Caminito del Rey | Walking along steep walls of a narrow gorge

Updated: Mar 2, 2022

Caminito del Rey is one of the most popular activities to do around the Malaga area. A great day trip from Malaga.

El Caminito del Rey is a walkway, pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro, near Ardales in the province of Málaga, Spain.

The walkway was renovated in 2015 and after that won the Europa Nostra Prize for heritage conservation. I heard it was more dangerous before they renovated it. Now they have made it safer for tourists. Imagine, originally it was built in 1901!

The hike itself is around 7 km. You start via a normal hiking route which is around 2.5km long. Once you reach the footbridge it takes around 3km.

VERY VERY IMPORTANT! This activity is extremely popular not only for tourists but among locals too. Only a certain amount of people can do the footbridge at the time so tickets get sold out very quickly. Moreover, the pathway is closed during the winter season so the window when to do it is even smaller.

Book tickets in advance! Like 3 months in advance!

Also, the walkaway is more than 100 m above the river, so if you are scared of heights, you should really consider if you want to do it, as there is no way around it. Once you are up there you need to face the trail or turn back.

All the information about Caminito del Rey like pricing and opening hours you can find here: https://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/

The above is the official webpage of Caminito del Rey so you can safely book your visit via there. Note, that you can book a simple ticket or one with audio. Make sure you pick the English speaking option in case you do not speak Spanish!

How to get to Caminito del Rey

The easiest way is to get there by car, in the area you will find free parking.

If you do not travel by car then the only other option is to get the train from Malaga to El Chorro. It costs around 5 Euros and will take around 40 minutes. The actual stop is called 'Caminito del Rey (Álora)' station.

Many travel agencies in Malaga also offers day trips to Caminito del Rey, so they then organise the bus there and tickets. This might cost more, but defiantly a much easier way.

Day out in El Chorro

The whole El Chorro area is lovely. You will find a massive reservoir where you can swim. A few restaurants near the entrance with a lovely view. If you go around the reservoir you will find a few lookout points offering views like this -->

If you decide to stay in the area then the next day you can try other hiking trails. My personal favourite is the 'Arabe Steps'.

During our visit, we stayed in a lovely Spanish countryside home (BB) and absolutely loved it, as breakfast was from the host garden and the atmosphere was just so relaxing. More about the place, read in my Hotel Review section: https://www.alikitravelblog.com/post/spain-countryside-magic-finca-el-limonar