1. How to Hike the Mediterranean Steps to the Top of the Rock of Gibraltar

    On our trip to Gibraltar at the end of last year, top of my list of things to do whilst we were there was to hike the Mediterranean Steps (also known as the Med Steps) to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. The Rock of Gibraltar is the most famous landmark and attraction in Gibraltar and home to the famous Barbary macaques which are the only wild monkey population in Europe.

    Most visitors to Gibraltar will take the cable car to the top of the Rock however this is not a cheap option (neither is taking one of the many taxi tours) however by walking up the Rock, you get an amazing experience with views of Gibraltar and across the Mediterranean towards Africa and you will also save money too. Whilst the walk is challenging, it is beautiful and I did not find it too difficult – taking your time and going at your own pace is crucial. When deciding to hike the Med Steps, make sure to pick a clear day when the weather is good as the views are what make this walk. We visited in December and the temperatures were cool with a breeze which was perfect and made it very comfortable to climb.

    I have written about my day visiting the Rock of Gibraltar in this blog post and have included photos, directions as well as any other information that you need to know if you want to hike the Mediterranean Steps.

    We started our day at the Sunborn Hotel where we were staying in the Ocean Village Marina close to the airport and walked from there through Casemates Square along Main Street towards the Cable Car lower station to buy our tickets for the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. Tickets are £13 for adults and £8 for children (aged 5-11) and include access to the Mediterranean Steps as well as all of the attractions on the Upper Rock Nature Reserve including St Michael’s Cave, The Great Siege Tunnels, O’Hara’s Battery, the Windsor Suspension Bridge, Skywalk Gibraltar and the Apes Den. There used to be a separate cheaper walkers ticket that you could purchase but this option no longer exists. A return ticket on the cable car currently costs £17 per adult before adding on the cost of the £13 Nature Reserve ticket so the savings made by walking up the Med Steps are huge.

    After getting our wristbands and being grateful that we had already decided to walk as the cable car was not operating that morning (there were some very disappointed people at the ticket office), we carried on walking along Europa Road past The Rock Hotel and along Engineer Road to enter the Nature Reserve. Parts of the walk reminded me a lot of being back in Hong Kong and the paths whilst walking up to the Peak. The starting point for the Mediterranean Steps is located next to the Pillars of Hercules.


    The walk from leaving our hotel to arriving at the Pillars of Hercules took fifty minutes and once there, you can find toilets as well as another office where you can buy tickets for the Nature Reserve – we had been unsure if it was open or not when we visited hence why we stopped at the Cable Car lower station on the way. The start of the Mediterranean Steps is clearly signposted and once at the top of the short set of stairs leading up from the road, make sure to turn RIGHT to begin the hike.

    If you need to access mobile data whilst visiting Gibraltar, you can purchase a travel E-Sim through Airalo. If you would like to use my referral code NIKKI8866 when signing up, you will receive £2.50 / US$3 off your first purchase.

    From the starting point of the Med Steps at the Pillars of Hercules (located next to Jews’ Gate) which is already 180 metres above sea level, the hike to the summit at O’Hara’s Battery is 1.8 kilometres long with an additional elevation gain of 246 metres.

    The first part of the walk is very easy with a gradual uphill climb and you are quickly awarded with beautiful views of Europa Point and across the Strait of Gibraltar towards North Africa. As it was very quiet when we visited, we took our time and enjoyed the empty paths and stopped to take plenty of photos along the way. We also got our first sighting of one of the famous Gibraltar monkeys.



    Once the trail reaches the eastern side of the Rock, there are downhill as well as uphill sections along with lots of monkeys too – just remember to keep any food and drink out of sight of them and do not get too close and they will leave you alone. We stopped for a few minutes as one monkey was sat in the middle of the narrow path so we simply waited for him to move out of the way.

    You will soon reach the first set of uphill steps which are steep and hard work but if you take your time and do not rush are easily manageable. The steps are uneven and all different shapes and sizes but there are rope handrails that you can use to hold onto whilst you are climbing. At the top of this first section of steps are the Goat’s Hair Twin Caves which are a perfect spot to sit down in the shade and catch your breath.


    The next section of the climb involves both steps as well as several flat sections which are very welcome. Once you are on the Mediterranean Steps trail, it is impossible to take a wrong turn as you just have to keep following the path.


    Along the next section of the trail are some old military World War 2 buildings and if you carry on walking (and walk past the path that continues uphill) you will reach a viewing platform that offers incredible views of the Rock and the eastern coastline of Gibraltar as well as La Línea de la Concepción across the border in Spain and the Costa del Sol in the distance. You will then need to backtrack a few steps to continue the walk uphill.


