How high is the Rock of Gibraltar?

Short answer

The highest point of the Rock of Gibraltar is 426 metres (about 1,398 feet) above sea level, at O'Hara's Battery near the southern end of the Upper Rock.

Detailed answer

The summit of the Rock is at O'Hara's Battery, 426 metres above sea level, within the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. The site is named after Lieutenant General Charles O'Hara, Governor of Gibraltar from 1795 to 1802, who had a watchtower built there. The present battery holds a 9.2-inch coastal defence gun that, together with Lord Airey's and Spur Batteries, stayed operational until 1976. It is now part of the Nature Reserve and open to visitors.

The cable car, which closed on Tuesday 18 November 2025 for a full rebuild and is expected to reopen in 2027, does not take you to the very top. Its top station on Signal Hill, the Rock's central peak, stands at about 387 metres. To reach O'Hara's Battery from there, walk south along the ridge roads to the end of O'Hara's Road, a little under 1.3 km. Walkers coming from the south can climb the Mediterranean Steps, a steep path up the eastern cliff face that finishes near the summit batteries.

At the northern end, the Rock rises almost vertically from sea level to about 411 metres at Rock Gun Battery, which gives the north face its dramatic profile when seen from the frontier and the airport.

From the summit, weather permitting, you can look down to Europa Point and across the Strait to Morocco. Entry to the summit area is covered by the Gibraltar Nature Reserve ticket.