How do I get to the Caminito del Rey?

It is about an hour's drive from Málaga, in the El Chorro / Ardales area of Málaga province. It is also reachable from the Costa del Sol and Marbella, and many visitors come on a guided day trip with transport included.

Can children walk the Caminito del Rey?

Children under 8 are not admitted, and a minimum height of about 1.30 m is checked at the entrance. Visitors aged 8 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult and carry ID.

Caminito del Rey — Walk the Route | Cliffside Boardwalk Guide & Tours

Q: Which way do you walk, and how do you get back to your car?

It is strictly one-way, north to south — from the Ardales / Gaitanejo entrance down to the El Chorro exit. A shuttle bus links the two ends so you can return to where you started.

Once the most dangerous path in the world. Now the best walk in Andalusia.

The Caminito del Rey — the "King's little pathway" — threads the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, a limestone gorge the Guadalhorce river cut near El Chorro. Left to crumble for decades, it was rebuilt above the old ledge and reopened in 2015. This is the walk, waypoint by waypoint, from the northern gate down to El Chorro.

01Km 0.0

Visitors in safety helmets on the Caminito del Rey boardwalk passing beneath a huge overhanging limestone arch near the northern Gaitanejo entrance

The Gate at Gaitanejo

Helmet on. The walk begins.

The route starts at the northern Gaitanejo entrance, where a guide hands out helmets and a short safety briefing before you step through the gate. From here it's strictly one direction — north to south — so once you set off, you finish the whole thing.

02Km 0.6

The modern wooden Caminito del Rey boardwalk zig-zagging with staircases as it clings to a sheer grey limestone cliff face high in the Gaitanes Gorge

Into the Gorge

The walls rise, and the path leaves the ground.

The trail lifts off the valley floor and onto the timber walkways bolted to the rock. The Gaitanes walls climb hundreds of metres on either side, and the boardwalk begins its long traverse across the near-vertical stone.

03Km 1.4

Walker's-eye view along the Caminito del Rey wooden plank boardwalk as it runs ahead and bends around an ochre cliff, with the crumbling original concrete ledge visible just below it

Pinned to the Wall

A metre wide, a hundred metres up.

This is the stretch the photographs are made of: a boardwalk about a metre wide, running roughly 100 metres above the Guadalhorce. Look down over the edge and you'll see the ruined original path — bare concrete and rebar — pinned to the wall just below the new one.

04Km 2.0

A deep, narrow section of the Gaitanes Gorge where new boardwalks thread along both cliff walls and a crumbling original concrete ledge spans the gap, the river far below

Through the Narrows

Where the gorge closes to under ten metres.

At its tightest the canyon squeezes to less than ten metres wall to wall. The new walkways thread both sides while the old ledge still clings to the rock — the clearest place on the whole route to see just how far the path has come.

05Km 2.4

A short glass-floor viewing balcony on the Caminito del Rey boardwalk, looking straight down through transparent panels to the rocky gorge floor far below

The Glass Floor

Nothing but glass between you and the drop.

A short see-through glass balcony juts from the boardwalk. Step out and the floor disappears — straight down to the rocks and river of the gorge. It's the moment most people either love or hurry across.

06Km 2.7

Point-of-view along the Caminito del Rey suspension footbridge, a narrow steel-mesh-deck cable bridge spanning the gorge with sheer cliffs rising on both sides

The Hanging Bridge

Thirty-five metres of open air.

Near the end of the boardwalks comes the suspension bridge: roughly 35 metres long and 105 metres above the river, a mesh-floored span slung across the gorge. It flexes underfoot — and it's the signature crossing of the entire walk.

071901–1921

The derelict pre-2015 Caminito del Rey path: a broken concrete cantilever ledge with a collapsed, holed section and no railing, above the river and an old arched aqueduct

The King's Footsteps

Built for workers. Named for a king.

The original path was cut into the cliff between 1901 and 1905 so workers could move between the Gaitanejo and El Chorro hydroelectric works. In 1921, King Alfonso XIII walked it to open the Conde del Guadalhorce dam — and the name stuck: El Caminito del Rey. Decades of neglect turned it into the "world's most dangerous walkway," closed after fatal falls around 2000, until a rebuild reopened it in late March 2015.

08Km 7.7

The gorge opening into a wide green valley near El Chorro, the turquoise Guadalhorce river winding through pines and scrub toward the southern exit of the Caminito del Rey

Down to El Chorro

The gorge opens, and the walk lets you go.

The cliffs fall away and the path drops into a broad, green valley above El Chorro. This is the southern exit — where a shuttle bus runs you back to the start. Around 2.5 to 4 hours after the first step, the route is done.

Know before you go

The practical essentials for the walk itself — the things worth settling before you book a date.

One way, north → southYou walk from the Gaitanejo (Ardales) end down to El Chorro. A shuttle bus links the two ends so you can get back to your car.

Timed entry, book aheadEntry is by timed slot and sells out weeks ahead in high season. Arrive about 30 minutes early for the safety briefing.

Helmet is mandatoryA helmet is handed out at the start and must be worn the whole way. No climbing gear needed — just sturdy closed shoes.

Minimum age 8Under-8s aren't admitted and a minimum height (about 1.30 m) is checked. Ages 8–17 must be with an adult carrying ID.

Allow 2.5–4 hoursThat's the walk itself; budget 5–6 hours total with the briefing and shuttle. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable.

Not for severe vertigoIt's fully rebuilt and safe, but exposed — around 100 m up. It isn't recommended for severe vertigo or heart conditions.

Caminito del Rey questions, answered

Is the Caminito del Rey scary — and is it safe?

It was completely rebuilt and is safe today, with a modern wooden boardwalk, guardrails and a mandatory helmet. But it runs along sheer cliffs around 100 metres above the river, so it can feel exposed. It isn't recommended for anyone with severe vertigo or heart conditions.

How long does it take to walk?

The walk itself takes roughly 2.5 to 4 hours. Allow around 5 to 6 hours in total once you include the pre-walk safety briefing and the shuttle bus back to your starting point.

How do I get there?

It's about an hour's drive from Málaga, in the El Chorro / Ardales area of Málaga province, and is also reachable from the Costa del Sol and Marbella. Many visitors come on a guided day trip with transport included.

Do tickets really sell out?

Yes — especially at weekends and in the April to October high season, when timed-entry slots are often gone weeks in advance. Booking ahead, or taking a tour with a pre-secured ticket, is strongly advised.

Can children do it?

Children under 8 aren't admitted, and a minimum height of about 1.30 m is checked at the entrance. Those aged 8 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult and carry ID.

Which way do you walk, and how do you get back to your car?

It's strictly one-way, north to south — from the Ardales / Gaitanejo entrance down to the El Chorro exit. A shuttle bus links the two ends so you can return to where you started.

Do I need special equipment?

No climbing gear is needed — just sturdy closed shoes, water and sun protection. A safety helmet is provided at the start and must be worn the whole way.

Caminito del Rey

Once the most dangerous path in the world. Now the best walk in Andalusia.

Helmet on. The walk begins.

The walls rise, and the path leaves the ground.

A metre wide, a hundred metres up.

Where the gorge closes to under ten metres.

Nothing but glass between you and the drop.

Thirty-five metres of open air.

Built for workers. Named for a king.

The gorge opens, and the walk lets you go.

Timed slots sell out weeks ahead — especially April to October.

Walk it with a guide — ticket secured, transport sorted

Guided Tour & Welcome Pack from Málaga

From Málaga & Costa del Sol: Guided Tour

Entry Ticket & Guided Tour at El Chorro

Guided Visit with Admission

Know before you go

Caminito del Rey questions, answered