El Caminito del Rey - Malaga

For all the thrill seekers, this hike is for you. El Caminito del Rey, whose name translates to the King’s Path, is located at 1 hour from Malaga. More precisely in the gorge of El Chorro

History

The construction of Caminito del Rey began in 1901 and last until 1905, it was used by maintenance workers from Saltos del Gaitanejo and El Chorro. The name of King's Path was given after the visit of King Alfonso XIII who used this walkway to inaugurate the dam.

So, originally built as a transit point for operators and maintenance staff, although later it would be used by the villagers of the surrounding areas. Now, it’s fully reformed and adapted for tourist attraction, offering visitors a breathtaking view of the area from more than 100 meters height.

However, in 2000 five tourists died. And the area closed from 2001 to 2015. After the reconstruction, this trail is not dangerous for the visitors anymore. So feel free to go on the trail for impressions. Nevertheless, be careful if you have vertigo.

Getting to Caminito del Rey

By train : Taking the train could be the cheaper way but you’ll have to be very punctual because there is just one or two trains per day. You can reach the Alora (El Chorro) train station using the Renfe Company. Trains leave from Malaga at 10am and arrive at 10:47 to El Chorro, the returning train is at 18:00 arriving in Malaga at 18:50. So, I strongly recommend you to book your hiking between 12:00 and 14:00 to be able to enjoy fully the Caminito.

By car : I think this is the best option if you want to be relax and totally independent with schedule and moreover it’s a beautiful drive. We rented a car for a day (approximately 60€). And we take the road from Malaga during 1 hour. Don’t worry, there are a lot of parking spots at the start of El Caminito. Be sure to let nothing of value in the car, we can never be too careful.

The restaurant and the parking

Hiking Logistics

You can only hike the trail in one direction, from the North near Ardales, to the South and village of El Chorro. Once you finish the hiking, a shuttle will take you to the beginning (as a loop). Make sure to visit the official website to have more informations.

Hiking to the Caminito del Rey Access Point

The gate for the Caminito del Rey is not right next to the parking lot. The gate area is where they check your ticket and give you helmets. The route of 2.7 km starts at the El Kiosko restaurant and goes through a tunnel with clearly marked signs. I gave myself an extra hour before my time slot to do this with no pressure.

The 2.7 km access path is known as the Gaitanejo Way and it is a nice hike. It’s an enjoyable walk through pine trees and next to the river. Count like 30 minutes of walk.

Forest before canyons :)

Your Hiking Can Start Now

The first step

After hiking to the access gate to the Caminito del Rey and picking up your mandatory helmets, you will immediately find yourself surrounded by spectacular scenery.

Enjoy your 2-3 hours of hiking with differently gorges, canyons, forest and bridges.

The final part of the walk : a hanging footbridge at a height of 100 meters above the Guadalhorce River and next to the aqueduct. This is probably the part that would be most difficult if you have any fear of heights. Fantastic view of the valley below here and a great way to end walking through the canyons.

After crossing this bridge, you continue down the hillside. It’s just a short walk to the location where you can catch the shuttle bus back to your car.

To do this hiking in the best conditions I highly suggest to book your ticket as soon as possible. As the hike is a linear hike, it is worth it to buy the ticket that includes the shuttle bus back to where you started from. You can buy tickets from the official site.