Walking the Caminito del Rey is an unforgettable Experience |
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EL CAMINITO DEL REY
The Caminito del Rey is a cliff-side path hanging 100m above the waters of the river Guadalhorce reservoir, as it runs through the famous beauty spot; El Chorro Gorge, near the villages of El Chorro in Alora and, Ardales, about 25 km inland from Malaga city.
The 'new' Caminito del Rey was re-constructed and reopened to the public in 2015. The the route and design of the new path keeping as closely as possible to the old 1921 path. The famous boardwalk sections are constructed with wooden slatted transverse planks and a simple 1.2m-high three-wire guard rail. In places the path is only one metre wide, hanging to the cliff face. The 'old' path can be seen just below. A highlight is the steel suspension bridge with an open grid decking across the gorge, just next to the original emblematic aqueduct bridge.
The path, originally built as workmen's access around 1905, was improved and opened to the public in 1921 by King Alfonso XXIII hence the name the Kings little path. By the 1980s the path had fallen into disrepair and was closed to the public. This did not stop the adventurous and the foolhardy and it became known as 'the most dangerous path in the world' or even the 'walk of death'. There were several fatal falls in the 1990s. A zip line was set up by local mountaineers in the 2000s to help those that continued to walk the path and there were more fatal falls. The authorities had promised many times to restore the path, it was finally undertaken and reopened on on 28 March 2015.
In total the path is 8.1 km long and takes at least 3 hour to walk, however you need to allow four to five hours in total to complete the circuit. The path is divided into five sections; a 2.5 km access path from El Kiosko through the forest to the ticket entrance, a 1.3 km boardwalk through the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes (Gaitanes Gorge), a 1.6 km path through the wooded Valle del Hoyo (Hoyo valley), a 0.9 km cliff-hanging board through the Garganta del Chorro (Chorro gorge - literally throat of Chorro), finally a 1.8km access path to El Chorro village. (See detailed route description).
The Caminito del Rey path is a very popular tourist attraction, unique in Europe and although it has been called 'the scariest path in the world' it is perfectly safe although not recommended for those with vertigo. Visitors numbers are limited to 100 per half hour so it does not get too crowded. It is necessary to purchase ticket online in advance (10 € ) for the date and time of your walk. Standby tickets are also often available.
Tickets - About buying Caminito del Rey Tickets
Tickets for the Caminito del Rey are on sale for dates up to 29 September 2024. (later dates are usually added about two months before the end of this allocation period). The prefered Car Park and starting point since early 2023 is the (new) Visitors Center at Puerto de las Atalayas, Junction of MA-5403 (Km 5.5) of the country road between Ardales Reservior and El Chorro. GPS is 36.91464175, -4.807614262. It was officialy opened on 20th October 2022. The visitors centre has car parking for 240 cars (cost 2€). From the visitor centre the suttle bus will take you to 'El Kiosko' restaurant near the 2.5 km access path which leads to the ticketed (and timed) start of the walk. The shuttle bus can then collect you at the end of the of the walk and return you back to the visitors centre.
Tickets online on the official website (https://www.caminitodelrey.info) cost is 10€ per person (including IVA) or 11,55€ including the optional shuttle bus mentioned in the paragraph above. You can also pay the bus driver in cash on the day. When booking you must choose a start time in half hour intervals.
Tickets for sale to the public now tend to be released in batches of four months at a time, 2/3 months in advance. Previously it was monthly and tickets sold out in days. Nowadays there less demand and longer forward ticket availability. This is especialy good news for international tourists planning to buy tickets some months ahead.
Tour providers have a separate allocation and will accept bookings further in advance. Check the tour availabilty below.
Book guided tour Camino del Rey
Other ticket purchase options
Some local business and hotels have a separate ticket allocation.
Whilst officially tickets must be purchased in advance, there are stand-by opportunities. Ticketless visitors waiting at the entrance barrier to the path (at the end of the 2.5 km access path which started at El Kiosko) will be called forward IF there are no shows and the 100 visitor per half hour allowance is not used. So if you are not a large group, and are prepared to wait, you will most likely be able walk the path.
RENFE, the train company has an allocation of 100 tickets a day including train travel from any Malaga Cercanias C1 or C2 station to El Chorro station. That is 70 tickets without guide for 23€ and 30 tickets with guide for 31€. There is no online nor pre-booking RENFE ticket sales. Purchase ticket on the day from any Malaga Cercanias station ticket machine or ticket office. See getting to Caminito del Rey by train.
There are also a number of Tour companies that offer Guided tours (ie Entrance Tickets and Guide on the Walk) and Excursions from other destinations (Malaga, Costa del Sol, Seville) on a fixed price per person. There are also Private Tours and Private Excursions for just your party and the price depends on the number in the group.
