Planning to walk the Caminito del Rey in Spain? Our post has everything you need to get sorted.

“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

— Nelson Mandela

In the days when the concrete and steel walkway through this steep, narrow Spanish gorge was crumbling, rusted, and broken, it had many names.

The King's Little Path. The World’s Most Dangerous Trail. El Camino de la Muerte.

That last one means the ‘The Walkway of Death’, by the way.

Only the brave or the foolish, flouting two official closures and removal of large chunks, would choose to traverse it; too many of them wouldn’t live to tell the tale.

Those days though, when walking the Caminito del Rey was both high-risk and illegal, are long gone. Since 2015, bespoke wooden platforms bolted to the mountainside and suspended 100 metres above the flowing Guadalhorce river have replaced the dilapidated old path, and the modern-day Caminito del Rey, benefitting from the old reputation but underpinned by the new infrastructure and safety measures, is quite a different beast.

No longer the illicit activity of daredevils, it’s firmly established itself as a must-do activity for travellers in Málaga and the Costa del Sol. Indeed, one could say the scariest thing about it these days is how far in advance the tickets sell out.

Yet, it remains a memorable day out in the outdoors, with breathtaking scenery and a twisting walkway clinging to the stone that still seems to defy gravity: one half of Along Dusty Roads is not a fan of heights, and even he enjoyed it!

In this post, we’ve shared everything you need to know before you visit El Caminito del Rey. From the history of the infamous walkway, securing your official tickets and a guaranteed hack if they’re already sold out, to understanding the shuttle bus + various car park options, finding the confusing start point, avoiding the crowds, the fear factor, and tips to get the very best out of the experience, you can plan everything you need in one place.

This is 7 things to know before taking on the Caminito del Rey hike.

El Caminito del Rey, Malaga | The Essentials

Where | In southern Spain, 60km / 37 miles from Málaga

Start | The north access point (Google Maps)

End | The southern access point (Google Maps)

Length | 7km/4.3 miles on official one-way point to point trail - no alternative entry or route

Difficulty | Easy, but those with vertigo or fear of heights may find it more challenging

Time | Two hours for the hike, but a half-day for the whole experience

Cost | €10 for self-guided access, €18 with official guided group

Tickets | Buy on the official website or find more available here if already sold out

Hours | Open 8.30am - 5pm Tuesdays to Sundays, closed Mondays

Transport | Best accessed via rental car, train, and tours from Malága, Granada, or Seville.

Access | Via four car parks and a shuttle bus, but none are located next to the start point; you must arrive an hour before your ticket time slot to reach the start point on foot!

Age Limits | Children under 8 years old not permitted

It's No Longer The World's Most Dangerous Path...

For many of you, this should be greeted with a sigh of relief.

The setting and construction of the original walkway built for the hydroelectric workers in the early 1900s wasn't the reason for its notoriety. For a long time, it was perfectly serviceable and, beyond the transport of materials to construct and maintain two important dams, used by locals and tourists alike. In 1921, King Alfonso XIII even walked a small section of it to officially open the Conde de Guadalhorce dam - and give rise to the name El Caminito del Rey (the King’s Little Walk or The King’s Little Pathway).

As time passed though, the walkway through the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes gorge and 100 metres above the fast-flowing river Guadalhorce fell into a dangerous, dilapidated state of disrepair.

It was first officially closed to the public in the late 1980s / early 90s, but people could still easily access it and the worsening conditions weren't enough to put them off. Several fatal accidents occurred over the decade, culminating in the death of three hikers using a zipline in 2000. That horrific episode led to more definitive action, with sections of the path destroyed to render it inaccessible and officially closed (again).

Or, so they thought.

Climbers and thrill-seekers defied threats of a €6,000 fine, and more permanent existential concerns, with the reputation of the illicit 'Walkway of Death' arguably doing more to draw some toward it in the first place. Tackling it with harnesses, ropes, clips, and carabiners - a bit like a via ferratas you find in the Dolomites and elsewhere in Europe - some continued to defy the closure. With no handrails, no fence, and nothing between you and the unforgiving river and rocks below except a crumbling, gradually collapsing structure of concrete and rusted steel one hundred metres high in the Gaitanejo gorge.

