Caminito del Rey
Just a 15-minute drive from our finca, you can visit the world-famous walk of the Caminito del Rey or "The King's Path".
The Caminito del Rey stretches from Álora to Campillos through the El Chorro gorge. This is one of the most vertiginous hiking trails in the world and you need to book tickets for it, with or without an escort. The trail is very busy so please book in time if you want to visit this amazing phenomenon.
You can book these tickets through the official website >> https://reservas.caminitodelrey.info/
What is the Caminito del Rey? Here is a short explanation:
The Caminito del Rey is a beautiful route with gigantic cliffs (400 metres high). The route is about 3 kilometres long and ends in El Chorro. From start to finish about 10 km in about 3.5 hours. It should not be walked in rain or wind. From 8 years you may walk the route. El Chorro can be translated as the stream which the water found when it went along the gorge. In 1866 the railway line Cordoba-Malaga was built; 192 km, 17 tunnels, 8 viaducts and 18 bridges. The connection stops at el Chorro (Caminito del Rey). The Camino del Rey was used by workers to transport construction material between the two installation sites. Work on the installations began in 1901 and was completed in 1905, which was inaugurated with much fanfare. The El Chorro power station began producing electricity in the same year, but despite the technological and industrial advances it brought about, the bridge over the gorge at a spectacular height, suspended between the two rock faces, was a greater eye-catcher than the installations themselves. The name Los Balcones, the balconies, was given to this bridge that hangs 100 metres above the ground. It was designed by Rafael Benjumea and his team of experts, which included many sailors who were used to climbing ropes and working above a large void. 1921 King Alfonso 13th opened the Chorro dam (Guadalhorce-Guadalteba reservoirs) and the Caminito del Rey. Later the path was modified with sand and cement and reinforced with metal braces. An iron railing was attached for support. Due to decay, the Caminito del Rey was closed in 2001 and several deaths have occurred since. Despite the many accidents resulting from various illegal walks that took place in the years that followed, the treacherous twists and turns of the 'King's path' always had a magical effect. Adventurers from all over the world flocked to southern Spain to get ahead of the extensive renovation of the path planned from 2013 onwards. The renovation of the Caminito had been a point of discussion for years, but in 2013 the government finally gave the go-ahead. The local authorities of Málaga allocated as much as 5.5 million euros for this project. In the end, 2.2 million euros was spent on the construction of the new Caminito, the rest was used for the surrounding facilities such as roads, parking and bus stops. It was estimated that as many as 250,000 people would visit the Caminito in the first year, creating 180 jobs and a turnover of 20 million euros. It is one of the biggest attractions in Andalusia, if not in all of Spain. 2015 After a year of work on the safety of the Caminito del Rey, it will be reopened.
So this unique walk is definitely not to be missed!
Some important things to know if you want to visit the Caminito del Rey:
If you are coming with children, please note that children under the age of 8 do not have access to Caminito del Rey.
In case of light rain the Caminito del Rey remains open but umbrellas are not allowed. It is better to bring rainwear in this case.
Please arrive 30 minutes before the booked time for the organisation of the groups.
We recommend that you bring at least the following items: water, sun block, some food and walking shoes.
The hike lasts approx. 3 hours after which you can be brought back by bus to your starting point.