Be aware that occasionally the schedule departure time can change at the last minute, perhaps due to the weather or other ticketing reasons. These circumstances are dictated by the Caminito del Rey management company and not your tour operator. We recommend that you keep you tour operators contact details handy at all times especially if you book are booking via an agent such as Viator, Expedia, Tiquets, Ticketbar.
Opening Hours
1 November to 31 March: Entrance times 09.30 to 15.00 hrs (tickets allocated in half hour intervals)
1 April to 30 October: Entrance times 09.30 hrs to 17.00 hrs
Closed: 24, 25, 31 December and 1 January. If wind exceeds 55 km/h
No children permitted under 8 yrs of age.
Rock climbers may still access the area at any time and must register and show their climbing insurance at the information offices.
ARRIVING AT THE CAMINO
See Getting to Caminito del Rey
When you reserve your ticket on line it clearly states the date (Fecha), and start time (Hora de Entrada). You will need to report to the path information office at this time. This is located at the end of the 2.5 km access path which starts at El Kiosko or at the end of the 1.5 km access road which starts at El Mirador Restaurant.) We suggest you arrive at the path information office barrier 15 minutes early. Since you need to walk half an hour to get to the barrier, and find a place to park the car, and make a bathroom visit, aim to arrive at El Chorro at least one hour before your reserved time. Read about getting to Caminito del Rey.
There will probably be a crowd of eager walkers at the barrier and the scene can be a little chaotic.
The attendant will call walkers through according to the time on the ticket and scan the ticket. One hundred reservations will have the same hour or half hour time, so walkers will be called through in two or three batches. Walkers who booked a guided tour will be called through separately. After the ticket holders have entered, IF there are no-show spaces non ticket holders will be invited to proceed to the ticket office.
It's advisable to make use of the toilets here, since there are NO toilet facilities on the path. There is a vending machine to purchase water and soft drinks. Do so if you do not have one litre of water per person, there are NO drinking water opportunities on the path.
You will be issued with an optional hair net (for hygiene from the multi-use helmet) and compulsory safety helmet with chin strap. Guided tour walkers; wear green helmets, ticket only walkers wear white helmets, and staff wear orange helmets. The supervisor explains some safety rules quickly in Spanish (and English if requested). These are; no smoking, no large bags or tripods, no umbrellas, no shouting, no litter, no human ashes scattering, helmets must be worn at all times, Then walkers then set off at their own pace, no need to keep in a group.
Home of the popular El Caminito del Rey walk, just south of the stunning Ardeles with its lakes and reservoirs and set in breathtakingly beautiful Andalucian countryside, El Chorro is an excellent… More →
The Caminito del Rey is a cliff-side path hanging 100m above the waters of the river Guadalhorce reservoir, as it runs through the famous beauty spot; El Chorro Gorge, near the villages of El… More →
We offer selected guided tours to walk the Caminito del Rey with transport from Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos, Malaga or Nerja. These are ideal if you do not have a hire car since getting… More →
The official starting point of the Camino de Rey access path is on the country road MA-444 (which branches off the MA-5403 6km east of Ardales) just south where it crosses over the Conde de… More →
On this page you can find a selection of hand picked hotels, that are suitable if you are walking, The Caminito del Rey or exploring the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes natural area.
The official starting point of the Camino de Rey 2.5 km access path is on the country road MA-444 just south where it crosses over the Conde de Guadalhorce Dam by the Sillon del Rey (King's seat)… More →
The original path was built between 1901 and 1905 by the Sociedad Hydroelectrica del Chorro (Chorro Hydroelectric Society). A pioneering project to take advantage of the 100m drop in the river… More →
Enjoy some of Andalucia's most spectacular scenery close-up on the newly reopened Caminito del Rey, the King's Little Path, in Malaga province. High up above El Chorro gorge, the Camino is not a… More →
Video of Caminito del Rey.
Parking
The prefered car park and starting point is the new Visitors Center at Puerto de las Atalayas, Junction of MA-5403 and country road to Ardales Reservior. GPS 36.91464175, -4.807614262. It was officialy opened on 20th October 2022. The Shuttle bus will take you to the start of the path by 'El Kiosko' and collect you at the end of the walk.
You can still park nearer the start of the parth at near El Kiosko or El Mirador Restaurant as explained above and the shuttle bus will bring you back to there via the visitors centre.
You can also park at the end of the walk by El Chorro station (or arrive by train) and then take the shuttle bus via the vistiors centre to the to the start of the path near El Kiosko.