The spectacular El Caminito del Rey, the King’s Path clinging to the rock face above a deep canyon. The walk that epitomizes the landscape of this beautiful part of Andalucia is not for the faint hearted! Perched on the side of a 100m deep gorge, this is undoubtedly one of the most breathtaking hikes in southern Spain.
El Caminito del Rey, ‘King’s Path’ takes its name from the fact that history says that King Alfonso XIII walked this route above the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes or ‘Giant’s Gorge’ in 1921 when he opened the nearby reservoirs (lakes at El Chorro). Today, the Caminito del Rey is open to the public and one of Andalusia’s most popular hiking routes. We understand why!
The whole route is a 7 kilometer linear walk (between Sillion del Rey in the north and El Chorro train station in the south) that includes spectacular gorges and ravines. A shuttle bus runs between the entrance and exit and a visitor/ticket center, so you can always easily get back to your car.
Walking this trail is one of the favorite things to do among tourists. The hike is not strenuous and for the most part fairly flat. The wide boardwalk means that although it is high and clings to the rock face in places, the walk doesn’t feel too daunting. You can imagine that the organization tries to avoid crowds on the route. That is why it is best to book entrance tickets in advance before making the walk.
Tickets to Caminito del Rey
You can easily purchase tickets on the website of the renewed caminito. The days the walk is open to the public are divided into different time slots. This is to prevent it from getting too busy on the path. Reservations can generally be made a few months in advance. For example, at the time of writing, the calendar is only open through March 2023. For vacation rentals near the Caminito del Rey, click here.
Important: buy your tickets on the official website of El Caminito del Rey
