Explore Gibraltar lo idays H
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ibraltar’s majestic rocky outline is one of the great sights of the Mediterranean, with a history to match, embracing early Neanderthal discoveries and many monuments to its pivotal military heritage. Its immense heights, accessed by cable car, offer glorious views and nature walks, with plenty of other sightseeing options, beaches and excursions on land and sea.
What to see and do Gibraltar has enough to keep you occupied all day, but you could spend three to six hours seeing the highlights - on a tour or on your own - and devote the rest of your stay to the beach, shopping or a dolphin-watching boat trip. Alternatively, devote the whole day to trips to Spain or even Morocco. The official tourist board website has useful ideas, links and further information, especially on the confusing array of tickets required for combinations of sights.
What can I do in four hours or less? Gibraltar’s most popular sightseeing trip is the cable car from the old town, which climbs 1350ft (412m) in
six minutes to offer fine views and, usually, some of the Rock’s famous wild monkeys. This is something you can do under your own steam, but be sure to buy a ticket online to avoid in part the long queues when cruise ships are in port. Note you will still need to exchange your e-ticket at the base station. From the top station you can walk half a mile (800m) downhill to see St Michael’s Cave) by way of the Skywalk, a glass-surfaced platform opened in 2018. The site’s ticket includes several other attractions that can be accessed on foot by road or path from the top station, including the Upper Rock Nature Reserve and O’Hara’s Battery.
Alternatively, continue on foot just over a mile (2km) to another of the Territory’s key sights, the Great Siege Tunnels, which you can also access from the top station if you don’t want to see the Cave. Visit walkgibraltar.com for excellent guided walks in the area. Plenty of other tours are available if you don’t want to explore independently, and can save time on a short stay. Typically these last 90 minutes, three hours or six hours, with similar highlights whether you choose the popular official taxi tours or the more popular Gibraltar Rock Tours.
Another half mile (800m) beyond the Cave is the Apes’ Den, home to the bulk of Gibraltar’s monkeys. Here you can catch the cable car down from the mid-station, but, vitally, not between April and October, when it doesn’t stop here.
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