Beefsteak Cave facts for kids

Beefsteak Cave is a cave located in Gibraltar, a special territory of the United Kingdom. You can find it in the southern part of the famous Rock of Gibraltar. It sits between two well-known spots: Europa Point and Windmill Hill.

A Look Inside Beefsteak Cave's Past

Beefsteak Cave has played a part in Gibraltar's history, especially during times of conflict.

Shelter During the Great Siege

During the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which lasted for three and a half years, people in Gibraltar used caves like Beefsteak Cave for safety. They would hide there to escape from attacks and bombardments. Beefsteak Cave became a shelter for many Gibraltarians. Another cave, Poca Roca Cave, was even prepared for the Governor of Gibraltar to use, though he never actually did.

Secret Plans in World War II

Later, during World War II, Beefsteak Cave was part of a secret plan called Operation Monkey. This operation created two fake or "decoy" caves. The idea was to trick any invaders looking for British spies. If enemies searched for hidden agents, they would find these decoy caves instead of the real ones.

The actual plan to leave spies behind was called Operation Tracer. For a long time, the existence of Operation Tracer was just a rumor. But in 1997, the Gibraltar Caving Group discovered the real cave used for Operation Tracer. This discovery finally confirmed the rumors were true!