Caminito Del Rey
“After hearing all these horror stories about the Caminito del Rey in Spain being the most dangerous path in the world, I have to admit I was quite hesitant. I am not a daredevil, at all. Luckily the path wasn’t scary in even the tiniest bit – the views were too mesmerizing!”
The original path dates from 1901, when people needed a transfer between the two villages El Chorro and Ardales. It was a well used path for a few decades, but after that it deteriorated severely. Big rocks had fallen from the mountains, leaving big gaps in the pathway. That and more made the path very dangerous to walk on – from 1992 it was forbidden to enter. That didn’t stop the real daredevils though! They would travel from all over the globe to this location to get their adrenaline kick – walking the rotting path in secret, crawling over big rocks, jumping over big gaps at great height. This might sound exciting, but still people died after trying to walk this path. It wasn’t called the most dangerous path in the world for nothing. A renovation was needed so people would stop putting themselves at danger and so the Caminito Del Rey was opened for the public. Luckily so, as the path is extremely beautiful!
You can reach the path with a train to Chorro from Málaga, a city in Southern Spain. From El Chorro you’ll take a transfer bus to the entrance of the path. Be aware though – you will have to buy tickets online with a time slot. Where the bus drops you, you stil have to walk around 2,5 km to the official entrance. Keep that in mind when you book a time slot! We had to hurry quite a bit, which was shame as the area is absolutely gorgeous. When you enter the pathway you’ll walk back to El Chorro and at the end of the the path you’ll find yourself nearby the train station again. It’s quite simple, easy and not too expensive – it makes for a great (half) day trip when you’re in Andalusia.
The path is quite tame nowadays, but the views will absolutely make up for it. Keep in mind though – you’re in the mountains still, so if you’re afraid of heights, it might not be the most fun. But trust me, it will be worth it! In case you’re worried about the falling rocks – you’ll get a safety helmet. Another advice – it’s a quite populair tourist attraction, so make sure to visit in low season if you can.
