El Caminito del Rey
El Caminito del Rey
4.5
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Caminito del Rey is an itinerary that will let you walk across the heart of Desfiladero de los Gaitanes (Gaitanes Ravine) throgugh the gateways attached to a rock one hundred meters above the ground, discovering remote landscapes and experiencing vertiginous feelings that only experienced climbers could feel until now.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Bala vasan
    87 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place to visit but toilets is an issue.
    Amazing experience. Beautiful views. Excellent trek. Only issue is that the signs are not very clear . The toilets are only at the start and finish of the trek. That is okay but the shocking thing is that they have no toilet roll or any hand wash … basic requirement. Only two toilets at each place and the so many people are waiting . They need to better the facilities which is bare minimum and missing.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 March 2023
  • debby n
    Tel Aviv, Israel39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    2 tips for the walk
    We walked the caminito del rey last week (March). We stayed overnight at the hotel near the start of the walk. This meant that we didn't have to drive and look for parking as we left the car parked by the hotel. There are 2 different paths that you can take to arrive at the beginning of the walk. One is 1.5km, the other is 2.7km. We walked the shorter walk there and back the day before, and the day of the walk we took the longer route. The longer route is infinitely more beautiful, so my recommendation is to leave yourself enough time to take the longer walk. At the end of the walk you have to take a shuttle bus back. We waited about half an hour as the first bus didn't have enough free places. The site recommends to park in the new centre. The problem with this is that the centre is half way between the entrance and exit, so you have to take the bus twice, and will have at least twice as much waiting time. The walk is amazing!
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 March 2023
  • Yasmin K
    Belfast, United Kingdom9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must do attraction!
    This was one of our top experiences while staying in Nerja. It took us about 1.5h to drive to, but was well worth it! You get lots of incredible views along the hike so bring your camera! Helmet and earphones are provided to listen to the tour guides explanation, but we preferred to just admire the scenery. The helmets (whilst mandatory) are more for effect (there is no climbing involved). Make sure to bring water! There are no shops once you start the route. There is a shuttle bus that takes you from the carpark to the start point, and then from the finish back to the carpark. It costs €2.50 each CASH. Great day out!!
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 April 2023
  • rebmarchpa
    Newtown, Pennsylvania20 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Requires some Organization
    The walk itself was great but as previously mentioned in other reviews there are some issues with the information provided on how to get there. We had an 8.50am walk booked, we did not know what to expect so arrived just before 8am to the parking area near the Restaurant Mirador only to find it closed. If you arrive early like us there is a road to the right just before the parking area, if you go up there, there is free parking for about 10 cars. It is easy to walk down to join the trail to walk the approx. 20 minutes to the start of the walk. We found out that the parking area opened a little after 8am. I would recommend buying your tickets in advance online, we saw people turning up with no tickets, if they give you a later time for a ticket you really have nowhere to go and wait without hiking back to your car or taking the shuttle bus. They will also send you some parking info when you book online, it’s not perfect but it gives a guide. You hike from North to South, you can try and find parking at the southern exit of the hike and take the shuttle to the northern area or you can park at the northern end and take the shuttle bus at the end back to your car, either way you have to take the shuttle, it costs an additional 2.50 and must be paid in cash. You can also park in the Visitors Center and take the shuttle to the northern end to start and from south back to the visitors center. Hold on to your ticket if you leave from the Visitors Center parking as it can be used for the return trip. Regarding the walk- I suffer from extreme fear of heights, no big issues for me, lots of things to hold onto!
    Visited May 2023
    Written 5 May 2023
  • Judike2
    United Kingdom272 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing path !
    There are so many varied opinions on this but our experience was very good. We camped with motorhome at Parque Ardales near the N. entrance tunnel. Tried to book online but fully booked so just turned up at ticket office at 3pm. We were amazed there was no queue & got tickets easily for the guided tour in English. Waited about 15 mins, got helmets & earphones & our guide led us off. We understand each day 50 extra tickets are available so we were lucky. The pathway is incredible with spectacular views. It's been rebuilt above the original one and is very solid and secure. It's only later you realise from the photos how precarious it is. However we felt totally safe and were not scared at any time. Plenty of time to take photos & able to leave the group if wished. The shuttle bus leaves every 30mins from the train station, tickets €2.50 at a kiosk. In all, we did 14kms when reaching campsite. The bus does not stop at the campsite so 20 mins back up the road. The visitor centre has a big new carpark & shuttle stops there. Do not miss this walk if you are nearby.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 May 2023
  • Magnus Enckell
    Tampere, Finland66 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of a kind experience
    Despite forecasts of rain and cold weather we decided to chance it and went for the hike we had booked several months in advance. Luckily the weather turned out the opposite to forecasted with sunny skies and temperatures of around 26 degrees Celsius. We also had the good fortune of having Joana as our guide. With her impeccable English and knowledge of all things Caminito del Rey, the walk was a true delight. Also the fantastic views helped a lot!
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 May 2023
  • sunnyspells293
    Eastbourne, United Kingdom35 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Simply a must if you are visiting Andalucia
    This is the second time I have walked this spectacular route and I would like to highly recommend booking the ‘Official guided visit’, for an extra 8 euros, I think it is worth it. Although obviously you are walking exactly the same route as the ‘general admission’, the information given to you via the little headsets is very interesting and makes this incredible walk even more thought provoking on how it was constructed. I would like to say a big thank you to MARCELLO whose humour along with the information made this experience very special for me and my sister and his photograph taking efforts were superb too.
    Visited June 2023
    Written 10 June 2023
  • Starviagera
    Florida2,126 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely even if you don't do the Caminito.
    We didn't do the Caminito. We look and took pictures from different areas. The area is beautiful and driving around was enough for us. We are too old for it. Do the most difficult things that interest you while your body can support it. Leave the easy places for when you are old.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 June 2023
  • Louise G
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning scenery
    Got recommended this by a friend. Pleased we came. Wasn’t sure how I would be with heights but fine. Pre booking essential. Went by car. Parked near the exit and caught the bus to the start. Make sure you ask the driver which stop as we got off at the visitor centre by mistake and had to wait for next bus and thought we would be late. Well organised. English guide Learnt alot about the history and the scenery is stunning. Wear good walking shoes or trainers Would definitely do the walk again. Next time wouldn’t need a guide. But get a guide for your first time Does get very hot in the summer months
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 20 June 2023
  • Trevor
    Chiclana de la Frontera, Spain13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Trek
    Incredible experience. Beautiful and dramatic natural wonders. Great tour guides. It’s a 5k walk and you need a shuttle bus ticket and allow about 3 hrs for whole experience. Superb
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 30 June 2023
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Floyd R
Reno, NV19 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
I stumbled across this amazing walk / hike opportunity and made it a focus point of our vacation to Andalusia. However, this is the ONLY "ticket" website I have ever used in Spain where I had to create an account + password to actually get tickets. The self-guided tickets were non-existent requiring us to pay at least double for a "guide". The worst part of the website was the FALSE statement that the south exit side of the one-way walk was "in Alora". NOT TRUE - it is actually in El Chorro - almost 15 km past Alora - causing us to miss our hike - and waste 41 euros. Google Maps was no help, as it showed the N entrance - but not the S exit point where we were trying to get to park. Google also showed 1 hour & 4 minutes TO Alora from Ronda, but it did NOT show the El Chorro location. Driving thru the town of Alora @ 5 km / hour took forever!! The Spanish road signs upon our arrival in Alora gave NO indication of the distance to the S exit. The lack of signage and information as discussed above totally ruined our day.
Written 16 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Justusduo
Newnan, GA106 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
I was so apprehensive being 57, and out of shape. I would have to say, my fears were unfounded. It was a very easy to moderate hike all along the gorge, and was beyond a beautiful walk to experience. The hardest part, let’s say the most challenging…was the very end where you have quite a lot of stairs to get out of the gorge. Then you have an all up hill hike to get back to the buses to the parking lots. But rest assured, if I can do it most can too. It was a breathtaking hike and something we will always be glad we experienced.
Written 12 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David & Suzy
London, UK22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Friends
Amazing walk. get the guide worth the extra. This historic route offers incredible views and some insight how the rural Spanish lived
Written 2 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jon
Decin, Czech Republic5 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Few kilometres long path in for nature very rich park, tons of tourists forcing you to walk slow was really getting on my nerves but very good trip in overall
Written 17 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anna
Antwerp, Belgium40 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Absolutely loved this walk. The views are spectacular and the walk itself is not too difficult (around 5 km but you walk slowly to see everything). You can spot animals (we saw mountain goats, vultures, fish, and boars) which is very nice.

