Photo: Olaf Tausch (CC BY 3.0)

The Moorish Castle

The oldest building on the Rock, reopened on 14 September 2026 as an immersive experience. Covered by the reserve ticket.

4.1 / 5the Nature Reserve pass, from 504 reviewsHow we score

45 minutes to an hour1 of 17 on the Nature Reserve ticket →

Originally raised around 1160, sacked by the Spanish between 1309 and 1333, and rebuilt afterwards by Abu-l-Hasan. The Tower of Homage that dominates the northern skyline is that 14th-century rebuild, and it is the oldest structure standing in Gibraltar. It served as a prison until 2010.

After more than a year closed for works, the Tower of Homage reopened to the public on Monday 14 September 2026, refurbished by Fortress Attractions into an immersive experience with new visitor facilities, the building's fabric left as it was. The operator calls it the first step in its Land of Empires project: the Gibraltar Dungeons, under construction inside the same walls, come next, and the Northern Defences Park below is scheduled for early 2027.

Entry is included in the Gibraltar Nature Reserve ticket, so nothing changes for visitors at the gate. Gibraltar residents enter free with a valid ID card, which is required.

Our tip

We have not been inside since the reopening. The write-up above is the operator's own description of what it built; we will say what it is like once we or enough reviewers have seen it.

Where this rating comes from

This is the rating for the ticket, not for this site on its own.

4.1out of 5 for the Nature Reserve pass on GetYourGuide, from 504 reviews, shown unchanged

The Moorish Castle is not sold or reviewed separately anywhere we can licence, so it carries no score of its own — and we would rather show you nothing than invent one. What we can tell you is how people rate the ticket that admits you to it, which is the thing you actually buy.

The facts

Founded: c. 1160
Tower of Homage: 14th century, rebuilt by Abu-l-Hasan
Later use: A prison until 2010
Reopened: Monday 14 September 2026, after refurbishment
Hours: 09:00 to 19:45 April to September; 09:00 to 17:45 October to March
Ticket: Included in the Nature Reserve ticket; residents free with ID

What we read

One ticket · 17 sites

Also in the Nature Reserve

Your ticket covers all of these, not just this one. There is nothing further to buy once you are through the gate.

Plan a route through the reserve →

Around £45 per adult · under 5 free. What the ticket covers