    The next bit of the trail is definitely the hardest part of the climb but it was not as bad as I was expecting it to be. After a steep rocky uphill path, you reach the final sets of steps that zig-zag across the side of the Rock and lead to the top and seeing them in front of you is daunting. But again take your time (even do one set at a time) and they are not too bad at all.



    From leaving the Pillars of Hercules to reaching the top of the Med Steps took us just over an hour and a half including plenty of stopping to take photos as well as much needed short breaks along the way. The exhilarating feeling when you reach the top as well as the amazing views is incredible and definitely worth the extra effort instead of taking the cable car.

    As you have a Nature Reserve ticket, once at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar you are free to see as many of the attractions as you wish but there will be some walking involved between them all. After taking a short break to sit down, we visited O’Hara’s Battery before walking to the Skywalk Gibraltar. If you want to see more monkeys there will definitely be some at the Skywalk and the paths around there as one of their feeding stations is located nearby.


    At this point you also have the option to take the Cable Car back down if you wanted to – one way tickets are available which cost £15 per adult and £10.50 per child – however this would mean missing all of the other attractions on the Rock. We walked back down (using the normal roads and not the Mediterranean Steps) so we could visit St Michael’s Cave, the Queens Balcony and the Apes Den as well as enjoy the views of Gibraltar along the way.


    If you do decide to walk up the Med Steps to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar, remember to wear sensible shoes with support such as trainers as the trail and the steps are very uneven as well as rocky in some places. Take sunglasses and use a hat if needed as well as wear sunscreen. Also make sure to take plenty of water with you as will need it as well as some snacks for when you have reached the top of the Rock – just remember to keep it hidden from the monkeys and yes they do know how to open backpacks!

    Whilst walking up the Mediterranean Steps was hard and definitely not the easiest option to see the Rock of Gibraltar, it was definitely the most beautiful with a real sense of satisfaction afterwards. Yes my legs were killing me for two days afterwards (though that was more from walking down than from walking up) but it was completely worth it.

    Since this blog post was written back in 2021, some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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    32 thoughts on “How to Hike the Mediterranean Steps to the Top of the Rock of Gibraltar”

    1. Tony

      Really helpful and enticing read, this piece. Thanks. Something I’d like to know yet am not finding info about, is how challenging these steps are for someone like me is prone to mild vertigo? I can manage the ?pyg path up Snowdon with only intermittent periods of mild terror, well worth managing for the views and ‘high’ of success, so a very honest and realistic comparison to that route up Snowdon from anyone would be helpful.

      Reply ↓
      1. Nikki Post author

        Hi Tony I’ve never been to Snowden unfortunately so cannot offer any comparisons to this walk. I don’t remember any sections of this walk where you looked straight down if that helps. There are some timelapse videos on YouTube though showing the entire way which might be helpful to you 🙂

        Reply ↓
    2. Debbie

      Hi. Enjoyed reading your description. What do you think about walking up the roads rather than the Med. Steps? We enjoy hiking, but are not thrilled about rocks. Also, I’m not comfortable looking down from high places. So maybe waling up and down the road would be a good compromise? Are there sidewalks on the roads? Thank you so much!

      Reply ↓
      1. Nikki Post author

        Hi Debbie I think walking up and down the roads is a great idea especially if you are not comfortable with heights and the rocks. There are no sidewalks but you just walk along the road and stand to one side when a taxi drives by. if you head towards the Moorish Castle you can join the road to go into the Nature Reserve just behind there. Have fun 🙂

        Reply ↓
      1. Nikki Post author

        Hi Mike. From the bottom of the Med Steps back to Casemates Square (we didn’t go back to where the cable car is) took us just under five hours including all the stops that we made along the way.

        Reply ↓
    4. Heather

      1 Oct 2022: I just climbed the Med Steps today – thank you Nikki for such clear instructions! What a fabulous climb! In case anyone is wondering, I did the climb on my own. As long as you are reasonably fit and are okay with heights, this 51 year old highly recommends it.

      BUT Note to others – Engineer Road from Europa Road is currently CLOSED to vehicles and pedestrians. Thanks to directions from a friendly local, you just carry on down Europa Road until you find Windmill Hill Road. You can’t miss it, there is a big brown sign with a list of attractions pointing you up Windmill Hill. You end up at Hercules Gates on Engineer Road, just coming at it from the other direction. Enjoy!