There are two different ways to get to the north entrance, where you start. One is a short route and the other one around half an hour (2,7 km). We took the latter and absolutely loved the views we got already. I definitely recommend it if you come on time (you need to be there around half an hour before the time on your ticket). There are regular busses between the north entrance and south exit.

By the way, if you travel by van or camper, there's a nice parking space located close to the south exit of the walk.

We had a guided tour and the extra information was nice, especially if you'd like to know more about the history of the place (of the railroad for example), but we walked faster than we would have without a guide. By the way, in the rules it says not to bring a backpack, but lots of people did anyway.

At the end, there is a hanging bridge which gives a nice adrenaline kick if there's a strong wind (like we had).

In sum, I would recommend the walk to everyone without too strong of a vertigo!
Written 17 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wallygator7
15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Great food and service. Lively atmosphere with generous portions if the freshest food around. Scratch cooking, all the way down to the tortillas that are made fresh, everyday.
Written 17 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cheesy30
Liverpool, UK319 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
We bought the guided tour, as there weren't unguided tours available on the website. When we arrived, 30mins before our tour, we were told we can either wait for our time or just go independently. We wanted to go independently to begin with anyway, so joined the queue on the right. For the guided tours, you need to go down the narrow steps on the left.
It is easier to park your car in the north entrance and get a bus back from the south (El Chorro) exit, less stressful. Parking is only 2€, you then need to walk 1.5km to the start of the trek.
You do have to wear a hard hat, this is at all times on the tour or a guide will blow a whistle and tell you off, we saw a couple of people take them off to have their pictures taken.
The walk itself is easy, people on the guided tours can be slow, just wait for a section when the path widens and just ask to go past, otherwise, they will hold you up.
If you like hiking at a pace, do take time to take in the views, they are stunning, if you look around, you will see wildlife, we thought the vultures circling around were cool.
I would absolutely recommend this experience, it was great.
Written 14 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Patrick B
Leeds, UK41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Lots of what I'm about to write is mentioned in other reviews, but I hope it's helpful to have my experience in one splurge! Bear in mind that we went in February when it is cooler/quieter than summer & that train times may change.

