This is another of those amazing pathways that were constructed by the builders of Spain’s hydro schemes in the early 1900s. This one near Malaga was visited by King Alfonso XIII in 1921 and was thereafter named the Caminito del Rey or ‘The King’s Little Walk’. It fell into disrepair and I first came across it when I found a Youtube video entitled ‘the most dangerous hike in the world’, which captured the adrenalin rush of climbing the remains of the suspended pathway. Compulsive viewing if you are into this kind of thing.
After the sad death of a group of young people in 2000, the pathway was closed to all access. But then in 2015 I saw that two Local Authorities in the region had got together to reestablish the original pathway, and it is now not only safe but also has transportation to get you back to the starting point from the finish.
As soon as it opened it was on our must-do list of Spanish walks. It’s actually not too far from the Sierra Nevada, so we combined it with a hike up Mulhacen (the highest mountain in Spain), and a visit to Granada. We stayed in Archedona, which was an excellent location to visit not only the Caminito but also El Torcal de Antequera (see on the Walks menu).
You need a ticket to do the walk, which all feels a bit organised however, it actually reduces the number of people on the route at any one time. This does allow you to enjoy the beauty of the place and appreciate the wildlife. Booking is via the Caminito website, which has a lot of useful information on the walk.
To do the walk, you have to wear safety equipment – namely a hard hat. And along with the hairnets to keep these hygienic, you do feel like you are working in some food processing factory. But don’t let that put you off!
It’s not a long walk – 7km from Ardales to Alora – and it’s downhill most of the way, but it is a truly spectacular and memorable walk.
It starts with an easy walk to the entry station – there are two routes, one of which goes through a tunnel – where you pick up your hats and then start down the route. The gorge gets steadily deeper and then opens out to a point where the railway, which is running in tunnels on the opposite side of the river, exits the tunnel and crosses a small valley before entering the tunnels. Impressive when a train is running.
The route then enters a much deeper part of the gorge where the pathway is suspended high above the river. You really have to admire the nerve of the people who built the original pathway all those years ago.
And then finally, the gorge exits through a sheer rockface into a lake and valley beyond. The route crosses the mouth of the gorge on a bridge just by the hydro pipeline and then heads down the outer cliff face. From the bottom it’s a lovely walk to the endpoint.
Although much of the walk is on mountain paths, a significant section is on suspended pathways. So, if you are not happy with heights, then the Caminito del Rey is not one for you.
Another wonderful aspect of this walk is the birdlife. The area it runs through is classified as a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA) and is part of the Andalusia-Morocco Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean. As well as a range of small Mediterranean birds, there are some spectacular Griffon Vultures and Alpine Swifts nesting high up in the gorge, which can be seen circling above your heads as you walk through.
There are a few ways you can approach this walk. You can drive to the top near Ardales: there are a few designated car parks or you can park on the road and then walk in on two access routes. There are also some restaurants if you want something before or after. Or go to the bottom – either parking at the designated parking at Alora or taking a train to El Chorro – and then taking the shuttle bus to the top. If you have parked at the top, this is the bus you take at the end of your walk. All very well organised.
Do remember to take water as, although it’s not a hard route, it can get very hot.
