals, nature, hiking or history, we would definitely recommend you to set apart some hours to spend on The Rock.
🕐4-5 hours in total for the Nature Reserve
Grand Casemates Square
It was time to explore the rest of the city. Starting at the Grand Casemates Square, located in the heart of Gibraltar. It is a nice and vibrant square with restaurants, shops and cafes. The perfect place to enjoy the sun for a while or have some drinks & lunch while in the meantime you enjoy some people-watching.
It is also the starting point of the main shopping street in Gibraltar.
Amar’s Bakery
Time for some food! While planning our trip we stumbled up on a Jewish restaurant ”Amar’s Bakery”, which lies at the end of the Main Shopping street. The reviews were good, so we decided to get some lunch there. The restaurant was cosy, the food was delicious and the staff was friendly. Everything you need for a lovely lunch.
Europa Point
Next up was Europa Point. From Amar’s Bakery it was a 15-minute walk to the bus stop in front of The Rock Hotel. Line bus 2 took us in 10 minutes to our destination.
Just a little tip: you can only pay cash (Pounds), and in the exact amount.
Europa point is the southernmost point of Gibralter, which houses several landmarks.
- Trinity Lighthouse
- Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque
- Harding’s Battery
- The Shrine of Our Lady of Europe
- Europa Point Park
The mosque can also be visited within opening hours. We missed these opening hours, but it is also a magnificent mosque from the outside. We soaked up some more sea views and walked around for about an half hour. Then it was time to catch the bus back to the city centre. This was really easy since buses do come regularly.
Ocean Village
Our last activity of the day: Ocean Village. From Europa Point to this part of the city takes a 15-minute bus drive. Once arrived, you walk into a stunning waterfront nestled between two beautiful marinas and the Rock of Gibraltar. Here you can find two Casinos, a nightclub and a plenty of choice in terms of bars and international restaurants. It looks stunning and it’s the ideal place to end the day in Gibraltar. Lovely by the water, several options to get something to eat, and close to the border crossing with Spain. You should definitely visit this place when visiting Gibraltar.
You can easily spend 30-60 minutes here, depending if you decide to have some drinks or foods on of the terraces.
Our day in Gibraltar came to an end. Again, we had a busy but magical day! We hope we could provide you with some highlights and tips in this travel guide from Gibraltar.
Tip: Read more about our day trip to Cádiz & Marbella
Travel guide of Gibraltar on YouTube
If you would like to see more of our trip, feel free to watch our YouTube video about Gibraltar! Or subscribe to follow our travel adventures.
