Regardless of what you may think about Gibraltar, no one can deny that it is a fascinating place due to its history, geography, culture and unique status within the EC. Cruise passengers calling at Gib have less than a day to explore The Rock. Most don’t make it past Main Street. Fully appreciating Gib can take many days, weeks and some make it the work of a lifetime. I hope that this short offer, which takes you to places rarely visited by tourists, encourages more people to open their eyes to what Gib has to offer.
There is only one road to Gibraltar from the border. Whether you choose to drive or walk, after clearing customs (don’t forget your passport), you’ll pass through the airfield tarmac. The original track was built during World War II and has been expanded several times since then. It is still in use as an RAF base, home to naval aircraft and civil flights. From here you can see the Rock itself, a huge buttress of limestone, almost vertical. The caves you see, used as defensive gun positions, are the ends of the miles of tunnels dug since the British conquered Gibraltar in 1713. An entire city is hidden within the rock.
The city is entered through one of the gates through the massive walls built during the 18th and 19th centuries. In those times the sea reached up to the walls, all the land outside the walls has been gained over two centuries.
Walk up Main Street to the square just before Marks and Spencers and take the small alley at the top right of the square that leads to the Gibraltar Museum. For 2 pounds from Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm you can discover the fauna, flora, history, geography and, through an excellent film, the geology of Gibraltar. The museum itself looks small from the outside, but it’s a maze of tiny rooms on the inside. There is so much content that one visit is never enough.
From the museum, go back to Main Street and turn right. Go up the street and you will soon see the Governor’s House on the right. On the occasional Saturday lunchtime the changing of the guard ceremony takes place here with all the pomp and ceremony for which the British are famous. This ceremony used to take place every Saturday, but in 2005 security measures were introduced and the dates of the ceremony are not announced, so it is a matter of luck.
A smaller ceremony that occurs at noon every Saturday begins in Casemates Square at the lower end of Main Street. Nine volunteers in 18th-century infantry uniforms, to the sound of fifes and drums, march down Main Street, turn around, and march again for a well-earned pint. The statement they are making is pretty obvious. Check out the smallest volunteer, well into his sixties, as tall as his musket and grinning from ear to ear.
Continue on Main Street through Cemetery Gates following signs for Alameda Gardens. The Alameda Gardens were opened in 1816 at the behest of Lieutenant Governor George Don, who wished to provide a scenic walk for residents and visitors to Gibraltar “where the inhabitants could enjoy the fresh air sheltered from the extreme heat of the sun”. They have been developed and expanded since then and provide a quiet little sanctuary in the center of this bustling city. The Alameda is now home to the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens with displays of foreign native plants growing in a Mediterranean setting. Many native and rare insects, reptiles, butterflies and birds have taken up residence. Sad that I am, I try to go there once every two months so as not to miss anything in their season.
When you leave the Alameda you will be ready to have a coffee. I have a theory that there is a competition at Gib to serve the worst coffee on the planet – Morrisons is winning so far. The Piccadilly Garden Bar is on your left as you exit the gardens car park. Not only is it good coffee, they are also known for their excellent homemade churros and papitos. Churros are round dough sweets that are eaten with sugar and hot chocolate, papitos are similar but straight. A sweet way to end the visit.
Back in July it was too hot for “Top of the Rock” but now as we move into autumn another aspect of Gibraltar can be comfortably explored.
For this day we take the car to Gibraltar instead of using the official taxis to tour the Rock. Our main reason was that tours tend to be rushed and as Julie will tell you, I like to read every plaque and explore every crevice. After reaching the Rock, follow the signs to the ‘Upper Rock’. Just past the Rock Hotel and Casino, don’t miss the left turn that takes you to the pay booth.
The car costs £1 and each person in it costs £7. Those prices include admission to St. Michael’s Cave, the Lair of the Apes, the Great Siege Tunnels, the Castle of the Moors, and the 100-ton Cannon. If you read each plate, it is a very full day.
From the pay booth, immediately ahead is the Pillar of Hercules monument and from there you can see, on a clear day, the Pillar in North Africa at Jebel Musa, west of Ceuta. Pillars appear in Greek mythology with all sorts of dire warnings designed to deter adventurous merchants from going further west, thus protecting their trade routes. Beyond the pillars, a sailor had to face rough seas, sea monsters, rapacious mermaids and, if he was really unlucky, he would sail to the end of the world.
