The Gibraltar Nature Reserve – Unique
Gibraltar Nature Reserve
Gibraltar is located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and is British territory. It has an area of less than 7 km2. Due to its strategic location, at the junction of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and very close to Africa, it has been coveted by many to gain control of the Strait.
Natural Reserve
At the top of the Rock is this reserve which was declared as such in 1993. Its flora and fauna are protected by law. Its most famous inhabitants are the monkeys.
The highest point of the Rock is 426 meters above sea level. To access it you have three options:
- Walking
- Hiring a private cab
- Cable Car
There are two types of tickets depending on what you want to do:
- Cable car – monkeys – views – multimedia – attractions: includes entrance to all the attractions in the reserve.
- Cable car – monkeys – views – multimedia
When you arrive at the ticket office and give you the entrance ticket, they also give you a password for the free wifi in the reserve. There are two cable cars, one going up and one going down. When you get to the top you can see, from several viewpoints, breathtaking views. There is a restaurant, cafeteria, and souvenir store.
What to see:
Skywalk
It is a viewpoint 340 meters above sea level. It was inaugurated in March 2018, by Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker in Star Wars), who cut the ribbon with his laser sword.
It is a glass platform with a steel structure for which 30,000 kg were used. The floor glass is a high strength
O’Hara’s Battery
This artillery battery was built in 1890 and was in use during World War II. It is the highest point in Gibraltar, at 426 meters. Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Gibraltar Nature Reserve.
There you can see a huge cannon, tunnels and wonderful views.
It is open to the public since 2010.
St. Michael Caves
These caves full of stalactites and stalagmites were created with the rainwater filtering little by little through the limestone. The water continues filtering and there are some areas with puddles.
For a time it was used for military purposes and during World War II it was prepared as a military hospital but was not used for that purpose in the end.
Currently, these caves are the most visited in Gibraltar. Upon entering we are shocked by its lighting that changes color and the music playing non-stop. The main room, the Cathedral Hall, is named for the mineral formations on the walls that look like the pipes of a musical organ.
It is prepared for concerts and theatrical performances due to its magnificent acoustics and has a capacity of 100 people seated in chairs.
At the entrance to the cave, there is a restaurant and souvenir store.
Did you know that there are more than 150 caves in Gibraltar?
Windsor Suspension Bridge
This bridge, opened in 2016, has a length of 71 meters and crosses a gorge 50 meters deep. It is supported by two 80-meter-long steel cables and a multitude of secondary cables.
Great Siege Tunnels
Formed by a series of galleries during the years 1779-1783, which was the duration of the so-called Great Siege, the attack of the Spanish and the French who wanted to take Gibraltar from the English.
They were excavated by hand with hammers, crowbars, and gunpowder by 18 men who, in just over a month, dug tunnels 25 meters deep in the rock. In order to be able to work, they had to open vents, because, with the smoke from the explosions, they could not breathe. They realized that cannons could be placed in those vents. This is where they fired at ships and land attacks.
They dug three galleries: Windsor Gallery, which was the first, King Line, and Queen Line. When the siege ended the galleries stopped being built, but it was at that time that they opened a chamber called St. George’s Hall and installed a battery of 7 cannons and another chamber, Cornwallis Chamber. At the end of the siege, the tunnels were 113 meters long.
Figures dressed in the costumes of the time in movement and with sound simulate the handling of the cannons and the activity of those years. Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Gibraltar Nature Reserve.
If you are planning to stay in Gibraltar for a while and explore this wonderful place, it might be a good idea to rent an apartment. CENTURY 21 GIBRALTAR offers you apartments for rent in the best areas of Gibraltar, such as this 3-bedroom apartment in Ocean Village, one of Gibraltar’s prime locations. Set at the heart of the city’s restaurants and bars.
