Caminito del Rey

This extreme hiking route has long been considered the most dangerous path in the world. Which also resulted in deaths. The King's Little Path near Malaga has now been completely restored. Since 2015 you can walk safely on the trail and boardwalks.

The name Caminito del Rey means the King’s Little Path. It is located near Álora near Málaga and runs to Campillos, right through the El Chorro gorge. The trail was extremely dilapidated over the decades.

Since 2006, the regional government of Andalusia wanted to restore this famous trail for tourism. The path has been open again since 2015; restored and well. Now everyone can enjoy it in a safe way.

The total length of the trail is 7.7 km, of which 4.8 km is to the canyon itself. So keep this in mind. The hike to the canyon is fun, but not really special. Although it is good to warm up your muscles. The walking path itself is not difficult, many tricky places were modified during the restoration. So that you can now easily navigate along the rocks. There are also bridges to get from one side to the other.

There are numerous excursions for hiking, but you can also go on your own. You have to buy an admission ticket. It is best to do this in advance, it can get very busy at the entrance. So you sometimes have to wait a long time, especially when a group is just arriving.

The King’s Little Path in the south of Spain has existed for more than a hundred years. In 1901, local traders wanted to build a path between the Choro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls. The trail opened in 1905 after four years of construction.

According to the history books, Alfons XIII of Spain used the path in 1921 to open the Conde del Guadalhorce dam. Since then it has also been called King’s Little Path of Spain, although it is used a lot less often nowadays.

It had been officially closed since 1992, but that did not stop the daredevils. Which also resulted in deaths. The trail has now been completely restored and is safe to discover. Caminito del Rey is therefore no longer the most dangerous, but certainly one of the most beautiful in Europe.

Nowadays, when you walk on the new path you can still see the old trail. What gives your trip something extra. And then you also understand why El Caminito del Rey was long considered the most dangerous path in the world. The old, still visible path is dilapidated, the supporting beams are rusted and the wooden beams are mostly rotten.

The old path is about a meter wide and is located 100 meters above the adjacent river. There are hardly any handrails in any place. Due to modern developments, the trail fell into disrepair. As a result, many parts were in a dire state. Despite the fact that it is closed off, adventurers still know how to find their way to the path.

The old Caminito del Rey was beyond scary. The accident figures prove that. The trail had been officially closed since 1992, but adventurers are heading for it. In 1999 and 2000, four people died in two different accidents. In February 2010, a 24-year-old Swiss mountaineer fell, he also did not survive the fall.

This hiking route is very popular. The result is that it can get busy. That makes the experience a little less. In the early morning, it is remarkably quiet and you can be the only person. It is also cooler, and you can take better pictures because the sun is not that bright yet.

Caminito del Rey is located 60 kilometers from Malaga. You can go by rental car, the journey takes about an hour. There are also daily buses that drop you off at the entrance. You can also take a taxi, of course, although that is much more expensive.