Gibraltar DIY

Trying to work up a plan for our day in Gibraltar. I'd like to see the top of the rock, St. Michael's caves and the siege tunnels and then walk down part of main street. I'm trying to minimize walking to make a more efficient use of our limited time.

If we take a taxi to the cable car then it looks like there's a bit of a hike when we get to the top since the cave and the siege tunnels appear to be at opposite end of the rock. Can you walk to the siege tunnels? And then what would be the most efficient way to get down? Are there taxis at the top?

I'm not sure an organized tour would work for us because we probably wouldn't be ready to leave the tunnels or the cave when the tour was ready to move on.

I've read a lot of the Gibraltar threads and haven't come up with an answer.

Thanks.

The apes' den is just a few minutes from the top cable car station.

Then it's a simple 15 minute moderate downhill walk south to St Michael's cave.

You then have to return same-way, but uphill, past the apes' den and continue north for about another 20 minutes to the Great Siege tunnel/galleries - this is about the same height as the cable car station, but there's a bit of a "saddle" so it's downhill then uphill. Not overly steep (the cable car takes care of the long steep climb) but not a simple stroll either.

Then a 15 - 20 minute walk downhill from the Great Siege gallery, past the entrance to the WW2 tunnels & past the Moorish castle, to town streets & Casemates Square, at the bottom (north) end of Main Street.

Or re-trace your steps to the cable car, though that does seem a bit pointless.

IIRC you can buy a one-way cable car ticket for vaguely half the cost of a return ticket.

You can alternatively take a one-way taxi from the ship direct to St Michael's Cave, & walk from there.

There are no taxis available anywhere on the upper Rock, unless you're lucky enough to find one that's just done a one-way fare to St Michael's cave.

Beyond St Michael's cave it's a one-way road along the upper road of the Rock.

St Michael's cave & the Great Siege tunnel, although very worthwhile and with great views, are quite limited and IMHO the 20 minute stops on the taxi tours are long enough.

If you take a taxi tour & decide on-the-spot that you want to tarry longer at the Great Siege tunnel, you can pay-off the driver there & make your own way down later.

Or as you've hopefully seen suggested on other threads, bale out after the Great Siege tunnel at the entrance to the WW2 tunnels to tour them, & then make your own way down from there.

About 100 yards below the Moorish castle you can get a bus to Casemates Square, though from there it's only a 10 minute downhill walk.

The WW2 tunnels extend directly below the Great Siege tunnel, and they are actually connected - but not in an area open to the public.

BTW, have you also done a search on the Spain forum?

(yes, yes, I know. :rolleyes: But there are Gib threads on there. ;)

You don't have to pre-book a taxi or taxi tour, so you can make your minds up on the day, depending on mood & weather.

JB :)

Thanks for all the good info. Gibraltar is the most complicated port of our trip! And apparently we will start disembarking about an hour before sunrise.

I have read that the taxis don't get up quite as high as the cable car does. Do you know if that's true or if it would matter? And I'm thinking the cable car might not be too crowded. It's the last week in October and we're the only ship in port -- a mere 2100 of us.

How would you spend 6 hours in Gibraltar? We do want to see some of the main street. I understand that it looks very English -- to us Americans that's exotic!

The taxi route takes in the apes' den. That's only a few hundred yards from the cablecar station. Downhill - but remember, the ridge is saddle-shaped, & the apes' den is also on the ridge.

So height-wise there's nothing to choose between cable car & taxi.

For most of the time, including at the apes den you have glorious elevated views west across the Bay of Algeciras & Atlantic.

And a flight of mebbe a dozen steps beside the apes den will give you great views east over the Mediterranean -if there's no mist/cloud.

If you're unlucky, the mist rolls up the vertical Mediterranean slope and frequently obliterates eastern views from along much of the ridge, including from the apes den & the cable car station. It won't reach you or make those steps or a hike difficult, it just rolls vertically up the side, almost like a window-blind.

Can't believe an hour before sunrise?

Sunrise around 7.40 am (around 8.40am the previous week because clocks change by an hour on 25th October.).

Worth double-checking? If you're going to be early, check start times for the cable car, St Michael's cave, tunnels etc.

You say you have six hours - so what are your back-aboard / sailing times?

Bear in mind that as well as cruise ships, dozens of coaches bring day-trippers to Gib from the resorts along Spain's Costa del Sol - from as far as Malaga and beyond. Yes, it'll be into low season for them too but take a taxi tour or the cablecar first - the trippers arrive around 9.30 to 11.00.

Yes, Gib is quite English.

Perhaps some of it like the scruffier parts of England. ;)

Main Street is very easy to walk - quite level & mainly pedestrianized. Mostly tax-free shopping - but not everything is a bargain. Compare prices of alcohol, smokes, etc because they vary wildly. And Gib is a dumping-ground for last-year's models of electronics - cameras, phones, tablets etc. If you are planning to buy, check model numbers, home prices etc before you go, or you may not get the bargain you though you had.

The few sights, such as the Gov'nor's House & the little Trafalgar Cemetery are at the top (south) end of Main Street. Try the food in a pub, such as the Angry Friar near the top of Main Street - the outlets in Casemates Square are pleasant enough for a beer or a coffee, but food & value are poor.

It's about a 20 minute walk back to the ship from Casemates Square.

You can do an upper Rock taxi tour in something under two hours. Then from Casemates Square walk up through the Main Street shops & sights plus take in some refreshment in another couple of hours or less. Add a leisurely 30 minute walk back to the ship, all done & dusted in 4.5 hours. And a great deal simpler than you're thinking.

Only if you have longer than that should you consider hiking etc.

JB :)

I know most people don't like public buses while on a cruise, but I did some research pre-trip and used a couple to go where I wanted to go - lighthouse & mosque at tip of Gib, plus bus that takes you up to the airport so you can walk across it. The buses go pretty much everywhere, and while some of them were quite crowded (they're mostly little mini buses) I found them helpful in keeping the day's price down. I forget the name of the bus company, but it's easy to google it if you're interested - and (gasp!) it's in ENGLISH - yay! Several of them go to a point that's a 5-10 minute walk from where the ship will dock.

We loved Gib. Fun place. We did a taxi tour (a tiny bit rushed in places, but not as bad as I had expected! perhaps you could tip someone a little more and ask for a bit longer tour!). We didn't do the cable car.

I know most people don't like public buses while on a cruise, but I did some research pre-trip and used a couple to go where I wanted to go - lighthouse & mosque at tip of Gib, plus bus that takes you up to the airport so you can walk across it. The buses go pretty much everywhere, and while some of them were quite crowded (they're mostly little mini buses) I found them helpful in keeping the day's price down. I forget the name of the bus company, but it's easy to google it if you're interested - and (gasp!) it's in ENGLISH - yay! Several of them go to a point that's a 5-10 minute walk from where the ship will dock.

 

We loved Gib. Fun place. We did a taxi tour (a tiny bit rushed in places, but not as bad as I had expected! perhaps you could tip someone a little more and ask for a bit longer tour!). We didn't do the cable car.

Our family of 5 did the public bus and it was easy and inexpensive

Just to clarify on local buses mentioned by roothy & shemp.

Good little local bus services around town & up to Europa Point, and a frequent double-deck service to the Spanish border that takes no more than 10 mins.

But there's no bus service operating on the upper Rock (cave, apes den, tunnels etc).

JB :)