There is so much to see and so many places to visit within the Málaga region, where do you start?

60 kms from the city of Málaga, El Caminito del Rey is one of the most spectacular natural sites in Málaga and one of the top ‘must see’ places in Spain. This magnificent place is one of the most important and popular climbing locations in Europe.

History

El Caminito del Ray is a path built on the vertical walls of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes (Gaitanes Gorge). It is on average 100 meters above the river below, 3 kms long and has long sections that are barely 1m wide!

The path starts in the municipality of Ardales, goes through Antequera and ends in El Chorro (Álora). It was built because the Chorro Hydroelectric Society needed access between the two ‘waterfalls’ for workers and transporting materials.

Works began in 1901 and finished in 1905.

In May 1921 King Alfonso XIII inaugurated the path by signing off the works, sitting in the Sillon del Ray (Kings seat) on the dam. He was then invited to walk along the path, it’s not clear how far along the path he walked but taking inspiration from this, the path was then called ‘El Caminito del Rey’ (the Kings little path).

El Caminito Del Rey Closure

The path was also open to the public and was very popular, gradually over time the path fell into disrepair and was officially closed in the 1980’s.

However, the path remained an extremely popular, unofficial attraction. Access was easy as it was only closed off with some wire and a sign.

The authorities decided to completely remove the first and last 30m of the path, after a fatal accident in 1999 and 3 more in 2000, in a bid to make the path inaccessible.

Amazingly, this did not stop local mountaineers who set up a safety cable and became unofficial guides taking visitors along the path. Only experienced climbers who had their own climbing equipment could access the path as the first and last missing sections had to be traversed by either climbing the cliff face above the path or there was a supporting rail that they could essentially ‘tightrope-walk’ along.

Restoring El Caminito del Rey

El Caminito del Rey was one of the most dangerous trails in the world due to several fatalities and many serious injuries. For years, the authorities had talked about restoring and officially reopening the path.

Finally in 2012 a proposition was made by the Diputación de Málaga to build a new lightweight path above the previous one, which significantly reduced the cost which they split with the Junta de Andalucia.

Works started in 2013 and took a year to complete. It was officially re-opened to the public in the spring of 2015. The new lightweight path is made of wood with metal anchors drilled into the rock. There is even a glass floor balcony, where you can really test out your vertigo. If you choose to step onto this balcony, you can see the gorge below your feet, which is a brilliant example of architectural archaeology.

Demand was so high for the free tickets, they had planned to issue for 6 months, they ‘sold out’ a few hours after the online system opened, so they extended the free tickets for a year. The footpath had 23,000 visitors in the first month and 300,000 free tickets were issued throughout the first year (though not all tickets were used).

El Caminito del Rey’s popularity has continued and has become one of the most visited natural areas in the province of Málaga.

If you like nature, hiking and aren’t petrified of heights, we highly recommend visiting this extraordinary landmark, you will love it!

Route

The path of the Caminito del Rey is about 8 kilometres in total, 5 kilometres on land and through forests and 3 kilometres of walkways along the walls of the Gorge. It is a linear route, starting in Ardales and ending near the El Chorro train station. The path is one-way, so if you decide to do it, there is no turning back!!

The whole route should take about 3 to 4 hours, the hike itself takes around 2 hours. Children under 8 are not allowed, children over 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

You will also need to plan how you will get back to your car at the end of the path. There is a shuttle bus service which goes between Ardales and El Chorro, Álora that leaves every 30 minutes, currently the price is €1.50, don’t forget to bring cash!

The walk is an easy one, there are no steep sections or difficult terrain, it is mainly on one level. If you have a reasonable level of fitness, you should be fine.

Book Your Ticket

You can book your tickets through the official website https://www.caminitodelrey.info/es/entradas/comprar 

Prices:
General admission: €10 
Entrance + Guided tour: €18


If you are eager to own a property in the ‘Valle del Guadalhorce’, Málaga, Costa del Sol so you can live just a stone's throw away from from this magnificent site and you are looking for a reputable estate agent with plenty of experience, get in touch.

Simply fill in our contact form or call us on (+34) 951 242 157 and we will be here to help.