For the lucky ones, it would have been one hell of a rush, but not all would finish the journey.

Official numbers are difficult to come by, and reports from our research vary, but the infamous trail certainly claimed at least a dozen lives in modern times.

Today, the situation is completely different.

The Caminito del Rey OFFICIALLY REOPENED IN 2015

Faced with mounting fatalities and continuing breaches, the local government eventually decided to construct a new path above the remnants of the old one. Taking three years and costing €9 million, the modern-day Caminito del Rey you're going to walk is far less terrifying, but no less remarkable.

The suspended walkways bolted into the cliff are still there, but they're wider, wooden, and have the reassuring presence of a steel fence and handrail between you and a fatal drop. With controlled access at both sides, staff at certain pinch points, guides and mandatory hard hats, it certainly isn't the illicit place for daredevils it once was.

Indeed, with the emphasis on modern engineering, accessibility, and safety standards, the Caminito del Rey 2.0 is something quite different, but still quickly established itself as one of Spain’s most popular tourist activities.

Some of you may be a tad disappointed to learn the Caminito is no longer that high risk, fear-inducing experience it once was. After all, that’s what made it so famous for years. But, for most of you, there’s zero chance you’d be able to walk in this (former) valley of death without those changes.

At one point toward the end of our experience, before the final test of crossing the suspension bridge between the cliffs, you can see the old path beneath the new.

Personally, we were very thankful to be taking the high road.

THIS IS STILL A UNIQUE, MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

Without the fear or the deadly reputation therefore, is it still something worth making the effort to do?

For us, as experienced travellers and hikers, it’s a resounding yes.

Although we would prefer the numbers to be more strictly limited still (more on that later), the modern boardwalk sections threaded through the valley are still one-of-a-kind, and the scenery and setting throughout the Caminito del Rey is just stunning.

So, although it’s busy, more of a pleasant walk than a proper hike, and even a nine year old can do it now, the experience of walking through these landscapes in this way remains special. For some of you, it will still actually represent quite the adventure and see you face a fear or two* along the way, so the softer version may not actually be like the walk in the park it will be for others!

And, truth be told, as you couldn’t have paid us enough money to walk that collapsing old path, we’re just thankful of the opportunity it gives to discover this gorgeous natural setting.

However, if you heart was set on walking the Caminito in its former state of deathly disrepair, then it is important to readjust your expectations. This is very much an outdoors experience for everyone, rather than something for thrill seekers.

*In the last section of this post, we’ve shared more on the Caminito del Rey’s suitability for those with a fear of heights or vertigo, as well as a few other ‘travel better’ tips. Unfortunately, those of you with limited mobility or in wheelchairs are not able to do this experience.

You Need To BUY Your Caminito del Rey Tickets In Advance

Due to the reputation, proximity to a cruise ship port and one of the most-visited cities in Spain, a lot of people hope to do walk El Caminito del Rey.

Access is strictly controlled and ticketed, but limits on visitor numbers (supposedly 1100 per day) and timed entry slots created additional pressures. The bulk-buying practices of hotels and tour companies also hasn’t helped.

The result is that supply often outstrips demand, and Caminito del Rey tickets + tours sell out regularly. Often, the cheaper tickets that allow you to enter without a guide are sold out several weeks in advance of dates.

You have two ticket types available:

· General Entry Tickets | Cost €10 per person, and you can purchase up to 10 at once for the specific time slot available. This type of ticket allows you to walk the Caminito independently at your own pace, with a defined start time but no defined end time.

· Guided Visit Tickets | Cost €18 per person, and sold for specific time slots. You have to join a group with an official Caminito del Rey guide, and groups can contain up to 30 people. This means you do have to complete the Caminito to a more rigid schedule, generally about two hours. The guide offers a commentary as you walk about the history of the trail, the flora and fauna, and some anecdotes - nothing life-changing, but nothing really negative to say from our experience either.

Tickets go on sale up to three months in advance of visit dates (i.e. tickets for the beginning of July are available from mid-April/the beginning of May) and though demand is highest on weekends and during peak travel season (i.e. Easter and July-August), it’s always popular.

