Find out all about el Caminito del Rey
A bridge over the Sierra Huma River, hanging from vertical rocks from the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes (Gaitanes Gorge), a pathway that seems to come from a dream and not from the common need to join two power plans by the shortest way possible. A special engineering that turned fishermen, who were used to hanging from the rigging of their ships, into inland construction workers.
Caminito del Rey Tickets + Hotel
El Caminito del Rey is located in El Chorro, a village belonging to the municipality of Alora, near the Guadalhorce Valley region, located next to a reservoir on the Guadalhorce River, near Ardales in the province of Malaga.
It is one of the main rock climbing centres in Europe due to its location next to the Gaitanes Gorge. At the edge of this gorge runs the Caminito del Rey, this amazing route and its dizzying footbridges trace a route between the canyons that run along the river Guadalhorce.
Its recently remodelled platform allows anyone to walk the Caminito del Rey in complete safety.
Take advantage of our promotions and get your ticket without waiting or additional management.
Where is el Caminito del Rey
Do you know the history of the Caminito del Rey?
Its beginnings
The Caminito del Rey used to be a hanging pathway of about a meter wide in the narrowest parts, and about three kilometers long. It runs along the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, hanging perpendicular over the river and held onto the vertical walls, with an average height of 100 meters above the river.
Why was the Caminito del Rey built?
The Camino del Rey was built between 1901 and 1905 to connect the Chorro and Gaitanejo waterfalls belonging to El Chorro Power Plant. The pathway started at El Chorro Train Station next to the railroads, and opened the way from one waterfall to the other for the construction workers and materials, allowing for a better watch over the plant.
Construction of the Caminito del Rey
The problems when building the pathway had to be many, specially at that time. The construction workers had to work hanging from the emptiness, wrapped around ropes tied at the higher part of the cliff. People believe that such work must have been done by prisoners, even death row inmates, the only ones willing to risk their lives in exchange of a reduction in their sentence, or so they say.
However, the only thing we know for sure is that this and other works at the dam where done by sailors from Malaga, trained to hang from their ship ropes.
First visits
When the Conde de Guadalhorce Dam was under construction (1914-1921), visits to the area were very common. The construction site was visited by Rafael Benjumea Burín’s friends and family, engineers, and people interested in the industrial progress of Malaga.
The views that could be appreciated from the different parts of the pathway were breathtaking. Benjumea, a nature lover, wanted the pathway to be as comfortable as possible, considering the area’s limitations. Once Rafael Benjumea had decided to improve the pathway, he renovated the bridge between both sides of the gorge. Road engineer Eugenio Rivera designed it.
This small bridge is visible from the road that goes from Alora to the Conde del Guadalhorce Dam, and the view of the two stony faces connected by the so called Balconcillo de los Gaitanes (Gaitanes Balcony) is one of the most popular in the province.
Like all places that captivate us, there is also a legend about the Balconcillo. Any local resident can tell a visitor the story about the tragic death of a young blond English girl who jumped over the cliff riding her white horse when her life became unbearable. The truth is that despite everyone knowing about the story, no one has witnessed the accident or has been able to date it.
It is just another legend to add more color to an already colorful place. King Alfonso XIII walked along the entire pathway on May 21, 1921 while celebrating his visit to the opening of El Chorro Dam, later to be called Conde de Guadalhorce Dam. Since then, the pathway carries its current name.
In the book called ‘El Chorro, cien años de Historia’ (El Chorro, a hundred years of history) written by Sebastián Lara Centella, the Royal visit is described as follows:
It started out as a cloudy day, with a series of rain showers that spoiled the inauguration celebrations and made the visit more tedious. It already involved a journey by train and road. Still, the King was pleasant and good humored, and happily listened to all the explanations given by Benjumea about the plant. He wanted to know every detail. Lunch for a party of over two hundred was served. Leading figures, authorities, engineers, and the media were invited. For dessert, the Minister of Development gave a speech where he highlighted the importance of public works and the example that El Chorro Dam represented for the Nation, for balancing the industrial and agricultural industries. After lunch and under the heavy rain, the King placed the last stone. A table and a chair made of the same stone used in the construction were placed for the King to sign the official inauguration document. The official document signed by King Alfonso XIII reads as follows: The Catholic Kingdom of His Majesty Alfonso XIII, on May 21, 1921, all works at El Chorro Dam have been completed and the last stone placed by the magnificent hand of the Spanish Monarch, whose supporters were honored to set their hand after His Majesty. After the ceremony, the King and his companions visited the Gaitanejo Dam and walked through the Balcon de los Gaitanes, decorated with a garland held by four dissected eagles and read: ‘To the King’. Alfonso XIII was so impressed by the view that he asked to be taken a photograph to perpetuate his visiting to the place.
Current state of the Caminito del Rey
The passing of the years and the lack of maintenance meant that, in recent years, the King’s Little Way was not passable. In several areas the floor had disappeared, leaving only the beam that supported it. The holes in the pavement, the collapsed railings and, in general, the lack of safety along the road, attracted many hikers who saw danger as another incentive to walk the road.
Several fatal accidents in 1999 and 2000 led the Junta de Andalucía to close the accesses and demolish the initial section to prevent the passage of the hikers along the Caminito del Rey.
