Walks

Stretch your legs with a refreshing and panoramic walk at the top of the Rock.

There are several pleasant walks in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, the Mediterranean Steps being the most noteworthy.

Walk 1: Public footpath from town
Walk 2: Douglas Path
Walk 3: Mediterranean Steps
Walk 4: Royal Anglian Way

Walk 1: Public Footpath from town

The public footpath from town to the Upper Rock provides the most effective way for walkers to get into the Upper Rock Nature Reserve without paying. It also presents the quickest way of getting to the top of the Rock.

You can pay at attractions such as St. Michael's Cave if you wish to enter.

A. The footpath from town to the Upper Rock can be found by locating the Garrison Library opposite the Elliot Hotel. Travel up the steps along the side of the Garrison Library, keep walking uphill to the star shaped road junction at which you will see B below.

B. These "Union Jack Steps" have been a feature here since 1967. This is effectively the start of the walk to the Upper Rock. Just keep going upwards, it should be instinctive from here on.

C. Travel up the steps onto the rough track, at this point good walking footwear is a must. After approximately 100 metres you will reach the steps shown in D below.

D. At the top of these steps you should turn left and travel along the road uphill to Devils Gap Battery at E below.

E. Devils Gap Battery dates back to the late 1800's. It is now in a derelict state but still retains the two 6 inch coastal defence guns which did in fact see action during WW2. This is a good stopping point for a rest and great views.

After leaving Devils Gap Battery the road turns sharply to the south at which point walkers should continue uphill in that direction for approximately 400 metres, passing under the Cable Car cables and arriving at the Apes Den shown in F below.

F. The Apes Den is an area containing a large pack of Rock Apes. It is one of the two main stopping points for all tourists wishing to see the famous Rock Apes.

The King Charles V Wall is also a feature of this area, it extends in four stages to the top ridge of the Rock. It is there that the second pack of Apes are a stopping point for tourists taking the Taxi Tours or leaving the Top Cable Car Station which is 150 metres away.

Instead of walking to the top via the roads, the steps on the wall provide the quickest way of getting to the top. Extreme care should be taken as the wall has fallen into a serious state of disrepair. It is effectively out of bounds but many walkers still use it on a daily basis, choosing to ignore the no-entry signs.

If you encounter Rock Apes on the wall, do not make eye contact, just walk quietly past and make sure you are not holding any food or sweets or have any bags open as apes will approach you with extreme vigour if they think an open bag contains food or confectionery. Cameras, spectacles and bottles of water are not what they are after.

Walk 2: Douglas Path

Some old steps lead up from the main road close to the Apes den at the top of the Rock. It was close to this spot that 500 Spanish soldiers climbed the east face of the Rock in 1704 led by a shepherd along an old goat path. The had made their way from Catalan Bay a thousand feet below with the intention of overthrowing the Garrison but were discovered and taken prisoner. The path was scraped away soon afterwards.

This portion of the path is known as Mount Misery, it leads upwards to an old Moorish lookout post (see below), which is one of the oldest structures at the top of the Rock. The Douglas Path actually starts beyond the observation post (B) leading southwards to end at the Douglas Cave (C)

The views are spectacular at the part of the trek. Spain is to the north and the city of Gibraltar to the west of the Rock. On the eastern side can be seen the giant slope of the ancient sand dune which was used as a water catchment area in the middle of the twentieth century.

The Moorish lookout post has very little known history and it is remarkable that it still stands despite many changes to Gibraltar.

Walk 3: Mediterranean Steps

Most people who decide to walk Med Steps do so from the bottom to the top, however many people travel to the top of the Rock via the cable car and descend via the steps.

For the purposes of the map above we shall start at the bottom of the trek adjacent to the Pillars of Hercules Monument at Jews Gate. The trek leads through the bushes beside the bird watching station which is the cream coloured building in the panorama.

Walk 4: Royal Anglian Way

A. The path can be found on the main road that leads from Jews Gate to the upper Rock. The path provides access to the now derelict Rooke Battery and Hayne's Cave battery.

The wording on the sign is as follows;

THIS PATHWAY WAS CONSTRUCTED BY SOLDIERS OF 2ND Bn ROYAL ANGLIAN REGT DEC 1968 - AUG 1969

 THE PATH IS MAINTAINED BY:

THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGT.

THE GIBRALTAR REGT.

Unfortunately there is no sign of recent maintenance. There is also a problem with a particularly vicious pack of Rock Apes. If you are walking in this area be very careful. Make sure you are not holding any food or sweets or have any bags open as apes will approach you with extreme vigour if they think an open bag contains food or confectionery. Cameras, spectacles and bottles of water are not what they are after.

B. Rooke Battery (West Side batteries)

This battery was named after Admiral Sir George Rooke (1650-1709), commander-in-chief of the grand fleet and captor of the Rock in 1704.

In 1907 it mounted one 9.2-inch BL Mark X gun on a Mk. V mounting with an underground magazine and shelter, similar to the other 9.2-inch guns such as O'Hara's, Lord Airey's and others. The gun was removed some time after 1928.

During the Second WorId War the battery was used as the Fire Command Headquarters and it also mounted an electric search light. It is these remains that are still in place today.

This battery should not be confused with HMS Rooke which is the name of the Naval Shore Station in Gibraltar.

C. A number of support buildings can be explored, most of which are in a poor state.

D. Hayne's Cave Battery (West Side batteries)

This battery was named after Capt. Haynes who was the garrison quartermaster in 1787. It first mounted guns in 1788.

The photographs opposite show the remains of one of the two gun positions which are approximately 40 metres apart, a north and a south position (photographs show the south position).

In January 1902 it was proposed to mount two 12-pdr. QF guns, but by 24 June of that year these were changed to two 4-inch QF guns. Work on the battery was completed on 26 February 1904 at a cost of £2,546. The northern gun had an arc of fire from 31 degrees to 171 degrees west of true North, and the southern gun from 25 degrees to 159 degrees west. The guns were removed in 1911 when the batteries role was taken over by the 6-inch gun position at Tovey Battery.

E. The path emerges onto the road leading down to the Apes Den from where you can take the Cable Car back to the bottom of the Rock.

GibraltarVisit.com is grateful to Jim Crone for the information kindly provided by him for this section