Rock of Gibraltar Guide.

Hello. Wow, this is quite stunning. It's like a film set or Disneyland. And there's another story that says they were bottomless. And there's a tunnel that goes all the way under the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco. So this is the Skywalk and the bay is below. There's a great view of that. But what is actually underneath me is nothing. And when you look down it makes you feel really funny. It's under 14,000 feet high. And this is a 9.2-inch calibre battery gun. Oh! Frightened the life out of me. The tickets for the Cable Car and the Nature Reserve are sold by two separate companies. The Nature Reserve is owned by the government. If you want to, you can actually walk down through the Nature Reserve, although it's a four kilometre walk. So you don't need a ticket to come up. Another way to see the rock is to get a lift, a cab or a taxi to this drop-off point. This is the entrance to St Michael's Cave. It's called the Awakening Entrance. See the caves first and then walk through the Nature Reserve. Wow, this is quite stunning. It's like a film set or Disneyland. If you do have mobility problems and you come by taxi, this is one place where it appears to have a lift and a platform for chairs. There's a light show here telling all about the origins of the caves and the geological structures, so we're going to have a look. St Michael's Cave is the most visited of more than 150 caves inside the Rock of Gibraltar. Receiving more than one million visitors a year, it's made from limestone within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve at a height of over 300 metres above sea level. Created by rainwater slowly seeping through the limestone rock, turning it into a weak carbonic acid which gradually dissolved the rock. Through this process, tiny cracks in the rock's geological fault grew into long passages and large caverns over thousands of years. The numerous stalactites and stalagmites are formed by an accumulation of traces of dissolved rock deposited by water dripping from the ground above. Music It's said that these caves were prepared in World War II for a hospital, but they were never used. One story says that these caves were built as pillars to Hercules and there's another story that they were bottomless and there was an underground tunnel going all the way under the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco. The ground's uneven and there are gullies at the side that you could easily twist your ankle down, but if you're fine, I would recommend these caves because the examples of stalactites and stalagmites are stunning, the lighting is magical and it's a great place to spend an hour. These are the Mediterranean steps. They're quite steep and they've got loose stones on them, so you have to be careful. Lovely views again from up here. This is the skywalk. The bay is down there, but what is actually underneath me is nothing. It makes you feel really funny. The other skywalks we've done are Madeira. You may have seen that on Doris Visits or the Grand Canyon which not too many ships go to. You'll be pleased to know the skywalk has a lift. Are you having a little sunbathe? It's nice there's a breeze, you won't get sunburnt. He's absolutely whack. So if you have mobility issues, the best way to do this is definitely by taxi. The Barbary apes were originally from the Atlas Mountains and the Rift Mountains of Morocco. As of 2020, roughly 300 animals in five troops occupy the upper rock. Since Covid, they've become a bit of a nuisance in the town as they make the occasional foray there for food. But the ones we've seen look as though they would be much too lazy to take the trip. It's very easy to find. Just walk all the way up the main street and it's up by the fire station. Unfortunately though, there's no disabled access, so bear that in mind. Take some water, but don't get it taken by the monkeys. Got the tickets. Up and down it's £18. You get £1.50 off if you're over 64. It's nothing if you're under four. And five to twelve, it's £8.50. And this is just up and down tickets, but we can decide at the top if you want to go to the nature reserve or not. If you have mobility problems, it's not very user-friendly for you. More stairs and more to the cafe. At the top of the steps, there's a viewing platform with great views. Down there, you can see Catalan Bay. This is the Spanish side. Behind me, you can see Spain. And down in the harbour is the spirit of discovery, the Saga Ship. If you walk the other way, you can see right across to Morocco and the Rif Mountains. If you've chosen the cable car and the walking route, you'll definitely get your exercise. No wonder the monkeys are all asleep. They need their rest. It's exhausting. We're in O'Hara's Battery. We're just under 14,000 feet high. And this is a 9.2-inch calibre battery gun. You can get up here and inside, and you can have a feel of what it must have been like. The noise must have been horrendous. He's concentrating. He's focused. He's not talking to me. But this is the pump room and ammunition room. And we think he's loading shells. Can't be sure. He won't tell me. Seems like a nice lad, this one. Very young. Hope you're not claustrophobic because we're going down the tunnel. And at the end of the tunnel is the engine room. And I've found another friend. Hi! And in this room, there's a record plan of O'Hara's Battery. Of course, you could cycle up. They're a tailless species. The locals refer to them as Monos. Whoa! Go on then, jump. Wow! Deliberately feeding the apes is now an offence in Gibraltar and punishable by law. Anyone caught feeding a monkey is liable to be fined by up to £4,000. So, think before you feed. I'm not going to get too close in case they come and attack me because apparently they bite. Wow, that's a great pose. Thank you. Thank you for that pose. That's lovely. There's a cheeky one. Oh, you're having a lie down. Great view of the marina and the cable car going back down. We're walking down the steps by Charles V Wall. They're very steep and I think if it was raining or slippery, it would be dangerous. Steps up to the rock and the siege tunnels are down Bell Lane. Good luck, it's a long way. These are the great siege tunnels. They are quite a walk uphill, but hopefully it will be worth it. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Gibraltar was never directly threatened for the rest of the century. Oh, frikey, right in the line about me. Actually, he looks like Prince Charles. Tunnelling continued after fighting ceased in 1783 and St George's Hall, a battery for seven guns, was excavated under the notch. Military tunnelling had a long tradition in Gibraltar, but nothing matches the scale of that undertaken during World War II. By 1943, 34 miles of tunnels were completed. The bulk of the work was done by four companies of the Royal Engineers. This is a view of the ship from the great siege tunnels platform. Just below the tunnels, there is a great siege exhibition, if you're interested in that. And further down the hill from the great siege tunnels are the World War II tunnels and miles and miles more tunnels. For two tunnels is the Moorish Castle.