In two weeks, on March 28, the province of Málaga will feature two new and exciting attractions for visitors.
The Saturday before Easter, one of Andalusia's most fascinating attractions reopens to the public after a major renovation, the same week a fourth major art gallery opens in Málaga, joining the Museo Carmen Thyssen, CAC (Contemporary Art Museum) and the Picasso Museum.
The renovated attraction is not a palace, castle, or church. It's a walkway. And what’s the catch? Well, this particular walkway, known as " Caminito del Rey," clings to a 100-meter-high cliff and is only three meters wide.
Not suitable for those with heart conditions or fear of heights, this 6 km wooden path follows the steep limestone wall descending towards the turbulent Guadalhorce rivers. The stretch along the El Chorro gorge is the most impressive. For years, the path was in a deplorable state: some sections had completely collapsed, and the only way to traverse it was with climbing equipment. Several people died from falls, and in 2001 it was fully closed, though some daredevils continued using it.
Caminito del Rey is likely to become one of Andalusia’s most popular tourist attractions. As soon as the reopening date was announced, the website received so many visits from people wanting to book tickets that it crashed.
Tickets are free for the first six months, but capacity must be strictly limited due to the narrowness of the walkway; crowds of tourists pushing through are not an option on such a path.
It is expected that King Felipe VI will attend the reopening of Caminito del Rey, originally inaugurated in 1921 by King Alfonso XIII, with costs jointly covered by the regional and provincial governments: the Junta de Andalucía and the Diputación de Málaga.
For more information, see our page about Caminito del Rey.
The other major attraction in Málaga is in the city itself: the new Centro Pompidou on the seafront, which also opens on March 28. This new art gallery will exhibit 20th-century works by artists such as Málaga-born Pablo Picasso, Bacon, Brancusi, Calder, Chagall, Dufy, Giacometti, Kahlo, Magritte, Schnabel, and Tàpies in its current facilities (promoted as a temporary five-year exhibition), which includes a futuristic glass cube building.
Additionally, Centro Pompidou Málaga will host two or three exhibitions per year. The 2015 exhibitions will focus on Joan Miró’s works on paper and the works of photographers from the 1920s and 1930s. Known as the Pompidou Pop-Up, it is expected to remain in its current location for five years, until 2020. The French ambassador to Spain described it as “a new and beautiful Franco-Spanish adventure.”
Residents of Málaga should note that on the afternoon of Saturday, March 28, and all day Sunday, March 29, entry will be free.