The Rock Of Gibraltar

Stand on top of the Rock of Gibraltar and you feel as if you were on top of the world. Europe is at your feet. Africa fills one horizon, while the gates to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic are on either side.

The journey to the top of the Rock rewards you with a truly breathtaking view. From a height of 426m you will see the African coastline, where the waters of the Atlantic meet the Mediterranean, Spain’s Costa del Sol and a panoramic view of the City far below, the quays, marinas and bays.  Stroll the quiet path to St Michael’s Cave and you will be alone with nature .

                       Source: Google Images

Pre History

When the African Plate collided with Europe some 55 million years ago, the prehistoric sea that existed in the basin of the Mediterranean dwindled and dried up.Then 5 million years ago, the Atlantic waters burst through the Strait of Gibraltar and created the Mediterranean as we know it and isolating the Rock

Nature Trails

The Gibraltar Nature Reserve, particularly its Upper Rock area, is renowned for its unique trails that meander through the extent of the Reserve. These combine the Nature Reserve’s natural beauty and stunning views with some sites of historic interest that do not feature widely as part of the more mainstream ‘Rock tours’. Notable trails include the Mediterranean Steps, Inglis Way, Royal Anglian Way and Douglas Path. One of the key objectives of this plan is to diversify the products available in the Gibraltar Nature Reserve.

       Source: Mowgli Adventures

In order to help meet this requirement, a thematic trail network approach has been adopted. Different trails therefore cater for different visitor expectations and abilities.  In addition, the trails are intersected by ‘trail nodes’ which correspond to some of the main attractions within the Reserve such as Jews’ Gate, the Moorish Castle and St. Michael’s Cave.  Four trail networks have been developed namely the ‘Nature Lover’, the ‘History Buff’, the ‘Thrill Seeker’ and the ‘Monkey Trail’. Each trail has its own logo to help guide the user. As part of the revamped trail network a new Gibraltar Nature Reserve Application (GNR App) has been developed which is available on iTunes and Android platforms.

        Source: www.gibraltar.gov.gi/new/flora-fauna

Throughout the ages, the Rock of Gibraltar has cast a powerful first impression on those that have seen it. Whether approaching by land, sea or air, the Rock looms stark and isolated as it towers above the region. At the neck of the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the final signpost before the Mediterranean joins the Atlantic and thus has been an important site throughout history.

Time Line

940 BC
The Phoenicians followed navigators from the eastern Mediterranean visiting the Strait, finding the city Carteia at the head of the Bay of Gibraltar. The Rock became a place of worship where sailors made sacrifices to the gods before entering the Atlantic

1501 AD


Queen Isabella, tired of the petty squabbling among her nobility, issued a decree on the 2nd December 1501 AD, making Gibraltarthe property of the Spanish crown.

1793 AD to 1815 AD
The French revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars led to a considerable increase in the trade, prosperity and population of Gibraltar. The town, which had been destroyed in the Great Siege, was rebuilt.

1922 AD
The City Council was established and the first elections held in Gibraltar.

Situated at latitude 36^o07'N and longitude 0005^o21’W, Gibraltar juts out steeplyfrom the low-lying Spanish territory to which it is connected by a sandyisthmus, a mile long and half a mile wide. Five miles east, across the Bay of Gibraltar,lies the Spanish port of Algeciras and 20 miles south,across the Strait, is northern Africa.

 Gibraltar.

Motomalw