This may surprise you if you were unaware of this fact, but the rock is pretty much hollow. Some of it naturally, and much of it as a long term defensive strategy. The Straights of Gibraltar have long (since the Phoenicians) have been a trade route and a key military touchpoint.
First, the natural hollowness of the rock: The Cathedral Cave is opened to visitors and makes a unique auditorium for concerts, ballets, drama and presentations. Yes, the cave is an auditorium. The unique beauty of crystallized nature can be appreciated through a centuries old stalagmite that became too heavy and fell on its side at the far end of the Chamber. <-- no ballerinas were harmed in the making of this unique beauty.
The auditorium seats 400 people and the acoustics were quite nice. Someone played music while we were there. However, it is a cave, so dress warm.
Next, the military hollowness of the rock. You can call this hyperbole, but, really, it is an amazing feat to imagine: The labyrinth of tunnels inside the Rock of Gibraltar known as the Great Siege Tunnels is perhaps the most ingenious defense system devised by man. There are something like 60 kilometers of tunnels running through the Rock.
The digging began during the Great Siege: In 1779 France and Spain made an all out attempt to recapture the Rock from the British. The Siege lasted from July 1779 to February 1783.
The Governor, General Elliot is said to have offered a reward to anyone who could tell him how to get guns onto a projection from the precipitous northern face of the Rock known as 'Notch.' It was suggested that this could be done by tunneling through the Rock.
The tunnelers relied on the strength of their arms, on their skill with a sledgehammer and a crowbar and were aided with gunpowder for blasting. Originally there was no idea of mounting cannons in this gallery, but as work progressed the fumes from the blasting almost suffocated the miners, so it was decided to open a vent to let air ventilate the tunnel. Almost at once it was realized what an excellent embrasure this would make for a cannon, so one was mounted without waiting to reach the "Notch".
Interesting, isn't it, that it was airholes that gave them the idea to mount cannon?
Some people really enjoyed seeing the cannons.
Fast forward to 1940, Britain was at war with Germany and Italy and the future looked bleak for Gibraltar as the enemy surrounded it. Winston Churchill and the British military leaders believed that an attack on Gibraltar was imminent. The answer was to construct a massive network of tunnels, to build a fortress inside a fortress, a city within a city.
The tour is relatively limited, as you don't get to wander through all 60 kilometers of tunnel, but it is fascinating to see.
Random Canon Beauty Shot
And with that, our time on Gibraltar came to a close and we headed for home. It was a fascinating trip to see Tarifa, Tangier and Gibraltar all in the space of what (if memory serves) was a longish sort of a weekend. Or maybe it was a short week. But that's Europe for you. There is a lot to see in a smallish sort of space.
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