Gibraltar Cable Car, Gibraltar (must see)

Next to the Alameda Gardens at the southern end of Main Street is the aerial tramway Gibraltar Cable Car (Teleferico de Gibraltar). The Cable Car was built in 1986 by Von Roll Holding as designed by architect Brian Helliwell. The Cable Car top station was built on the site of the old Signal Hill Battery on 1,200-foot-high Signal Hill.

The remains of an earlier cable station used to bring supplies to the top of Signal Hill by rope are still around. Under the top Station, there is an old military tunnel that runs east and west through the hill. In 1986 the cable cars were replaced, and the Top Station was renovated and refurbished.

The cars travel midway up the Rock from the Base Station to the Ape's Den. From there it's non-stop to the top. It's over 2,000 feet between the two stations. The cars can take 30 passengers and an attendant up or down. Each trip takes about six minutes, traveling at the rate of 11.2 mph. Audio tour guides comment on the sights.

At the top are a restaurant, cafe, and restrooms. Terraces offer breathtaking views of the Strait of Gibraltar in the direction of Morocco, and the Bay of Gibraltar, looking to Algeciras and Marbella. Buses 2, 3, and 4 stop here. There is parking in the Grand Parade by the Base Station.