O'Hara's Battery

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). O'Hara's Battery sits at 426 metres above sea level at the very summit of the Rock of Gibraltar, and the views from here are the finest on the entire peninsula. On a clear day you can see south to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, east along the Costa del Sol as far as Malaga, west across the Bay of Algeciras into the Atlantic approaches, and north over the flat plain of Spain toward Seville. Two continents, two seas, one vantage point. The battery takes its name from General Charles O'Hara, who commanded the garrison at Gibraltar in the 1790s and ordered construction of a signal tower here at what was then known as the Signal Station. The current structure houses a massive naval gun installed in the early 20th century as part of Gibraltar's coastal defence network. The gun was designed to fire shells capable of engaging warships far out in the Strait, and the barrel points south in a way that makes the strategic logic of the position immediately clear. The path up from the cable car upper station is a decent climb on foot, or you can drive up as far as road access allows. Wind can be strong up here even on days when the town below is calm, and the temperature is noticeably cooler. A light layer is worth having regardless of the season. Entry is included in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve combined ticket (£19 for adults). This works well as a first or last stop on an Upper Rock day. Arriving at sunrise or staying for sunset gives you something worth the effort. Allow 30 to 45 minutes for the views alone.