The King´s Little Pathway Caminito del Rey is an huge experience of raw nature

Hanging 100 meters up the cliff side – and with huge rock walls another 100 meters up on both sides!

But there are a lot of questions – and it hasn’t been made easy to make the trip – so some answers are needed.

Here are the answers to all your questions.

The King´s Little Pathway – Caminito del Rey – story

When was Caminito del Rey built?

The Caminito del Rey was built to transport building materials until the construction of the old dam, which was completed in 1921.

King Alfonso XIII arrived by train and walked part of the footpath to the dam for the inauguration.

That is why it has been called The King’s Little Pathway – Caminito del Rey – since then.

 

Why was it called the world’s most dangerous walkway?

At the end of the last century, the concrete on the Caminito del Rey was so damaged that it had become dangerous.

in 1997 two people died by falling down – and then it was closed.

Until the new Caminito del Rey was inaugurated in 2014, many climbers recorded heart-pumping videos on the old concrete path – and on what remained of iron struts – and posted them on YouTube under the name The World’s Most Dangerous Walkway – or Walkway of Death.

 

When was the new Caminito del Rey opened?

The new Caminito del Rey is built in wood and suspended in steel. It was opened in 2014.

It is built just above the old concrete path, so you can still see the remains of the old Caminito del Rey along the way.

 

Tickets for Caminito del Rey

Unfortunately, it is not so easy to buy Tickets for Caminito del Rey.

They are often sold out or there are only tickets with a guide.

There is a good reason for that:

The local municipalities run the Caminito del Rey and they do not want to just sell the tickets without also ensuring local jobs and a financial contribution to the local economy.

 

Why are there no Tickets for sale? On the official Caminito del Rey website, only approx. 40% of the tickets are put up for sale. The rest is sold through other sales channels, especially agencies. Of the 40%, only a small proportion are sold as tickets without a guide. The majority are tickets with a guide. The reason is that they would rather not sell tickets without a guide, because they make too little of a contribution to the local economy.   Are the tickets really sold out? No. Just because there are no more tickets on the official Caminito del Rey website doesn’t mean it’s sold out. 60% of the tickets are put on sale through agencies such as GetYourGuide. It is usually possible to get tickets here. The price is a little higher, but then you are sure of getting tickets. And then you usually get extras included in the price, e.g. a guide, parking, shuttle bus or something else.

 

So how do you get tickets?

In order not to depend on the official Caminito del Rey website, which is often sold out, we recommend booking a ticket at an agency.

With an agency, you are sure to get tickets without them being sold out. And you usually get extra services included in the purchase. In addition, you contribute more to the local economy, e.g. by securing work for the guides, parking attendants, bus drivers etc.

Read our article on how to get tickets here: Tickets for Caminito del Rey

And see which tickets GetYourGuide has available here:

 

Can you buy tickets at the entrance?

A small proportion of the tickets (approx. 50) are sold at the entrance in the morning.

It requires queuing at the entrance as early as 8 o’clock in the morning to secure tickets.

We do not recommend betting on this solution. It is only suitable for situations where there are no more tickets to buy either on the Caminito del Rey website or at the agencies.

 

The Caminito del Rey tour itself:

Is it packed with tourists? Many people come through the Caminito del Rey every single day, except Mondays, when it is closed. At the entrance, there are always quite a lot of people waiting to get started. On the Caminito del Rey itself, the groups spread out over the 4 km, so it is not that crowded at all and you can often walk alone without being bothered by other visitors. How much time does it take to walk the Caminito del Rey? If you do the trip yourself, it can take anywhere from 45 minutes if you walk quickly to 3 hours if you take breaks along the way. With a guided group, it usually takes 1 – 1½ hours.

 

Is it hard to walk The King´s Little Pathway Caminito del Rey?

No. It it straight ahead most of the way – and a little downhill, as there is a drop from start to finish.

However, there are a few places where it goes upwards – and some places with stairs.

Caminito del Rey is 4 km long – and the total trip from parking to bus is 6 km.

 

Is it too hot in the middle of the day?

In summer it is very hot here – everywhere.

But fortunately there are many places with shade along the way – and part of the Caminito del Rey passes through the forest.

You should bring water – and stay in the shade during the summer months – but you can walk it even if it is very hot.

 

Is it safe to walk the Caminito del Rey?

The new Caminito del Rey, which was inaugurated in 2014, is built safely – according to all rules and checked continuously.

The World’s Most Dangerous Walkway is a nickname for the old Caminito del Rey – that is no longer the case.

Even if you should feel unwell along the way, there are fixed procedures for help and assistance, so no one is at risk on the Caminito del Rey.

 

What to bring along on the Caminito del Rey?

A small bottle of water per person and good footwear. Otherwise nothing.

If there is possibility of changing weather, it is a good idea to bring an extra sweater or jacket along.

Both water and extra clothes should be carried in a small bagpack.

However, make sure you don’t bring too much – you have to carry it all the way.

 

Does fear of heights prevent you from walking?

The King’s Little Pathway Caminito del Rey is a good one meter wide at the narrowest points. In some places 1½ meters wide.

You don’t have to walk along the railing and look down – you can choose to walk along the cliff side.

So fear of heights need not prevent you from walking the Caminito del Rey.

 

Can you walk the Caminito del Rey in rain and wind? If there is a very strong wind, Caminito del Rey will be closed and you will get the opportunity to rebook. Otherwise, there are no problems in walking. Remember to bring appropriate clothing for the weather.   When does the shuttle bus return? The shuttle buses drive continuously back and forth, so you rarely have to wait much. There are no fixed times – the bus drives when it is fairly full.

Access and parking:

Can you get to Caminito del Rey without a car?

There is a train to El Chorro, from where you can continue on the shuttle bus to the entrance.

Check the train tables on e.g. Renfe.com

 

How to get to Caminito del Rey by car?

Almost all rental cars are equipped with GPS systems.

Caminito del Rey can simply be keyed into the GPS system. Drive after e.g. Caminito del Rey centro de visitantes or Caminito del Rey acceso norte.

Read our article on safe car hire at Malaga airport here:

Avoid unfortunate car hire

 

Where can you park?

There is parking at the Caminito del Rey visitor center (centro de visitantes).

From here you have to take the shuttle bus 2 times; first to the entrance and after the trip back to the visitor center.

Alternatively, you can park closer to the entrance.

This way you can walk to the entrance and only have to take one trip with the shuttle bus when you have to return to the entrance after the walk on the Caminito del Rey.

Where can you eat?

There are restaurants both at the entrance and at the exit.

We can recommend La Garganta (at the exit) and El Mirador (at the entrance). It is recomendable to book a table in advance.

There are no restaurants at the visitor center.

 

Read our article on how to get tickets here: Tickets for Caminito del Rey

 

 

Selected – and unique – farm stays from Booking.com:

Unique accommodation away from the crowds that might interest you:

 

Further accommodations

Sights (A)

---