Caminito del Rey, Spain: Hiking a Formerly Dangerous Path

History of El Caminito del Rey

The gorge was initially developed in 1865 as a railway to link Cordoba and Malaga with coal factories. The train still runs through the tunnels and you can see the tracks across the gorge when you are hiking. After this, a reservoir was built into the river for electricity. The El Chorro dam project necessitated building a pathway along the rock face to maintain the water channel from the dam. In 1921, the Spanish King visited the El Chorro dam and walked the pathway to the village of El Chorro. It is this visit that gives the Caminito del Rey its name- The King’s Little Path.

Getting to Caminito del Rey

By Car

I went by car to the Caminito del Rey and it was one of the main reasons I rented a car on this trip. It is a beautiful drive and there are lots of places to stop and take photos. I drove from Malaga and it should have taken only 50 minutes. However, the drive ended up taking twice as long because of all the amazing scenery. Somehow ended up off the main highway going through gorgeous white villages and twisting mountain roads. I’m not complaining, it was a great introduction to Spain. From Ronda and Antequera it is about an hour’s drive as well. I rented a car through Discover Cars, which compares pricing between local and international companies so you can get the best deal.

By Train

You can reach the Alora (El Chorro) train station using the Renfe Company. Trains leave from Malaga at 10 am and arrive at 10:47 to El Chorro, the returning train is at 18:00 arriving in Malaga at 18:50. You will have to keep an eye on the time and have a timeslot for 12:00-14:00 to be able to make the train back to Malaga.

Buying Tickets for Caminito del Rey

Unlike most hikes, you have to plan in advance for the Caminito del Rey. Access to the Caminito del Rey requires that you book your ticket online as to enter you must have your ticket, be able to show ID that matches the name on the ticket, and show up at the correct time slot. If you’re bringing kids, you have to have identification that shows their age as they must be at least 8.

I highly suggest booking your ticket as soon as you know the dates that you will be available to do this hike as they do sell out. There are both general admission and tickets that include a guide. 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. You can buy tickets from the official site here: Caminito del Rey Reservations.

Caminito del Rey Hiking Logistics

You can only hike the trail in one direction, from the North near Ardales, to the South and village of El Chorro. As of right now, you can either park at either the beginning or end of the trail and take the shuttle to start with or at the end.

My initial plan was to take the shuttle at the beginning. There was so much to see on the way to El Caminito del Rey that I was running short on time to catch a shuttle bus. I ended up parking near the tunnel and reservoir on the North side.

Hiking to the Caminito del Rey Access Point

Keep in mind is that the gate for the Caminito del Rey is not right next to the parking lot. Depending on your route choice, you will hike 1.5 or 2.7 km to get to the start of the trail. The gate area is where they check your ticket and give you helmets. The longer route of 2.7 km starts at the El Kiosko restaurant and goes through a tunnel with clearly marked signs. The shorter route to the start also goes through a tunnel but is 200 m uphill from the El Kiosko restaurant. I gave myself an extra hour before my time slot to do this so I didn’t feel rushed.

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 where you will see a rock formation known as the Gothic Arch.

The Gothic Arch is made up of tafoni. Tafoni are cave-like formations that were made by the ground cracking where the clay is compressed by the sandstone cliffs. I thought this formation looked a lot like skull when I saw it. Definitely an interesting spot before getting to the main highlights of the hike.

The First Gorge in the Caminito del Rey

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. The first section of boardwalk takes you through the Gaitenejo Gorge.

At some points, the gorge is only 10 m wide. Looking down is vertigo inducing. The first section of boardwalk is very high up and offers stunning scenery. After this section, you descend into the gorge a bit so you are not as high up.

The Second Gorge in the Caminito del Rey

Going towards the second canyon, Las Palomas Cliff, you will see the Railway Wall. There is a retaining wall here as well, put in place after a train derailment.

At some points on the trail, you can see the water channels from the dam that were built into the rock face.

There is also a smaller bridge here that crosses the canyon known as King’s Bridge. It isn’t part of the hiking trail anymore, but it was used to connect the railway and the service boardwalk. Workers would also wait for the train here.

At the end of the second gorge, there is a flatter spot with really great views of the third and final canyon of the Caminito del Rey.

The Third Canyon in the Caminito del Rey

The final section of the Caminito del Rey is probably the most spectacular. The second boardwalk will take you 100m above the river below. This area is known as the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes. There is also a section here where there is a glass balcony. This section of the Caminito del Rey is popular with rock climbers. I didn’t see any climbers while I was there but you can see some of the routes.

Before heading into the final canyon, you get this spectacular view that looks back towards the Hoyo Valley and second canyon.

The boardwalk in this section really does hang from the side of the cliff. It is easiest to see the old sections of the boardwalk here. They run below the new boardwalk. You can see the how dangerous they would be to walk in the current state.

Towards the end of the boardwalk, you can see the aqueduct bridge.

Past the glass floor, there is an area known as Fossil Beach. If you look onto the rock wall, you can see ammonite fossils. There are quite a few fossils here. The easiest to spot is the fossil with plexiglass in front of it. It’s at eye height so this is probably to prevent it being worn down from people touching it.

On the last section of boardwalk, one of my favourite parts was seeing the vertical strata of the rock. It looks like the world is tipped sideways here. There are also formations in the rocks known as St Cristopher’s Niches. You can see in the photo below on the left, it’s almost a cave into the rock.

The final part of the walk has you cross a hanging footbridge 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.

Hiking Down to El Chorro

After crossing the hanging footbridge, you continue down the hillside and gain a little perspective on just how high up those boardwalks are.

On the way to El Chorro, you also pass by this bridge, known as the Albercones Viaduct. The bridge is made of stone and concrete and was built in 1926. It’s just a short walk from here to the location where you can drop off your hard hat and catch the shuttle bus back to your car.

Practical Information for Caminito del Rey

Location: Near the village of El Chorro in the province of Malaga. Easy day trip from Malaga, Antequera, or Ronda.

Distance/Time: 7.7 km linear hike of which 2.9 km is boardwalk, 3-4 hours.

Rating: Easy to moderate. The trail is downhill. Small hills with gentle slopes. End of the trail has a large hill to walk down with some stairs.

When to Visit: Visit year round. The trail can close in high winds, rain, and temperatures. In case of closure, you will receive a text message and can rebook your tickets.

Kid Friendly: Must be over 8 and have identification proving birth date.

Cost: The cost for a single ticket is 10€. These tickets sell out quickly so you may need to pay more for a guided tour.

Bathroom: At the gate for the start of the Caminito del Rey there are several toilets. Bring your own toilet paper as it was not stocked when I was there. There is also a toilet at the El Kiosko Restaurant.

Where to Sleep for a Caminito del Rey Day Trip

In Malaga, I stayed at the very affordable and conveniently located guesthouse La Casa Mata Central. It was close to restaurants and bars. There are rooms here that have private bathrooms but if you want to save money you can have a shared bathroom.

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