7 Things To Know Before The Caminito del Rey Hike — ALONG DUSTY ROADS

The Caminito del Rey Hike | Route and WALKWAYS

The walk can be viewed in three sections: the first part on the platforms, a dusty trail walk in the most spectacular section scenery, then the final section on the platforms again and across the bridge.

At the beginning, it’s likely that you’ll have to wait around for a bit at the control centre on the north access point (maps), only showing your tickets (downloaded on your mobile is fine) when the time slot is called. You’ll then be handed your hard hat and optional hairnet, and directed to wait for a short safety briefing.

If you’re in a guided group, note that you wait in the area down the stairs to the left, rather than with the large huddle of people at the entrance. Those joining groups will also be provided with an earpiece and radio, through which your guide communicates with everyone.

Importantly, once you’re on the Caminito del Rey, there’s no turning back or exiting halfway!

Almost straight away, you’re on the first section of wooden boardwalks hugging the cliff, and the scenery becomes dramatic quite quickly. This eventually leads to a couple of the most breathtaking viewpoints on the route, before merging onto dusty road – the landscapes on this section are so good, we’d recommend those walking independently hang out for a while to really appreciate them.

You continue along this dusty nature trail for just about 1.5km, before the suspended wooden platforms start again. This final section, where you pass above the old path, a glass bottom area, and cross a bridge, looks and feels a bit more dramatic than the first, and will test your nerves a bit more if they’re prone to jangling.

At the end, remember you’ll be at the southern access point and have about 10-15 minutes walk along the dusty road to El Chorro. There, you can find the train station back to Malaga or the shuttle bus back to the various car parks described above (if the bus is full or just left, you just have to wait around for the next one, so there’s no need to rush at the end).

How long does the Caminito del Rey hike take? If you’re part of the guided group, who are given grey helmets, it’ll be about two hours from start to finish on the trail. We separated and hung back as much as we could to avoid logjams and let ourselves enjoy the path and scenery on our own terms, but we did feel conscious that we should at least keep up and finish with the group.

If you’re doing it independently, in the blue…