We only started looking for tickets two weeks before our spontaneous trip to Málaga in March, and were shocked that only a few time slots remains for the general entry tickets, and for each of those time slots, only 1 ticket remained.

This meant we had no option but to pay the extra and join the official guided group visit, for which a handful of time slots remained on the dates we could hike. Given this was prior to the Easter holidays in the UK and Europe, we couldn’t believe how oversubscribed it already was.

So, if you're in planning mode right now and already know the dates you'll be visiting Spain in the next few months, we highly recommend taking a look at time slots, availability, and buying your Caminito del Rey tickets in advance from the official website as soon as you can to avoid disappointment, especially if you'd prefer to not join a guided group.

Note that if you buy tickets directly, you need to arrange your own transport from Málaga or elsewhere to the area. We’ve shared the various transport options later in the post, BUT if you would prefer to join a tour with round-trip transport from Málaga (like this highly-rated one), then it’s important that you DO NOT buy your tickets from the official website as the tour companies include your ticket in the price!

+ Find availability and buy your tickets here

+ You can also buy your official timed entry ticket on this website for about the same price as the official website, with cancellation and easy-to-process full refunds up to 24 hours before your visit date.

+ Check out lots of Caminito del Rey tour options here

+ The below calendar gives a quick idea of availability for your dates too.

If Tickets Are Already Sold Out, You Still Have Options!

If you're reading this whilst last-minute planning to visit the Caminito del Rey and have just found out that all the tickets are sold out - don’t panic!

You still have alternative options which don’t cost an arm and a leg.

The most reliable one is to join a private Caminito del Rey tour, as they often have last-minute spots, and will already have purchased tickets for their groups. The tour companies will either meet you near the Caminito del Rey start point or will include round-trip transport from Málaga (or other cities/resorts in Andalucia).

We've included several highly-rated options you can easily book online, and most include free cancellation + refunds up to 24 hours before your visit date:

· You can always find last-minute tickets available on this El Chorro tour, which includes your ticket, meets near the start point, and is very highly-rated. Just remember, you’ll have to arrange your own transport to/from the Caminito del Rey (we’ve shared details on this later)

· This Caminito del Rey guided tour from Malaga is also very highly-rated, and includes round-trip transport from the city. An alternative is this full-day tour with similarly excellent reviews.

· As mentioned above, you can also buy an official timed entry ticket on this website for about the same price as the official website, with cancellation and easy-to-process full refunds.

If the above are all sold out or you still haven’t found availability for you specific dates, we recommend taking a looking at three websites we use and recommend for booking tours + tickets. We’ve linked directly to their Caminito del Rey pages below:

· GetYourGuide

· Viator

· Tiqets

If one tour doesn't have any availability left for your desired dates, then simply keep looking around until you find an alternative option which does! As ever, make sure to read recent reviews before booking.

Can you just turn up at the Caminito del Reym Malaga and get a ticket? You may hear whispers that you can just turn up and get last-minute tickets at the entrance, but this isn’t a good idea. We looked seriously into this when we realised we couldn't get the 'general' entry tickets, but actual experiences were mixed and reliable post-Covid info hard to find.

Sincerely, we wouldn't go all this way on the off-chance that we could just turn up and buy a last-minute ticket. Further, given the scenes we saw at the north access point, actually finding out where and who to buy from would not be a given either.

How To Get To The Caminito del Rey

Ok, we'll keep this short and sweet.

The majority of you will be doing it as a day trip from Málaga or the surrounding holiday towns of the Costa del Sol. Travelling from further afield in the region of Andalucía is possible (Cordoba - 2 hours; Granada - 2 hours; Seville - 2.5 hours) but may be a little far for a desirable round-trip day trip on your holiday.

Here are the options:

By Road | If you've got a rental car, it's a straightforward drive up the highway from Málaga or any other places along the Costa del Sol. Drive time from the city is about an hour, and we recommend putting this car park in your GPS / Google Maps.

