Caminito del Rey
Most dangerous hike in Spain!!
The Caminito del Rey is a hike outside of Málaga in the pueblo El Chorro. It was once considered the most dangerous hike in Spain before it closed in 2000. After a year of many renovations, it opened back up to the public in 2015. The hike now can be reserved through the official website or you can join one of the many guided tours.
El Chorro can be reached by train, bus or car from Málaga. The train leaves from the main train station, María Zambrano, and El Chorro is the first stop on the regional line to Sevilla. The train dropped me right in front of the La Garganta Hotel that overlooks the Guadalhorce River. With time to kill I layed out on the sunbeds next to the hotel’s pool, taking in the sights of the mountains and river, before the staff started to question if I was a guest of the hotel. When it was time for the hike, the bus left from the lobby of the hotel and took us to the entrance. There we were given our helmet along with hair nets to walk the path in style.
The hike is a total of 7.7 km and starts at the North Access, following the valley South and ending back in the town of El Chorro. The views are breathtaking from the start. To begin the hike you will walk through a narrow tunnel that opens up to an overlook. The path runs through cliffs, canyons and a valley, with views of the river flowing past. Some of the path is gravel where 3 people can walk side by side, but other parts of the path are suspended boardwalks where two people can barely pass by each other. Because of this the path only has one direction, North to South.
The path follows the gorge and canyons passing the famous Puente del Rey and Casa del Hoyo, ruins of a house where a family used to live. Our guide told us stories of when the family used to sell things to travelers on the path. The path continues past the San Cristobal Alcove, a massive rock face that many climbers dare to scale, then finally ends at the most picturesque spot of the hike, the hanging bridge. After the hanging bridge the path takes you back to the pueblo of El Chorro.
The whole hike I was in awe, trying my best to take it all in. The suspended boardwalk winded through the gorge showing the beautiful landscape and wildlife. I caught a deer scaling the vertical rocks on the mountain, a huge vulture circling in the sky above and I was even lucky to see a fossil of a cephalopod in the rocks.
The last train left El Chorro at 9:00 pm to go back to Málaga. While waiting for the train I enjoyed card games and grabbed a bite to eat at the restaurant attached to the La Garganta Hotel. The restaurant caught the sunsetting as it overlooked the gorge. The train pulled into Málaga around 10:00 pm, ending a beautiful day trip that left me wanting to go right back the next day.