Day 18: October 20, 2024 – Gibraltar, UK

When I was in Gibraltar last month, I was really tempted to hike up the famous rock, but was intimidated by the terrain and the steepness (1,400 ft). I opted to get whisked to the top via cable car. This time, I decided to forego the peak altogether, and enter the nature reserve from a different angle to do some birding.

I had been slowly meandering around for about an hour, when I realized that this road also led to the top of the rock, and that I was almost halfway up the mountain. So I figured I might as well finish the job and go all the way. That’s how I unintentionally ended up at the top of The Rock! (It seems like there’s a lesson in there somewhere, something about how meandering (rather than focusing) is a better way to accomplish a difficult task….? 🙂 )

In addition to getting there by cable car or by road, there is also a series of 700+ steps that go up the mountain. The steps route is shorter but more strenuous because it goes straight up. I decided to try it out on the way down and it was definitely not as enjoyable as meandering through the nature reserve.

What WAS enjoyable were the troops of Barbary Macaque monkeys lounging around on the steps, which often meant having to step over them to continue.

Next stop: Malaga, Spain