The Caminito del Rey parking situation is a bit of an issue though, and we highly recommend reading the next section before you set off or pay for parking on the official website!

By Train | There are 5-6 daily departures rom Málaga’s Maria Zambrano train station (Google Maps) to El Chorro train station (Google Maps). At time of writing (spring 2023) morning departures are 8:24am and 9.43am, travel time is 35-50 minutes, and tickets cost approx. €3.50 - €5 per person.

You can find schedules and buy tickets on the RENFE train company's website and Trainline.

Note that from El Chorro train station, you then need to take the shuttle bus toward the tunnel near the hike start point (more on this in the next section).

By Tour | Alternatively, you can book a spot on one of the Caminito del Rey tours from Malaga which include private round-trip transport. Some include hotel pick-up + drop-off, whilst others depart from a meeting point in Málaga.

Alternatively, if you’re doing an Andalucía road trip, you can choose to spend the night in the area before or after the experience. There a number of other hikes, climbing spots, a via ferrata and 35-metre zipline, and a brilliant blue lake for swimming and watersports, and many locals come here for a nature fix without going anywhere near the Caminito.

El Chorro is the main hub, but there are a lot of good options nearby too, including the nice little town of Alora. You can find all the Caminito del Rey hotels and guesthouses here Booking.com, and Airbnb listings for the area here.

Travel Tip // If you’re thinking of a road trip or renting wheels for a few days exploring along and beyond the coast, we recommend looking + booking via A u toEurope or RentalCars to get the best overview on rates and availability.

Find out more money-saving and stress-reducing advice in 9 Car Rental Tips for Travellers

Understand The Tunnel + Parking Situation Before You Arrive

This is the most unnecessarily confusing part of the Caminito del Rey hike experience, and we found a lot of the information online to be unclear, contradictory, or wrong. Due to this, we had to go between two car parks, and then sprint for 1.5kms to make our 9am time slot (which ended up leaving 15 minutes late anyway).

So, we'll do our best to make everything make sense for you to avoid the same issues!

· The official start point for the Caminito del Rey, and the place where you'll show your ticket and get your helmet, is known as the North Access / Acceso Norte - here on Google Maps. Everyone reading this guide will have to go here to begin the trail, whether you've got an individual ticket, are joining a guided group, or part of a tour.

· The North Access point is not by a road, by a car park, by the Caminito del Rey Visitor Centre, or on the shuttle bus route. It is only accessible via a 1.5km walk through a couple of tunnels and a bit of a dusty trail.

· This 1.5km walk is signposted and starts in a tunnel by the side of a road. It is signposted, but we've shared the specific point here on Google Maps. You should factor in at least 20 minutes to comfortably do this walk, and plan to complete it and arrive at the North Access 15-30 minutes BEFORE your ticket time slot.

· If you've got a rental car, in order to reach the entrance to the tunnel and do the 1.5km walk, you first have to park up at one of four available car parks. We've listed them below in order or proximity to the tunnel entrance:

Car Park Ardales

A large dusty private car park directly opposite and across the road from the tunnel entrance. It costs €2 to park (cash only), but the car park only opens from 8.30am, so it may not be viable for earlier time slots. Note that this is not the car park which you can reserve a space at in advance when buying your Caminito tickets online.

Find it here on Google Maps.

El Kiosko

There is very limited parking on the road side outside and opposite El Kiosko, which is a small restaurant / cafe. It's free to park here, but you will struggle for a space unless arriving early in the morning or getting lucky as the day goes on. From here, you need to walk five minutes back up the road to the tunnel entrance, which will be on your left hand side.

Find it here on Google Maps.

The Official Caminito del Rey Car Park

An expansive modern tarmac car park next to the new visitor centre building, but the name is misleading as it is the car park that's furthest away from the tunnel entrance - 2.2km away in fact! If arriving by road, this is usually the first car park you'll pass. A space costs €2, and you can pay + reserve when buying your tickets on the official website. It's also possible to pay when you arrive, but in high season it can get full.

If parking here, then you must take the shuttle bus to the tunnel entrance (you could walk, but there’s no point).

Find it here on Google Maps.

