Upper Rock Nature Reserve

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 Upper Rock Nature Reserve takes up most of the limestone ridge that forms Gibraltar. One £19 ticket covers seven attractions, which is why almost every visitor ends up here. You can walk up from town in around 90 minutes if you are fit, take the cable car when it is operating, or take a licensed taxi tour that handles the route for you. The Barbary macaques are the headline. They are Europe's only wild monkey population, around 300 of them, and they have lived on the Rock for centuries. They will steal anything not secured. Do not feed them and zip your bag. St Michael's Cave, near the top, is a natural limestone cavern with stalactites, stalagmites, and a lighting show. It was first written about in 45 CE. The main chamber has been converted into an auditorium that hosts concerts and events. The Skywalk is the newest addition: a glass platform at over 400 metres above sea level on Bell's Peak. Look down through your feet at the Strait of Gibraltar with Africa visible on a clear day. The Great Siege Tunnels were cut by hand in the 1780s during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, 1779 to 1783. The British garrison blasted them out of solid rock to mount artillery on the north face. Walking through them is one of the most physical history lessons available anywhere in Europe. The Moorish Castle dates from the 8th century. The Tower of Homage, largely rebuilt in the 14th century, is the most visible part from town below. The Mediterranean Steps trail runs from the south end of the reserve up to O'Hara's Battery at the very top of the Rock at 426 metres. It is the best walk in Gibraltar if your knees are up to it. Start early, take water, wear proper shoes.