Mediterranean Steps

NOTE: The Gibraltar Cable Car is currently closed for refurbishment. Reach the Upper Rock by taxi tour (around £35-50 per group) or by walking up via Royal Anglian Way (about 90 minutes, free). The Mediterranean Steps are not for everyone, and that is exactly the point. This is Gibraltar's most demanding hike: a narrow path that cuts along the sheer eastern cliff face of the Rock, dropping away sharply to the Mediterranean hundreds of metres below on one side, with raw limestone rising almost vertically on the other. It is exposed in places, it is a serious walk, and it is one of the most memorable things you will do anywhere in southern Europe. The route runs from Jews' Gate in the south up through the Upper Rock to O'Hara's Battery near the summit. The full one-way walk takes between 90 minutes and two and a half hours depending on your pace and how long you stop. The path is well-defined but narrow, and in some sections your footing needs to be deliberate. Proper shoes are essential. Trainers at minimum, hiking boots ideal. This is not a sandals route. The eastern face of the Rock has some of Gibraltar's most interesting birdlife, particularly during spring and autumn migration when raptors and smaller passerines use Gibraltar as a staging point. Honey buzzards, black kites, and Egyptian vultures are regularly spotted here. The Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS) records thousands of raptors passing through each year. The views as you climb are extraordinary. The Sandy Bay area gives way to the long straight strip of sea-reclaimed land that forms Gibraltar's eastern beaches, with the Caleta district visible below and the Mediterranean stretching south to the horizon. On very clear days the Atlas Mountains of Morocco are visible across the Strait. The Steps are included in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve combined ticket (£19). The standard approach is to have a taxi or driver drop you at Jews' Gate and walk up, then arrange a pickup at O'Hara's. Start early in summer. The south-facing cliff face absorbs heat and there is no shade on the exposed sections.