Gibraltar's cruise port is located close to the city and offers a special opportunity for an active shore excursion with exceptional character. This 5 km route leads along the harbor promenade towards the border with Spain and includes a globally rare highlight: crossing the runway of Gibraltar Airport. On the way back, an impressive view of the famous Rock of Gibraltar, also known as Monkey Rock, awaits you.
**Important note about the start:**
Our routes in Gibraltar deliberately do not go through the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. While it's very scenic, it costs about 35 Euros to enter. This route instead shows a free alternative with an equally special experience directly from the cruise port.
The route starts directly at the cruise port. From there, it first goes a short distance along the harbor promenade before the route turns north and follows the road to the border with Spain.
After a short time, you reach the most extraordinary section of the route: crossing the runway of Gibraltar Airport. This is also used as a public road and is secured by barriers. When an airplane takes off or lands, the road is temporarily closed, like at a railroad crossing. Otherwise, the runway can be crossed normally on foot – a globally very rare experience.
Beyond the runway, the route continues a bit further towards the border with Spain before reaching the turning point. The return path follows the same route back to the harbor. Especially on the way back, a beautiful view of the famous Rock of Gibraltar opens up, which makes this loop additionally special.
This route, with its runway crossing, border area, and view of Monkey Rock, is almost unique in this form. The actual run is simple and uncomplicated, but lives primarily from its special character.
For a short athletic session directly from the ship, the route is ideal. It is easily accessible, easy to navigate, and offers an experience found in very few places in the world.
If you want to be out longer, you can extend the route at the border via Kingsway towards the east coast. For tempo training, the wider sections along the coast are also better suited than the busier sidewalks around the border area.
Excursions in Gibraltar are often not entirely cheap, but they offer extraordinary experiences in a very small area. This 5 km route is ideal as a short active start to the day before one of the peninsula's major highlights follows.
We particularly recommend the e-bike tour to the Top of the Rock. This takes you up to one of Gibraltar's most famous landmarks with phenomenal views. If you're looking for even more action, a jet ski tour along the coast offers a real highlight with lots of fun on the water.
As a cheaper alternative, the Upper Rock can also be explored well on foot. In this case, 'only' about 35 Euros entrance fee for the Nature Reserve applies. This way, the athletic route at the harbor can be ideally combined with Gibraltar's most famous landmark.
The route starts directly at the cruise port. A transfer is not necessary.
You can either follow the route directly using the map on this page or import the GPX file into a navigation app like Komoot. We recommend navigating via the GPX file, as it is significantly more precise and provides clear guidance via GPS while you're running. Once you've saved the GPX file in your app, you can usually use the map offline. We recommend testing the navigation beforehand in airplane mode without active Wi-Fi to ensure it works without an internet connection.
Tip: For safety, it's still useful to have internet while out. If your mobile provider in Gibraltar offers no or only expensive data roaming, a global data plan that works in many countries is suitable for cruises – for example, from eSIM.sm (advertisement).
You can expect car traffic on the roads. However, good sidewalks are generally available. The route is therefore safe overall, but increased attention is required – as is typical for city runs.
Especially for afternoon runs, plan enough buffer time. If time runs short, you should check if you can shorten the route or if the return journey on the same route is faster. For emergencies, it's also advisable to save the ship's phone number, usually provided in the daily program, beforehand. You should also have apps like Uber or Bolt on your phone and be familiar with their use. However, Uber and Bolt do not work in Gibraltar, so you will have to rely on traditional taxis here.
There is a public restroom near the route by the Admiral Sir George Rooke statue. Public water dispensers are not known along the route, but there are opportunities to buy drinks along the way.
The route runs on paved and asphalted paths, so normal running shoes are perfectly sufficient. We also recommend bringing sun protection (ad), enough water, and a cell phone or running watch for navigation. Additionally, a payment option is useful, although in Gibraltar you can usually pay by card or smartphone.