Day trip to Caminito Del Rey
Caminito Del Rey, once known to be one of the world’s most dangerous trails, is a one-of-a-kind experience to include on your itinerary if you’re ever in the Andalusia region. It is an aerial trail built on the walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro. The path is approximately 4.8 miles and is mostly terraced. It hangs on the gorge walls about 328 feet above the water.
https://youtu.be/Dnt5HpEPiJI
Guided tour vs regular visit
There are two ways to visit the Caminito Del Rey. You can complete the trail by yourself or with an official guided visit. Either way, purchase your tickets online and be sure to book them as early as you can. When I booked our tickets a little more than a month ahead, all the unguided visit tickets were already gone so we had to go with a guided tour.
We visited Caminito Del Rey on a day trip from Malaga. Even though it’s only a 50-minute drive to get to the parking lot, there’s another 20-25-minute walk to get to the main entrance where you check in. We were behind schedule when we went so we had to run to the entrance so that we didn’t miss our timed guided tour (watch my video to hear all about our adventures). I read online that if you missed it, you might have to wait at least another hour to join the next tour. I also highly recommend using the restroom after checking in. This is the only restroom throughout the hike. And because this is a one-way hike, you won’t be able to find another one until you get outside the park. Once the staff checked everyone in, we were handed a helmet and a radio guide.
Our English-speaking host was very knowledgeable and offered many interesting stories. She was also very serious about our safety which I appreciated. But for those of us who want to take the time to take pictures, it will be better if we can go at our own pace.
Having been updated in 2015, the trail was well maintained and very easy to walk. Although the one-way path was narrow at times with a few stairs here and there, it was never a strenuous hike. I was a bit nervous about the height before we started, but the construction felt very safe, and you forget how elevated you really are.
I opted to not bring anything onto this hike because I thought it might get too tiresome, but honestly, it was pretty easy throughout and I wished I had brought my backpack and gear with me.
How to get back to the parking lot?
Since it’s a one-way trail, you must take a bus to return to the parking area. Just keep walking down the path, pass these food and shop stands (there was a bathroom nearby), and keep walking until you reach a restaurant called Restaurante La Garganta. The bus stop is right across. The shuttle is cash only so make sure to have change for that.
The gorge was beautiful and such a breath of fresh air after seeing so many cathedrals and museums. It is harder to get to but the drive from Malaga was very straightforward. I would recommend it if you have extra time in Spain and want to get out in nature.