We are going ape in Gibraltar, that tiny tip of land that sits with the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the Strait of Gibraltar, opening out to the vast Atlantic Ocean on the other. The divide does not refer just to the waters. Over time and in many ways Gibraltar, this tiny Overseas British Territory, is a divide: Spanish from the English, Europe from Africa, North from South, perhaps for some, rich from poor.
Today, however it is not so much the political landscape but the geographic one that we are interested in. Specifically, The Rock. More specifically, the Barbary macaques (monkeys, rather than the commonly referred to apes) that live here.
The Rock of Gibraltar sits atop the territory of the same name, taking up a good portion of its 6.7km2 land area. The monkeys, originally hailing from the Atlas and Rif mountain ranges of Morocco, now inhabit the high rocky outcrops and chasms of this tiny slice of mainland Europe, the lasting inhabitants of the area.
Sometimes referred to as Barbary apes, the name is derived from the Berber (people) of Morocco and it is likely that this wild monkey population took up residence on the rock during the long period of Muslim rule from 711 through to 1492, a span of 781 years. Since then they have survived the Moors, the Spaniards and the English, not to mention the thousands of multinational tourists that now flock here in the high season.
Today we are included in the hoards of tourists. When we hear that the cable car line, the usual way to get to the top, has a significant wait, we look for alternate options. We know the boys’ endurance for anything tourist related will not last that long, plus, there are a couple of other sites that sound worth the effort.
The only other available option seems to be a taxi tour and we find one to join. The taxi mini van seats about 12 people, today there is 14 as my husband, Jason, and I have one each on our laps. Although it is rather hot and somewhat uncomfortable, we are assured that the time in the car for 2 hour tour is not significant. We pile in. There are four stops.
The first stop is the Pillar(s) of Hercules. The Pillars of Hercules was the phrase applied in Antiquity, the Classical era of history, to the two points that flank the Strait of Gibraltar. Calpe Mons, the northern pillar, is the Rock of Gibraltar. The southern pillar, Abila Mons is likely Jebel Musa in Morocco (although this has been disputed with the other candidate being Monte Hacho in Ceuta).
Hercules, a god of Greek mythology, had to perform twelve labours during which time the Pillars are considered the westernmost point of his travels. Although both the pillars and the myth have variations. Perhaps a somewhat more romantic notion is that during this time, nothing was known of the world beyond and as such the pillars were seen as a gateway bearing the motto Nec Plus Ultra, Nothing More Beyond. After the Americas were discovered the motto was changed to Plus Ultra, Further Beyond.
Second stop on the tour is Saint Michal’s Cave. Although this is referred to as a museum, it is really a cave. The immense and intricate limestone formations are displayed with a number of colored lights alternating to create an almost disco like atmosphere. The cave sometimes hosts concerts but today we can walk through and admire mother nature’s work, although not really in her natural state.
The third and certainly most anticipated stop is the monos (monkeys). Our tour guide and driver navigates the steep, winding and narrow one way road that we have weaved along to reach this point. Before we can stop, before we have even really slowed down, a monkey jumps onto the van and, having run across the roof, appears at the drivers window. She is rewarded with a peanut (in the shell) and she takes off whilst another tries to get in at a back window. We have been warned – do not carry food. And while we are at it, watch anything that is not pinned down. We pile out.
The guides have special permission to feed the monkeys and our guide knows them, just as they know him. They follow him and jump on us being rewarded with peanut treats as they climb from one of us to another or jump down with their prize to eat it atop rock or fence. Harley is delighted to have one pause on his shoulders to devour his tasty morsel.
I am just as excited as the boys. As a smaller monkey is enticed into my arms with the promise of another treat, there is not much convincing required on either side. We are not allowed to touch them, although they pick and choose where they climb and perch and she is both heavier and softer in my arms than I expect. Her little hands touch mine and they are soft and warm, she grabs a hold of my top and leaves a dirty little mark. And then she is gone, onto the next person, onto the next peanut.
We each have a turn to have one jump on us. Some of our group are scared of them but we have to resist the urge to reach out to them and I do wish that we were allowed to feed them and pat them (even though I respect the reasons that we cannot).
They are certainly on the tame side of wild. A mother and her baby sit on the road in front of a large, noisy and rather attentive crowd. She is very relaxed, her baby clings to her but is not scared.
We have a little bit more of a chance to wonder around at the top of the mountain before we are rounded up back in to the van for the steep descent. There is one more stop on the way down, at the Military Heritage Centre although it is used as a scenic stop only, primarily to take in the view to the north and over the airport runway, which also forms the border with Spain. There are tunnels from the Great Siege and more to see here but for now, our tour is over and we return in the van to the car park of the cable car stop, not far from where we started.
Good To Know
The monkeys were the key attraction for us in Gibraltar. With two boys, we knew they would be a hit and we also wanted to see them for ourselves, plus the views from up here are rather spectacular. The cruise ships offer the tour from the port but they seem rather pricey for what they are.
We were a bit concerned on a busy day that the queue for the cable car seemed rather long and found out that the ordinary taxis will not take you up the rock. We might have attempted the walk by ourselves but knew the boys would never make it.
In hindsight we were a bit lucky to stumble across the taxi tour and get in so quickly, with about a 10 minute wait. If you are pressed for time or want more certainty consider:
making a beeline for the cable car station nice and early; booking a tour with the cruise line; booking a local tour beforehand (try Viator); walking; or taking your chances with local tour availability on the day.
We got lucky and our tour left from Trafalgar Road, just next to the cemetery and across from the sports bar.
Would I Return?
Yes. There are tours of Morocco that depart from here and it is a hop, skip and a jump into southern Spain. Plus, those monkeys are rather cute.