El Chorro

An alternative option is to park your car for free in the village of El Chorro, where you'll find the train station and several places to eat. The village is situated close to the South Entrance / Accesso Sur - the end point of the Caminito del Rey - and so everyone ends their walk there. If you park here, then you'll be able to make a swift exit at the end. However, it does mean you’ll have to take the shuttle bus from outside the train station to the tunnel entrance to begin your hike (which is the same as people arriving by train). Travel time from El Chorro to the tunnel entrance is 15-20 minutes, but please bear in mind that you may have to wait around for a bus and a space!

For ease, we recommend the majority of you park in either Ardales or the official car park.

For the avoidance of doubt, we repeat that NONE of these four car parking areas are situated next to the start point of the Caminito del Rey trail (Google Maps)

Wherever you park, you will have to walk 1.5km to the start point AND have to take the shuttle bus at least once.

How The The Caminito del Rey Shuttle Bus Works

The shuttle bus costs €2.50 per person (one-way and round-trip cost the same), and tickets can be purchased on board with cash or card. All of the shuttles we saw were large, with seats for around 40-50 people.

However, the Caminito del Rey shuttle bus does not bring you to the hike start point.

Instead it will transport you between all of the car parks mentioned above, the tunnel entrance, and the train station!

If you arrive by train, you’ll have to take the shuttle bus at the start of your day in order to reach the tunnel entrance; travel time is 15-minutes, the bus stop is here (Google Maps), and the only issue is that you may have to wait for a bus or a space, so align your train times and ticket start times conservatively.

If you park in Car Park Ardales or by El Kiosko, you do not have to take the shuttle bus to the tunnel entrance - you can simply walk along the road to find it. You will still however need to take the shuttle bus from El Chorro at the end of the hike to return and drop you off back at either of the car parks!

If you park in the Official Caminito del Rey Car Park, you will have to take the shuttle bus to the tunnel entrance (take less than five minutes) and at the end of the hike from El Chorro. From the official car park, the bus leaves from the stop outside the toilets (easy to find), and you shouldn't have to wait more than 15 minutes for a departure (there will likely be one waiting). It stops outside Ardales, then you need to cross the road and walk down to arrive at the tunnel entrance.

If you park at El Chorro, by the train station, you will be able to make a swift exit at the end of your hike; the disadvantage is that you'll have to take the shuttle bus for a longer distance at the start of your day to reach the tunnel entrance.

Arrive Earlier Than You Think

Ok, still with us? Whether you’re arriving by car or by train, all of the above combine to basically mean you need to arrive for the Caminito del Rey much earlier than you think.

With parking, the shuttle bus, and the 20-minute walk to the North Access start point, you need to arrive in the area at least an hour before your actual ticketed time slot. So, if your ticket entry starts at 11am, you should be arriving at the car park or train station by 10am at the absolute latest (but perhaps even a little earlier if you’d like to take your time).

The large lines, general lack of organisation, and guided group already starting 15 minutes late when we were there at 9am means that you will possibly still manage to get in if you miss your time, but it's not guaranteed and not worth the risk.

Plan // 13 Wonderful Things To Do in Malaga

The Caminito del Rey Hike | Route and WALKWAYS

The walk can be viewed in three sections: the first part on the platforms, a dusty trail walk in the most spectacular section scenery, then the final section on the platforms again and across the bridge.

At the beginning, it’s likely that you’ll have to wait around for a bit at the control centre on the north access point (maps), only showing your tickets (downloaded on your mobile is fine) when the time slot is called. You’ll then be handed your hard hat and optional hairnet, and directed to wait for a short safety briefing.

If you’re in a guided group, note that you wait in the area down the stairs to the left, rather than with the large huddle of people at the entrance. Those joining groups will also be provided with an earpiece and radio, through which your guide communicates with everyone.

Importantly, once you’re on the Caminito del Rey, there’s no turning back or exiting halfway!

Almost straight away, you’re on the first section of wooden boardwalks hugging the cliff, and the scenery becomes dramatic quite quickly. This eventually leads to a couple of the most breathtaking viewpoints on the route, before merging onto dusty road - the landscapes on this section are so good, we’d recommend those walking independently hang out for a while to really appreciate them.