The next stop on the tour is the cave of San Miguel. Car parking is a bit far up a steep hill so drop off your passengers then park, don’t forget your entry tickets. The cave is a natural series of passages and caverns excavated in the soluble limestone rock by the action of water.
There are some good examples of stalagmites, stalactites and calcite curtains. The largest cavern has been converted into an auditorium and must be an impressive setting for the Son et Lumiere shows. Unlike other caves in the Rock, there is no evidence that St. Michael’s was ever occupied by prehistoric man despite the prominent cabinet containing a Neanderthal skull replica found in Forbes Quarry.
After retrieving the car, take the path to Apes Den. This is an area where Barbary Macaques (Macaca Silvanus) feed. One story, told by the guides, says that they were imported to Gibraltar by one of the Moorish rulers to remind him of home. A more likely story is that they were imported by the British in the early 18th century, as the first written record of them dates back to 1740. Legend has it that if the apes leave Gibraltar, so will the British. There seems to be little danger of either happening. Keep your car windows closed.
These rascals are so used to humans that they swarm over your vehicle and, without the benefit of screwdrivers, will rid you of antennas and windshield wipers. Local guides carry a walking stick for obvious reasons. Although he is not encouraged to feed the apes, he turns a blind eye. They seem to appreciate dry pasta. Take off your wristwatches, necklaces, rings and chains or the apes can take them off for you. It’s really fun.
Making sure you don’t have any unwanted passengers in or on your car, continue to the Great Siege Tunnels. The tunnels that you visit are only a very small part of the 60 kilometers of tunnels that cross the Rock. They were excavated during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, the Peninsular War and World War II. The Rock houses an entire town complete with communications rooms, warehouses, magazines, etc.
The part open to visitors concentrates on the siege period and contains some good exhibits, including the famous downward-firing gun. A certain Sergeant Major Ince was the man responsible for the idea of the siege tunnels and as a reward he was given a piece of land on the Rock which is still known as Ince’s Farm. The gunports offer fabulous views over the airport and La Linea. During the Great Siege, 1779 – 1783, more than 200,000 cannonballs were fired from these embrasures. Of course, the Spanish recovered enough and shot them.
The Castle of the Moors is next. This small fortress dominates the only land connection to Spain and dates back to the 11th century. From the flagpole on the roof flies the Union flag, just as a reminder that you understand. The castle has undergone a lengthy renovation (2006), the previous one being in 1333. Inside there are some beautiful examples of Moorish wall and ceiling decorations. A couple of years ago some Spanish students infiltrated the castle and raised the Spanish National Flag. They discovered that Gibraltarians have no sense of humour.
As you exit The Rock, follow the signs to the 100-ton cannon just south of the docks. The gun was made by Sir WC Armstrong at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1870 and was one of only twelve. Eight were built for the Italian Navy, two were sent to Malta and two to Gibraltar.
The 17.72-inch rifled muzzle loader has a barrel length of 32.65 feet, of which 30.25 feet is rifled, and was capable of firing a 2,000-pound shell up to 8 miles. Hydraulic power generated by a steam engine was used to raise and traverse the canyon. It took a minimum of 3 hours to develop the steam head required to operate the mount, although this was quite acceptable as it took at least 3 hours for a Man O’War to enter Gibraltar Bay after being positioned off the point of Rate in Spain.
It is said that during a visit by the Inspector General of Artillery in 1902 the Cannon was prepared to fire 5 rounds at full load. At the first command to fire, the tube fired, but that was it. After more attempts, still nothing happened, so the misfire drill was carried out, but to no avail. At the end of the stipulated 30-minute wait, the General asked for a volunteer to go down the shaft and attach the cartridge extractor to the shell so the gun could be discharged. After a long pause of consideration, a small, thin soldier stepped forward and volunteered for the task. Stripped to the waist, with a rope around him and the extractor at the ready, he himself was ‘loaded’ into the cannon. A few moments later, to everyone’s relief, he was beamed back safely, having completed his task.
The gunner’s reward, while not princely, was immediate, as he is said to have been promoted to the rank of Bombardier that very day.