The Royal Path ( Spanish: El Caminito del Rey) is a structure consisting of concrete and crutches and railway rails driven into a narrow gorge . The trail is located between the Chorro and Gaitanejo waterfalls in the El Chorro gorge near Alora in Malaga, Spain.
The Royal Trail was created in 1905 as an auxiliary path for workers involved in the construction of the Conde del Guadalorse hydraulic dam, from one canyon wall to another. After the completion of the construction, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, to attend the opening ceremony of the dam, walked along this path, observing the construction, and in honor of this the path was named “El Caminito del Rey” – King’s Path
Despite the fact that the Royal Trail was officially closed to the public, many people who were not afraid of heights still passed it using safety equipment in the form of a rope with a carabiner, which was attached to steel safety ropes specially stretched along the most dangerous places of the route, where there were no handrails . On many video services like YouTube and Flixxy.com. posted videos dedicated to just such an extreme passage of this trail.
The trail was opened on March 29, 2015 and has been featured in the Lonely Planet’s Top New Attractions list.
People died on the trail, not only during construction, but also after the opening of the trail, even though the trail has a mesh fence. As a reminder of the victims of the Royal Trail, there is a marble plaque bearing their names.
According to statistics, Caminito del Rey is visited annually by over 300 thousand people. The trail has a capacity of 1100 tourists per day. The popularity of this place is very high. The trail is paid for and requires an entrance ticket. It can be purchased via the Internet on the official page or through agencies that have received accreditation to provide guided tours.
Access : Coordinates: 36.915833, -4.772778 / The distance from the railway station and the parking lot to the entrance is about two kilometers.
/ El Chorro is a small settlement in the south of Spain, 60 kilometers north of Malaga. It is notable for its hydroelectric power plant, the Royal Trail (El Caminito del Rey)
/ The easiest way to get to El Chorro is to fly to Seville or Malaga, and from there take the train. From Seville the trip will take 2 hours 30 minutes and will cost € 20. From Malaga – 50 minutes for € 7
/ Public transport : Bus : Álora is served by several intercity bus routes in its territory through the Consortium of Metropolitan Transport of the Malaga Area.
Highlights :
- The length of the Caminito del Rey trail is 7.7 km, of which the most interesting part is between the north and south entrances is 2.9 km (suspended decks – valley – suspended decks).
- The hiking trail (2.9 km) runs through two gorges, canyons and a large valley. It is located both on the ground (1.4 km) and hangs in the air (1.5 km). In the gorges, it was laid along the walls about 1 m wide, and bridges were built to go from one to another.
- Railroad bridge : Already from afar, at the sight of a trail suspended from steep cliffs, it begins to take your breath away.
- Parallel to the gorges is a railway line that runs through tunnels through the massif. Climbers used these tunnels to get more comfortably and quickly into the valley behind and not to use the Caminito.
- Films : Some of the last scenes in the 1965 film Von Ryan’s Express, starring Frank Sinatra and Raffaella Carrà, were shot along the train tracks. In the film, they represent the border between Italy and Switzerland.14 /In the film El Puente de San Luis Rey, the last feature film that has shot scenes in the Caminito.
Hours : You can visit the Caminito del Rey from Tuesday to Sunday all year round except on January 1, and December 24, 25 and 31. Of course, prior reservation is necessary.
Caminito del Rey’s summer hours are: from April 1 to October 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The winter hours of the Caminito del Rey are: from October 25 to March 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Note : children under 8 years old are generally prohibited from entering here / To visit the trail, it is mandatory to register at the northern entrance, which is located in the municipality of Ardales by the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir.
It is forbidden to use selfie sticks, sports equipment for Nordic walking./ It is forbidden to enter the trail from unauthorized entrances.
Activities : sightseeing / photo opportunities / trekking- The walking route impresses with its views and unique nature. It starts near the Conde de Guadalhorce dam and ends at the El Chorro dam
Go next : El Chorro : a small village located in Málaga (Andalusia) in southern Spain, near the town of Álora / Álora: Located 40 km from Málaga, on the right bank of the river Guadalhorce and on the Córdoba-Málaga high-speed rail line.
