{"id":55476,"date":"2024-04-11T23:31:22","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T21:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=55476"},"modified":"2025-04-11T01:27:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T23:27:08","slug":"el-caminito-del-rey-a-vertigo-route-along-a-pedestrian-walkway-attached-to-a-gorge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/04\/11\/el-caminito-del-rey-a-vertigo-route-along-a-pedestrian-walkway-attached-to-a-gorge\/","title":{"rendered":"El Caminito del Rey, a vertigo route along a pedestrian walkway attached to a gorge"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1901, construction began on a maintenance route for two dams in the Gaitanes Gorge, in El Chorro (M\u00e1laga).<\/p>\n

A beautiful mountain route looking for the 'Nazca of M\u00e1laga' and a stone friar<\/a><\/rel>
\nAn ideal place for a movie: the abandoned Montejaque dam and the Cave of Hundidero<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

The path was a pedestrian walkway that began next to a railway line in Ardales and ran through that gorge<\/strong>, whose walls reach 300 meters high, until ending in El Chorro, in the town of \u00c1lora. The walkway was attached to the wall of the gorge at a height of about 100 meters<\/strong> and with a maximum width of one meter, which made it a route not suitable for those who suffer from vertigo.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
An image of the Caminito del Rey after its restoration. The new walkway was placed a little higher than the original (Photo: Pxhere<\/a>).<\/div>\n

This 3 kilometer walkway was completed in 1905<\/strong> and was used for the construction of the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir, whose construction began in 1914. In 1921, when the dam was inaugurated, the then King of Spain, Alfonso XIII, walked part of this walkway<\/strong>, which began to be known as the Camino del Rey (The King's Path) or the Caminito del Rey (The King's Little Path).<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
The spectacular pedestrian bridge that crosses the gorge (Photo: Pxhere<\/a>).<\/div>\n

Over the years, this walkway suffered the effects of abandonment, becoming a very dangerous route<\/strong>, but at the same time very frequented by lovers of urban exploration and extreme sports. It became internationally known as one of the most dangerous roads in the world.<\/strong> In 2009 I dedicated an article showing its poor condition<\/a> and pointing out that a restoration plan was already underway.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
The Caminito del Rey as it passes over a railway bridge (Photo: Malopez 21<\/a>).<\/div>\n

That restoration plan was finally launched in 2014.<\/strong> The road was restored a year later. Currently, the Caminito del Rey is operated and maintained by a private company through an administrative concession. You have to pay an entrance fee to visit it.<\/strong> On the official website of the Caminito del Rey<\/a> you can find more information about ticket prices and about this route.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
El Caminito del Rey, near the bridge. In this photo we can see some parts of the old walkway, very deteriorated, that have been preserved below the new walkway (Photo: Frayle<\/a>).<\/div>\n

If you want to get an idea of how dangerous the Caminito del Rey was before its restoration<\/strong>, this video from Thrillseekers Anonymous<\/a>, published in April 2014, shows what some of its sections were like:<\/p>\n