Gibraltar is such an awesome sight to see. Whether flying in, or driving down from the mountains of coastal Spain, seeing the Rock of Gibraltar in the distance is intriguing. Little did I know an expansive cave system exists deep inside the Rock, and they say there is probably plenty more that has yet to be discovered.
This was my second time to go through The New Saint Michael's Cave. There are two cave systems that are open to the public.
The Upper St. Michael's Cave and the Lower St. Michael's Cave. The upper cave is open daily for tourists who buy the wrist band and/or the van tour in order to enter the Upper Rock Reserve at Gibraltar (See Prices to enter the Rock Reserve here).
The lower St. Michael's Cave is a guided tour only, and is private for small groups. Both times I have gone, were through personal invitation. I was lucky to be an add on for a couple different groups.
Both times I have gone were awesome. The first time I was with a group of police officers from Manchester that were visiting Gibraltar for the weekend. Here is the video of that excursion below. That trip through the cave was intense. We were a smaller group, we went through pretty quick and that journey was a little more arduous than the second.
In the late 1800's tunnels were dug out and some more of the cave system was discovered. By WWII the upper caves had been used as military barracks and a hospital, (see The Gibraltar National Archives here). Being deep inside the Rock provided much protection for the soldiers stationed at Gibraltar. The lower caves were discovered in 1942 and exploration continued.
The lower caves offer a fun way to see inside The Rock. The trip is difficult as you need to climb up and down ropes and several steep ledges. This is not an easy journey and I don't recommend it for children or anyone who might have trouble climbing. There are also some very tight spaces. I am somewhat claustrophobic, but I was able to handle these caves because I could clearly identify the exits.
After seeing The Rock of Gibraltar from the outside, and then getting the chance to explore the caves within The Rock, its an awesome and amazing experience. Climbing the ropes and ledges is very exciting and adventurous. If you like adventure this is definitely the experience for you.
You might bring a bottle of water with you , and maybe a small back pack. Honestly, those things tend to get in the way. When you are crawling through the tight spaces and pulling yourself up on the ropes, the backpack might be too much. The first time I went, I found my backpack to be too much and quickly realized that leaving it at the entrance would have been a better choice.
Take a look at this video showing a little more detail of the journey climbing through The New St. Michael's Cave at Gibraltar, November 2022.
The entire journey is about two hours but can be longer. The second group I was with took longer because we were a larger group. It took more time for all of us to traverse the ropes and the rocks. However, it gave me a bit more time to really soak in the cave system. It took us two hours to get to the near end of the cave, and about one hour to make our way back to the entrance.
By the time we were through, we were all hungry and ready for a rest. The duration of the trip makes for an awesome afternoon hiking through the caves at Gibraltar. I know one thing for sure, being able to say you were caving deep inside The Rock of Gibraltar is certainly a once in a lifetime experience.
If you have any questions about traveling to Gibraltar be sure to check out my YouTube channel THE SPAIN GIBRALTAR CHANNEL and leave a comment on a video and I will get back to you.
Comments