The Town Councils of Alora and Ardales, as well as numerous associations (neighbours, climbers, ecologists, etc.) insistently demanded the recovery of the path. In 2007 the preliminary studies and projects necessary for its complete restoration began, and it was not until 2014 that the contracts related to the restoration work began to be awarded. At the end of March 2015 we were finally able to enjoy the King’s Little Way again, this time completely restored and conditioned to live an exciting experience, now totally safe.
Make the virtual visit of the caminito del rey with Google Street View
Make the virtual visit with us clicking on the signs that appear “at your feet”.
It’s worth stopping during your visit and admire the beautiful landscape.
The most important to know before your visit
We answer the most frequent questions of the visitors before doing the Caminito
Nobody like La Garganta can help you prepare your visit. Located in front of the Gaitanes Gorge, known as the Garganta del Chorro, through which the recently restored Caminito del Rey runs. If you are planning your visit we can help you: how to get there, what to do, how to prepare and of course how to book your entrance to the Caminito. Click here and reserve your room.
It is advisable to bring water or drinks to hydrate during the tour. As for eating, being a Natural Area you can take sandwiches, chocolate bars, energy bars, nuts or fruit, but little else. Our recommendation is that you plan your visit to go out on the southern part of the Caminito and be able to enjoy the best traditional cuisine in the area at La Garganta Restaurant.
If you are going to go in your car, you can park it in the South Zone, in front of the CTR La Garganta and take the shuttle to the North Access and go south along the Caminito del Rey.
The right footwear is the one you could wear for hiking. If you have trekking or mountain boots better, otherwise it can also be worth it with comfortable sports shoes that grip the foot well and do not slip. Forget beach sandals or the like.
It is advisable to always wear comfortable and breathable clothing. Depending on the time of year, the time of day, the orientation of the sun, whether it is shaded or not, there are many factors that can affect the route, so it is recommended to wear several layers of clothing to be more or less warm. In summer, remember to wear a sun hat and sun cream.
It is not recommended to go to anyone who suffers from vertigo or heart disease.
Previously known as the most dangerous footbridge in the world, its recent remodeling has allowed anyone to walk the Caminito del Rey in a completely safe way.
On days with a lot of rain, the Caminito del Rey organization reserves the right to close access for security reasons. In case of little rain, access is allowed, although without an umbrella. The space in many sections of the walkway is very narrow and therefore the use of a raincoat will be mandatory.
Children under 8 years of age are not allowed to enter. Minors must be accompanied by an adult, and it is necessary to present documentation proving their age.
The shuttle bus stops at our door, and its schedule in winter is from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and in summer from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., so when you leave the Caminito del Rey we are waiting for you to that you can enjoy the best traditional food in our restaurant in front of the Caminito or rest in one of our rooms.
The complete length of the Caminito del Rey route is 7.7 kilometers.
The duration of the Caminito del Rey is approximately 2 or 3 hours, depending on the pace of each person.
The opening hours of the Caminito del Rey in winter are from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and in summer, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On Mondays it is normally closed, with the exception of some in particular. In addition, it will not be possible to visit on January 1, August 26 and December 24, 25 and 31.
Guided visits are designed to get to know the Caminito in depth in detail: history, construction, restoration, biodiversity, curiosities… Their price is higher and they are accessed with a maximum group of 25 people. A specialized tour guide will explain everything you need to know about this fascinating tour.
If you prefer to save it and go at your own pace, you can do the Caminito without a guide without any problem. A lot of information is on posters along the route or you can also get information on our website. A point in favor of walking the Caminito without a guide is the tranquility of going at your own pace, spending as much time as you want and resting when you prefer. Also, general admission is cheaper.
From the reservation website you will not be able to obtain tickets for the same day. If you have any questions, let us know through our contact and we will help you.
We make it easy for you, in the Gorge we have different types of reservations to do it:
- You can book the Caminito del Rey guided by one of our local guides who will explain all the history, landscape, etc. Check the availability of tickets.
- We also have the possibility of doing the Caminito del Rey with other activities. Our Active Tourism team creates activity packs to make your visit to El Chorro unique.
And although there are other methods to reserve them, you need to do this well in advance since it usually runs out in a short time, especially for weekends. If you can’t find tickets, at CTR La Garganta we can get them for you without waiting.
The price of the ticket can be consulted when making the reservation, and will vary depending on the type.
The most agile thing is to see how much the tickets to the Caminito del Rey cost, you can check it on our Tickets page. For example, admission with a guided tour and shuttle bus costs around €31.
We recommend you
Coming by train
You can get to Caminito by taking the suburban train and getting off at the Alora stop. You can find all the information about timetables and prices at the Renfe website. There are other schedules for groups of more than 15 people, if you are interested consult us.
Parking in the south area
If you come by car, the ideal is to park in the south area and take the shuttle bus to the North Access in the morning, next to La Garganta. This way you will save long queues in the afternoon waiting for the bus to come back.
Booking the best hours
The best time to book in winter is at 12:00 because you will find fewer crowds of visitors. However, in summer we suggest you book at the last minute to enjoy the largest stretch of the tour in the shade.
How to reach the Caminito del Rey
You can come by train and stop at the train station of the Chorro (Álora stop) and then take the bus.
You can also go by car, park in the southern zone and take the shuttle to reach the entrance of the caminito in the northern zone.
To take the shuttle we recommend you to look at the schedule but we can say that during the winter it’s from 9:00 AM at 6:00 PM and during the summer it’s from 9:00 AM at 8 PM.
We are located just at the end of the path so after your visit you can enjoy of a good tradicional meal in our restaurant and get some rest in our rural rooms with panoramic views.