First, book your tickets well in advance on the website (we had to book a guided tour ticket, paying extra, but didn't see our guide after the hard hats were issued, which suited us fine.) You need your passports to register on the website before you can book. Tickets for the shuttle bus are available right at the end of the checking out process, I spent ages trying to find them earlier. We booked for 11.00 & ended up starting the walk at 10.45, that was having taken the earliest train from Málaga, Maria Zambrano station to El Chorro at 0858 & buying the return tickets the day before (€7 each) returning at 16.47. The lady thought that the earlier train back at 13.51 would be a rush...we really took our time and could have caught it with 20 minutes to spare, not a problem as the weather was good.

Arriving at the station in Málaga for our adventure, we were surprised to see that all the shops (and toilets) on the concourse were closed until 10.00. We found a nearby café in a side street to buy croissants and some drinks, but it would be better to buy them the night before. I drank 1 litre (my wife a bit less) and it was a cool day, there is nothing on the walk itself (toilets at the start/finish). Toilets on the platform were open, but my wife reports that there was no toilet paper & you should arrive early (15 minutes) to clear security & queue for the train. Allocated seats & the journey was great, about 40 minutes plus a 10 minutes delay.

At the other end, hop onto the shuttle bus right by the station & do not start getting off at the first stop - it's a pick up from the car park. Wait for the second stop, it's a 20 minutes bus ride. You see the footpath tunnel that you'll need to take to reach the start of the walk on the right hand side as the bus passes right by it & you need to head back along the coned off path by the road where you've just got off. There is a shop further along the road after the bus drop off, but we didn't go there so cannot comment... I presume that drinks etc are sold.

The entrance was a fair walk away but easy to find, chaotic (last chance for toilets)...people without tickets...but wave your printed tickets about, head to the ticket inspector & then you're through. Hard hats and sanitary hair net doled out efficiently, a speedy and incomprehensible safety talk (not really needed) & everyone zoomed off. We loitered at the back as we're not fans of the perpetual selfie/Instagram process, preferring to look and take it in without being hassled. After a few minutes, we were pretty much by ourselves.

The walk is great, not arduous as it's mostly downhill but it is reasonably long and does have a number of steps (up) at the end. Not for those who don't like heights, but it's not scary. We didn't miss the guided element as I'd rather just take in the natural beauty rather than hear about earliest forms of life, how the rocks were formed, all the types of wildlife in the area in a large, selfie taking group...but each to their own. It was windy on the walk and you needed warm clothes (I put gloves on) and some people were woefully underdressed & very cold...it was a warm day, but the wind whistled through the canyon.

At the end, there were toilets (with queues for the women) & a number of small stalls selling coffee, snacks, tourist stuff. If you can hold on & it's not peak season, my advice would be to head to the hotel/restaurant (La Garganta) by El Chorro station at the top (10 minutes walk), where the toilets are far superior and we had a peaceful coffee (in summer you might struggle to find a table or they could be less willing just to serve drinks at lunchtime... pure conjecture on my part.) Service was friendly and the coffee far superior to that from the huts. We didn't eat, but the food looked good. Maybe book a table before setting off for your walk?

There's not a lot in El Chorro, but we killed time until our return train, sitting in the sun, looking at the scenery.
Written 8 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Svitlana K
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Friends
very pleasant and picturesque walk to do. We were also very lucky with the guide, Pablo (belgian) is an incredible storyteller, in addition to being very friendly and kind — recommend to everyone looking for a short and interesting break from routine:D
Written 4 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nnmercman
Camberley, UK13,826 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
Visited on a Monday in January but it was closed! The website is poorly constructed and I could find no mention of Monday closure. They want you to park at the main tarmaced car park (2euros) and take a short bus ride (separate charge) to where the trail takes you to the main ticket office/entrance - this is a short or longer hike dependant on which route you take (see my pic for information). Not realising it was closed, we walked the shorter (1.5km) route and it was scenic and not difficult (slight uphill on return). There is limited free parking opposite the el Kiosko cafe and a 2euro parking area further up. We passed numerous other visitors who were also no aware of Monday closing and so it wasn’t just us being a bit thick. There are two types of ticket advertised on the website - guided and self walk. However, we were unable to purchase any self walk tickets (10euro) as they were all sold out way ahead but plenty of guided (18euro) tickets available - you can purchase walk up tickets if they have availability (which I’m sure they do) and this was our aim but obviously I can’t confirm!!! Hope this review helps and saves a disappointed journey.
Written 29 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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EL CAMINITO DEL REY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about El Caminito del Rey

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