Upper Rocks

Where are we going today?

Today, we're going to the Rock of Gibraltar, right up to the Upper Rocks, a touristic park where you'll have to do a lot of walking if you want to see it all.

So... where do I have to go to have a good time?

Well... obviously we're going to have to go to the Línea de la Concepción so that we can get to Gibraltar. This tends to be difficult because of the crowds which depend on which season you go there in.

You can get there on foot or bike, but if you want to climb up to the point I mentioned, the best way to get up there is by car or another motor vehicle.

Is there an easier way to get there (if is there one or not... )?

Easier than going by car? Nope. Although that's not easy either, specifically because of the throngs of people. I went during the summer and there were huge queues and even greater traffic on the island of Gibraltar already.

Possible alternative transport

I guess that bus services that take us up there must exist, or in Gibraltar somewhere. They could at least take us up to the park where you can find the upper part.

Location and timetables

It is found in the upper part of the Rock of Gibraltar, and it won't be easy to get there on foot because we're going to have a loooong walk, and the schedule is from the morning till 7 in the evening, at least it was the last time I went. There were several shifts and the last one was at seven o'clock (or maybe eight) in the evening, which is why I recommend that you go a few hours beforehand. A tour around the park would take about this amount of time approximately, or even less.

What environment are we going to find at this place in question? And for what kind of tastes?

The environment will be very touristic as it's somewhere with easy access from the "Línea de la Concepción". Both the people from Gibraltar and those from the Línea de la Concepción, and general tourists who spend their summers in Cádiz all come here. For this reason you're always bound to see the park filled with people.

What's this place like?

It's a park which is predominantly rocky, which is why its name is Upper Rocks, and it has a very wide walkway to go and see the caves from. Also there are monkeys in their natural habitat, or in natural refuges or castles.

It is replete with hills and slopes, and in every place you have to stop in (upon entry they give you a map with a small description of each stop and an order to do them in so you can have the optimum visit) you'll find different areas where you can park, as we decided to go up by car, not the bus or special taxis, for this journey.

The part I like the most is where there was one of the caves with stalactites and a space for performances with stairs, seats and a stage. Although I don't know what kind of shows they perform here as there is a lot of humidity inside the caves, and for example, musical instruments couldn't survive in there as they might be ruined. Although, maybe it's currently unoccupied for that very reason. Also there is something else that's very characteristic, not only the humidity but also the cold that exists inside in comparison with the heat from outside.

Right outside this area is where you'll find the monkeys with their babies, climbing all over the trees or passing your side, fitting in with us. I also really liked this part of the visit.

The rest of it was really good, the buildings, the ruins... but they didn't have anything that was truly spectacular like in other ruins or places that we can see in Spain.

It's worth saying too that throughout the trip, between one stop and another, we found many places with viewpoints that showed the sea or the rest of the Rock, that weren't very spectacular either. However, huge views of any place are always pretty.

What are its principal characteristics and what kind of activities or services does it offer?

It's main feature to being able to offer a different habitat which we usually see in Spain, but the good thing is that it's possible both near and far from Spain as well (ambiguous comment so that there's no debate about Spanish Gibraltar :P).

The service that it is offerered is entry and exit, as far as the personnel are concerned, and once you're inside there's not a lot of help. But, it's essential to know that you can only do the visit if you have a map so you don't have to keep up a certain pace. This means you can stop whenever you want and you can jump from one thing that catches your eye to another.

What's the quality of this service or activity?

The quality is good, the deal and the organisation that is, and the park is worth a visit, when it comes to these things they're not careless. However, there are a few stops that aren't well located or signposted well, for example, I got lost and I couldn't see or locate any signs, despite locating ourselves where the map said we were.

However, it's also very possible that we weren't very attentive through the different areas, before we start blaming the park for this problem or the quality of the park or services.

How did you find out about this place?

This summer I went on holiday to Benalmádena and as we had a car, we thought we would try and visit Gibraltar, for the simple fact that we wanted to do something different.

It was thanks to this quick decision and that it wasn't difficult to get to this place as it's known worldwide, and more interesting as it's not as ordinary as going to the bar or local that we usually go to.

What plan would you recommend to have with this place?

Like I did afterwards, spend a little while on the Línea de la Concepción's beach. Although it's small, it's great to relax after the heat of the walk that hit us in the park.

For the rest, I recommend no more than that. This is because you are going to be exhausted and the only thing you'll be thinking of is going to bed and sleeping as soon as you get home.

How much does this activity cost? What do I need to bear in mind?

The price is around €12 per person, if I remember correctly. Also €3 to go to the park by car, and to be able to do the door in this way.

The only thing you have to bear in mind is the opening times, because of the recommended time to spend in the park. Otherwise you might arrive just as it closes and it won't give you enough time to see everything.

My personal opinion

I would give this park a seven because I was very tired from the tour, because of the lack of signposting and locating specific things. Also because I don't think they were very spectacular, and because sometimes it was very difficult to get from one place to another. However, one of the places that I saw will stay with me. This is where I saw the little monkeys and caves because it was the most original location and it was very fun to watch the monkeys.

To finish...

Although the truth is that I haven't really mentioned many good references about this place, I have to say that I really did like it as it was a both a different plan and place. It was something new to see and it's not too expensive to go, although a bit more expensive than I thought it was going to be.

Also, just like the rest of the places that I've spoken to you about, I would recommend that you go here at least once if you have the opportunity.