      Reply ↓
    6. steuart barlow

      Hi all. I did not see this message board before I climbed the steps. I’m 6ft4 and 130kg I thought I was going to pass out. Not exactly used to walkes, but I gave it a go.
      It was hard work, but I was determined. It has already been said in other messages, but I’ll say it again, the view is breathtaking. I took lots of photos on the way up. There are some decent places to stop for a few mins rest. I brought water and food with me. I would say, if you are not fit it will be challenging. If you are self motivated, you will be fine. All hill climbs have a reward, and gib is no exception. I thoroughly recommend this walk, but for best effect, do it on a clear day as I did. You won’t regret it!

      Reply ↓
      1. Nikki Post author

        Hi Steuart I think your comment “if you are not fit it will be challenging. If you are self motivated, you will be fine” sums up the Med Steps perfectly 😀

        Reply ↓
    7. Sumaira

      Hi..very nice information.
      Thankyou so much for sharing.I am also planning to visit here in 21st Decmeber 2022 with family.kindly guide me what timing will be ideal for accomplish this journey by walk and enjoy the amazing views. it will be cold uphill?

      Reply ↓
      1. Nikki Post author

        Hi Sumaira. To give you an idea on times we left our hotel at 10:20am, started the Med Steps at 11:45am, reached the top at 1:20pm and got back to our hotel at 4:30pm. Make sure to wear layers as you will be warm when walking uphill but the wind at the top will feel cold in December. Have fun 🙂

        Reply ↓
    8. Tanya

      Hello. Thank you for providing such detailed information about what to expect during a visit to this site. Very helpful for planning purposes.

      Reply ↓
        1. Nikki Post author

          Hi Tanya. As we visited back in 2020, I’m struggling to remember but I’m pretty sure that we paid for our tickets by credit card as the only time I think we used cash in Gibraltar during our stay was when we used the bus on another day.

          Reply ↓
    9. Felicia

      What a wonderful and informative description – thank you! I feel very ready to do this climb on my upcoming trip. Just one question: are there any toilets at the top?

      Reply ↓
    11. Michael

      Hi, thanks very much for the post. After doing the route your way, do you think it would be any better or worse to do it in the opposite direction, starting the climb at the Moorish Castle and going down the Med steps? Thanks.

      Reply ↓
      1. Nikki Post author

        Hey Phil I can still remember the pain in my legs for a few days afterwards though I am yet to do Macchu Pichu but it is on the list 🙂

        Reply ↓
    13. Joseph Gubbels

      For the last 25 years I wanted to climb the Rock of Gibraltar. Now I have the resources to do it. I like your description of the climb. I am in pretty good shape at 85 and each day walk a mile and climb up 131 steps. But, I am wondering if there would be a person to accompany me up the Rock. I will pay him or her. This is just for safety. I will use a cane to ensure that I do not fall over the edge. Is this really that dangerous? I look forward to your response.

      Reply ↓
    14. Lisa

      Hi Nikki, great blog that you wrote, very informative! I cannot see well and I love hiking. It’s not a great combination sometimes haha, especially when you want to walk on mountains (or a big rock, in this case). I have learned to prepare better for hikes, and I try to do that now. I am reading here that it’s tough because the steps are uneven and going up. But how narrow is the path, and are there parts that are risky for falling down/off the edge?

      Reply ↓
      1. Nikki Post author

        Hi Lisa. There is no need to worry about falling off the edge of the path at all when on the Med Steps so you will be good 🙂

        Reply ↓
    15. JJ Svetics

      Hi Nikki, love your post and the pictures and I this is exactly what I want to do. I am 70 and used to walking and can make the climb but I will not be running up like the kids do at Hooliberg in Aruba. We arrive at 8 am on a cruise ship, plan to take a bus up to the area then climb. We need to be back on the ship by 5pm. Do you think we will have enough time for the Med Steps climb or should we stick to the road? Will we have enough time even taking the road? We don’t want to have to chase the ship to the next stop in Malaga. Thank you in advance for your reply.

      Reply ↓
      1. Nikki Post author

        Hi JJ I just looked at my timings and we left our hotel in Ocean Village at 10:20am and walked to the start point of the Med Steps and arrived at 11:30am. We walked up the Med Steps and down via the roads and arrived back at our hotel at 4:30pm and we really took our time. If you are aware of the time, I don’t see why you cannot fit in the climb during your time in Gibraltar.

        Reply ↓

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