You continue along this dusty nature trail for just about 1.5km, before the suspended wooden platforms start again. This final section, where you pass above the old path, a glass bottom area, and cross a bridge, looks and feels a bit more dramatic than the first, and will test your nerves a bit more if they’re prone to jangling.

At the end, remember you’ll be at the southern access point and have about 10-15 minutes walk along the dusty road to El Chorro. There, you can find the train station back to Malaga or the shuttle bus back to the various car parks described above (if the bus is full or just left, you just have to wait around for the next one, so there’s no need to rush at the end).

How long does the Caminito del Rey hike take? If you’re part of the guided group, who are given grey helmets, it’ll be about two hours from start to finish on the trail. We separated and hung back as much as we could to avoid logjams and let ourselves enjoy the path and scenery on our own terms, but we did feel conscious that we should at least keep up and finish with the group.

If you’re doing it independently, in the blue helmets, you could theoretically walk it in an hour and half if the crowds aren’t too congested, but that would be a waste. Instead, bring some food, take time to let larger groups pass to avoid bottlenecks, take a seat to savour the best viewpoints, and give yourself up to three hours to enjoy the experience and get some good photos.

At the end of your hike, it’s about 30 minutes from the point you exit the boardwalks to the shuttle bus stop in El Chorro outside the train station (maps). You can find bathrooms and various places to eat and drink here, so you can take your time if you prefer, rather than rush to catch the next bus.

What To Bring, VeRTIGO, And Travel Tips

· In terms of footwear, trainers are fine; there’s no need for hiking boots, but don’t wear flip-flops or leisure sandals.

· You can only carry a small backpack on the Caminito del Rey.

· You can bring food with you, but not full-on picnics. As ever, take all trash out and dispose of it appropriately.

· Bring water, sunglasses, and slap on the suncream (especially on your left side). If doing the walk in peak summer, bear in mind that you’ll be in bright, hot sun for at least two hours, so it’s best to avoid time slots in the 12pm-3pm range.

· Wee before you walk as the last opportunity to go to the bathroom is at the northern access point and control centre, and then about a five-minute walk after the southern access / exit point. Once you’re on the Caminito, there’s no turning back and all traffic is one-way!

· The official website states that visitors over 8 years old but under18 must be accompanied by an adult, and you need to bring ID for them, especially if they look younger than 8. However, it also says that “adults of age must always carry a proof of age document as it will be required in order to enter and exit the path”. Due to this, we reluctantly took our passports with us just in case, but they weren’t asked for, so perhaps just have a copy / photo downloaded on your phone (4G signal is patchy)

· Despite the limits in place, we think the boardwalks are still far too overcrowded and more needs to be done to create a better balance between revenue generation and the visitor experience on the Caminito. Bottlenecks occurred frequently, with it sometimes feeling more like a Sunday queue at Tesco’s rather than the outdoors activity we expected. Booking the early morning time slot, we thought we may avoid this situation, but that wasn’t the case. By slowing down and letting others pass, we were able to enjoy empty platforms at several junctures, and we recommend doing similar if you wish to have a better experience.

· In peak times (Easter, July, and August) it is going to be a challenge to avoid the crowds regardless of your start time, so we recommend simply letting people pass ahead at certain points to give yourself a bit more open path ahead and behind. Some queues and pinch points are however inevitable.

· Andrew really does not enjoy heights and has a big issue with exposed edges when high up. Any concerns that this would affect him on the Caminito del Rey were swiftly put to one side once we realised the width of the boardwalks and the welcome addition of the handrails and steel mesh on the exposed side. That being said, for some of you it may still feel quite intimidating, and we’d simply say that the Caminito is a safe and manageable experience, ideally set up to help you confront that fear.

So, breathe, take your time, and give it a go! If you’ve got concerns, it’s a good idea to join the guided walk or a tour so you can have more confidence on support and reassurance. Perhaps walking the route virtually on Google Maps may also remove some concerns.

If you’ve got severe vertigo or a dee-rooted fear of heights though, it is probably an experience best avoided.