El Chorro

Caminito del Rey: Spain's Most Spectacular Walk and How to Get a Ticket

Caminito del Rey has been Spain's most famous walk since the 2015 restoration — a wooden boardwalk 100 metres above the Gaitanes Gorge. But the hardest step isn't the walk itself, it's getting a ticket. Here's how we book it, what you actually see, and what you do around it to turn it into a real day trip. What Caminito del Rey is and isn't. Caminito del Rey is a 7.7 km walking route north (Ardales) to south (El Chorro), of which about 3 km is the restored wooden boardwalk over the Gaitanes Gorge. Helmet required, one-way, minimum age 8. The walk takes 3-4 hours — not technically demanding (no climbing) but mentally taxing for anyone with vertigo. The first time we came here in 2023 I thought 'this is over-hyped' — until I stood on the first plank and saw the river 100 metres below. It is not over-hyped. It's not: a hard mountain hike — it's a restored wooden boardwalk on a flat path It is: six high sections where you really look through the gorge Helmet rental included in the ticket How to get a ticket — the tricks that work. Tickets go online via caminitodelrey.info. Standard release is 90 days ahead, but in July/August everything is gone weeks out. What we do: Monday 09:00 (Madrid time) check — that's when cancellations are released. Alternative: book a guided tour at €18 (instead of €10 self-guided) — more slots available and you get the history. For El Chorro this is the only way in on a busy summer Saturday. Best months: April + May + September + October (summer is hot, little shade) Self-guided: €10, your own pace Guided: €18, departures every 30 min, EN/ES/NL available Cancellations: same-week cancellations often surface Friday morning The route in practice: four highlights to look for. The route runs north to south — you start at the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir near Ardales, end at El Chorro train station. The four visual highlights to spot: (1) the first boardwalk after 30 min where the plank narrows, (2) the suspension bridge midway with a glass section in the middle, (3) the Roman aqueduct remnant on your right around km 4, and (4) the Pintada Kings path (painted rock wall) at km 5.5. Our son (10) did the full route without complaining — for 8-year-olds it's doable. Bring: water (1L pp), sun hat, comfortable shoes — no sandals Don't bring: tripod (not allowed), large backpack (must be worn at the front) Tip: small photo stop at section 2 (suspension bridge) — keep moving otherwise Before or after: lunch in Ardales or El Chorro. If you start from the north (Ardales) Restaurante El Mirador is the logical pre-walk lunch — terrace with view across the gorge, menu del día €15, fish on Fridays from Málaga. After the walk you arrive in El Chorro — there El Kiosko (directly opposite the train station) is the better call: a bocadillo de lomo plus beer for €8, perfect after 4 hours of walking. We went for the first option last summer and the gorge view during lunch made the walk after extra charged. Lunch before: El Mirador Ardales — from 13:00 Lunch after: El Kiosko El Chorro — from 14:00 Tip: reservation worth it in July/August for El Mirador Transport: train, shuttle, parking. The smart way: train from Málaga María Zambrano to El Chorro — €4.50 one-way, 40 min. From El Chorro take the shuttle (€2.50) to the north end. Walk south back to the station, take the same train back. No parking stress. The alternative — car — requires parking in Ardales and then a shuttle to El Chorro for the car return. Train from Málaga: daily 07:55 + 16:40 (in each direction) Shuttle station-north: every 30 min from El Chorro car park Parking car: €4/day at the north entrance car park (Ardales) Total time: 7 hours including transport and lunch Day-of checklist. Reservation: minimum 30 days ahead, ideally 60 days Arrival: 30 min before your slot at the north entrance ID: passport or ID card required at check-in Not for: kids under 8, severe vertigo For: anyone with basic fitness who can walk 4 hours on flat terrain