The Caminito del Rey takes you along an easy spectacular three-kilometre-long plank path at altitude. The path appears stuck against a vertical rock face with flowing water far below you and another vertical rock face next to you.

The path hovers more than a hundred metres above the Guadalorce River. The views are breathtaking. In some places, you can still see the old original path hanging.

Practical information for visiting the Caminito del Rey.

To visit the Caminito del Rey, you need to arrange an entrance ticket in advance. More on this later.

The difficulty of the hike is rather exaggerated on the Caminito del Rey website, we think. For anyone with a normal level of fitness and no fear of heights, the 7.7 km route is quite doable. Apart from the decking path, the route runs along sandy paths with steps here and there. There is little height difference, so the route is not difficult in that.

The path is not (yet) a circular walk. At the endpoint, you can take the bus back to the starting point.

Children under eight are not allowed inside due to safety reasons.

You should allow at least 2-2.5 hours for the walk.

There is little shelter at the last part of the walk. If you go in summer, remember to bring sunscreen and a cap, and should you have a choice of time, we recommend buying a ticket for the morning or late afternoon (after 5 pm).

What if you can’t get an entrance ticket to the Caminito del Rey?

The area around El Chorro, where Caminito del Rey is located, is super beautiful. You can easily entertain yourself for a day here, so even if you do have an entrance ticket, keep reading.

In 2020, a new visitor centre has come up near Caminito del Rey. From here, buses leave for the trail entrance. If you drive past this centre, you will come to another car park after the tunnel. If you walk a little further here, you can walk through a long dark tunnel and already see something of the gorge. Here you can take a nice walk.

How did the Caminitio del Rey originate?

Some wealthy gentlemen from Málaga had come up with the idea of building a railway line to connect Málaga with Córdoba. This would make it possible to transport goods from the fertile interior to both cities. Think of olives, vegetables and fruit. But coal was also transported to Málaga, to be used in factories there.

In 1860, construction of the 192-kilometre-long railway started. The most difficult stretch was at today’s Caminito del Rey. The rocky terrain was difficult to access even by horse.

When the railway was completed in 1866, the villages around the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, as the gorge near the village of El Chorro, grew. Other towns that benefited from the railway included Las Mellizas, Álora, Pizarra and Cártama.

Hydropower plant

At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, the first electricity companies in Spain emerged. Málaga was the first Andalusian city with electricity. Initially, that electricity was provided by a German and British company.

The province of Málaga changed this by building the Guadalhorce dam near El Chorro, from this moment they started to generate power.

The king even came to take a look. Later, a second dam was built. All construction materials were brought in by train and then transported further by mules along the narrow paths, which today are called the Caminito del Rey! In other words, the path that King Alfonso XII walked on; the King’s Path.

In other words, the path that King Alfonso XII walked on; the King’s Path.