Making the Caminito del Rey in Andalusia: full guide

Are you leaving for Andalusia? After Seville and Granada, why not visit the Caminito del Rey? This is our mini guide on this activity!

The Caminito del Rey – for the King’s Way – is a famous hiking site in the Natural Park of Los Ardales, located south of Spain, in the province of Málaga. Located on the cliffside in the gorges of El Chorro, wet by the Guadalhorce River, it is a hike on a bridge along a steep wall of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes .

Built between 1901 and 1905 to build two hydroelectric dams, the path is 3 kilometres long for only one metre wide, and offers over 100 metres over the river in places. Formerly known as the most dangerous path in the world, he was repeatedly closed to the public and then reopened on March 17, 2015. Here is our mini guide to visit the Caminito del Rey in Andalusia!

History of Caminito del Rey in Andalusia

A 3-kilometre long path hung to steep walls, the Caminito del Rey departs Ardales and ends in the village of El Chorro 100 meters above the river.

The history of this hiking path began in 1901 for the needs of the construction of a dam to connect the two "waterfalls" of the dam Gaitanejo and El Chorro. It was intended to help the workers access the construction site, the transport of equipment and the monitoring of the site. The path then communicated between the two sides of the canyon. Completed in 1905, it was inaugurated in 1921 by the king Alphonse XIII , who took the path to reach the dam of the Comte de Guadalhorce, hence the name of the “King’s Way”, Caminito del Rey . Revolutionary communication path for the premises, the path quickly experienced a permanent transit, day and night; everyone was able to exchange with the surrounding communes, which were previously isolated by the mountains: children going to school, women supplying food, men joining their girlfriends, men going to coffee... The Caminito del Rey facilitated the daily life of many families.

Subjected to the imprecations of time, the weather, the abandonment and the lack of maintenance, the path became impassable and so dangerous that it was forbidden and its access was closed. Some railroads and floor elements collapsed, the site attracted many athletes, curious to climb on one of the most important climbing sites in Europe. After several fatal accidents, the autonomous community of Andalusia had to close both access to the site in 2000, to prepare renovation work envisaged in 2006, and then pushed back to 2010 for a budget of 7 million euros. Still repelled because of the financial crisis in Spain (2011-2012), the aborted restoration work resumed in 2014, and the impressive Caminito del Rey was reopening to the public on March 17, 2015, flanked by a balcony with a glass floor at 100 metres above the river.

Today, the path no longer presents any danger and is fully accessible.

What to see and do at the Caminito del Rey?

When you come to the Caminito del Rey, you can hike to an incredible natural site, shaking your aspirations to dizzy. The total route is 7.7 kilometers, but the most famous part is that of the bridges, measuring 2.7 kilometers. You'll start the visit by burying yourself in a small black tunnel adjacent to the El Kiosko restaurant, to stroll along the trail and discover a grandiose landscape on the steep cliffs, suspended above the river. The first part of the hike is on a path that alternates small pine woods and trails on the hillside.

It is the second part that is dizzy: one truly penetrates the throats. The balcony with a glass floor gives a breathtaking view of the canyon. You will then reach the most emblematic point of the hike: the famous gateway, suspended in the void. The path does not make a loop, but a segment through the mountains. For those who want to climb, you will have free access to the Caminito del Rey facilities.

It should be noted that the Caminito del Rey can only be visited in one direction: from Ardales to Alora . By this entry, the difficulty is progressive. In Ardales, the lake Embalse del Guadalhorce offers beautiful areas where to stroll and/or picnic along the turquoise waters with views of the cliffs.

How do I go to Caminito del Rey in Andalusia?

It is not possible to reach the site by motor vehicle as the Caminito del Rey is surrounded by mountains and cliffs, making access to the site rather difficult. It is necessary to plan a way to reach its starting point, to return either in the opposite direction on foot or by taking the shuttle bus to connect the north access (Ardales) to the south access (El Chorro) or vice versa.

Depending on the weakness, the waiting time of the coach from El Chorro can increase. By car from the city of Málaga, you will take the north direction of Antequera, then the west direction to El Chorro or Ardales depending on your choice of hiking. If you come from Seville, get out of the highway in Osuna.

Several parking spaces allow you to park around the site (for between 3.5 and 4 hours between parking and return). Since February 1, 2019, RENFE trains providing the Seville-Malaga link have been stopping in El Chorro.

Prices and times of Caminito del Rey in Andalusia

HORARI

The schedules to visit the Caminito del Rey are:

• 1 April to 30 October: from 10:00 to 17:00,
• **1 November to 31 March:**from 10:00 to 14:00,
• Closed on Mondays, December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1.

Note that access to Caminito del Rey is for children under 8 years of age – by security – and that it takes a rather good physical condition to visit the Caminito del Rey in Andalusia.

And a total of only 1,100 people a day can be present on the site simultaneously: to say that it is essential to book your ticket online!

RATES

In terms of tariffs, it is necessary to plan:

• Free visit: 10 €
• Guided tour: 18 € (explanations on history, geography, biodiversity, in English and Spanish)
• Coach back Ardales-El Chorro : 1,55 €