Ultimate Guide to Caminito del Rey: Spain’s Best Hike

Last updated on July 2, 2025

Once considered the most dangerous hike in the world, Caminito del Rey, an hour outside of Malaga, Spain is now one of the top tourist destinations in Andalucia. Winding through the stunning Gaitanes Gorge, visitors can walk a 4.5-mile path on the side of a cliff with draw-dropping views in every direction.

While this hike isn’t for the faint of heart, as an adventure traveler, hiking Caminito del Rey was at the top of my bucket list on my Andalucia road trip. While my lack of planning resulted in several costly mistakes during my visit to Caminito del Rey (including jogging 1 mile to get to the entrance on time), I’m happy to report the experience was nothing short of amazing and 100% worth it.

If you’re visiting Malaga and want to experience Caminito del Rey for yourself, this guide will share everything you need to know before going (including the things I wish I had known before my trip). From when to visit, where to park, how to get tickets, and what to bring on the hike, this guide will make planning your trip to Caminito del Rey a smooth and epic experience.

The Best Time to Visit Caminito del Rey

Andalucia is one of the hottest regions of Spain. The summer months are brutal with temperatures reaching as high as 100°F, or 37°C. For that reason, I do not recommend visiting Caminito del Rey from June to August, when the temperature is the warmest.

➡ Read Next: Don’t Visit Spain in August. Here’s When to Go Instead ⬅

Winter, while cold is still a better time to visit Caminito del Rey than summer. However, be warned it gets quite cold here. Its higher elevation and arid climate means it’s not uncommon for the temperature to be around 32°F, or 0°C in the peak winter months of January and February.

Spring and fall are the most pleasant times to hike Caminito del Rey. We visited in November and the weather was perfect. However, can be cold in the mornings and evenings in these seasons, so plan accordingly and have a jacket with you for the hike.

Month	Average High	Average Low
January	57.2°F (14°C)	39.2°F (4°C)
February	60.8°F (16°C)	41.0°F (5°C)
March	64.4°F (18°C)	44.6°F (7°C)
April	68.0°F (20°C)	50.0°F (10°C)
May	75.2°F (24°C)	53.6°F (12°C)
June	84.2°F (29°C)	60.8°F (16°C)
July	89.6°F (32°C)	64.4°F (18°C)
August	89.6°F (32°C)	66.2°F (19°C)
September	50.0°F (28°C)	60.8°F (16°C)
October	73.4°F (23°C)	55.4°F (13°C)
November	64.4°F (18°C)	46.4°F (8°C)
December	59.0°F (15°C)	42.8°F (6°C)

☀️ Check the weather on this website before you book your tickets. They have accurate radar readings to warn you of inclement weather or to help you plan your outfit.

Where to Buy Caminito del Rey Tickets

You must buy your Caminito del Rey tickets ahead of time online. They do not sell tickets at the visitor’s center or parking lots and all tickets are timed entry, regardless if you are taking a guided tour or not. Tickets often sell out a week or two in advance, sometimes even sooner during peak tourist season. So, don’t put this off!

Ticket costs as of 2025 are 10€ for a general entrance (without a guide) or 18€ for an official guided tour. We had to book a guided tour because the general entrance tickets were sold out the week I was in Malaga.

If both tickets are sold out on the Caminito del Rey website, you can book a guided tour with a third-party company like GetYourGuide. This tour includes transportation while this tour just includes the entry ticket and tour guide.

Caminito del Rey With or Without a Guide

There are pros and cons to doing the Caminito del Rey with and without a guide. We didn’t have a choice, since the self-guided tickets were sold out when we visited.

However, there were parts of having a guide that we enjoyed. For example, it was great to learn about the history of this path, the canyon, and the natural features from a local guide. That’s something we would have missed completely on a self-guided tour.

The guide used headphones to communicate so everyone could hear him. However, if you fell behind and weren’t in eye’s sight you lost connection. Another frustrating part of the guided tour was the pace. We wanted to stop and take pictures at every turn, meaning we were constantly behind.

We also had trouble capturing the experience and listening to the tour guide. Taking a guided tour or not is really up to you, however here are some things to consider if you’re still unsure.

• ✅ Take a Caminito del Rey guided tour if you want to learn more about the history of the path and canyon and enjoy guided experiences over solo ones.

• 🚫 Do not do the Caminito del Rey hike with a guide if you want to take a lot of photos or prefer exploring at a slower pace.

Getting to Caminito del Rey from Malaga or Ronda

The easiest way to get to Caminto del Rey from Malaga or Ronda is by driving. I booked a rental car for my Andalusia road trip with Discover Cars. It was a great experience that was cost-effective and allowed me to go on day trips like this without hassle or a ton of coordinating.

The drive to Caminito del Rey from Malaga is around 50 minutes on the most scenic highway. After getting off the main highway we wound through orange and olive groves with mountain vistas in the distance. It’s an equally beautiful drive from Ronda and will take just over 1 hour. We used Google Map directions to help us navigate, which got us there without issue.

🅿️ There are two parking lots you can park at if you have your own vehicle which costs 2,00€. You can add this cost to your entry ticket at checkout or pay by card or cash at the entrance. I’ll talk more about where to park and how to navigate to the entrance of the hike next.

If you don’t have a car, I recommend taking the train to Caminto del Rey from Malaga. Search for tickets to El Chorro – Caminito del Rey (Álora) station from Malaga on the RENFE website. The ride there from Malaga is around the same time, 55 minutes, and only cost 3,50€.

Getting to Caminito del Rey from Ronda by train isn’t as easy. The route is around 3.5 hours one way, making it a lengthy trip for a one-day experience. You can book an overnight hotel before returning back to Ronda the next day or heading to a new destination like Malaga instead.

There are several beautiful hotels and bed and breakfasts within walking distance of the entrance.

Top 3 hotels in El Chorro near Caminito del Rey

• Complejo Turístico La Garganta ⭐⭐⭐⭐, 8.6 rating
• El Nido del Chorro ⭐⭐⭐, 8.9 rating
• Casa Barcelo El Chorro ⭐⭐⭐⭐, 9.1 rating
  Explore all hotels >

Another option is to book a guided tour from GetYourGuide that includes transportation. This tour includes roundtrip transportation from Malaga and eliminates having to get there by train completely.

Where to Park for Caminito del Rey

🚨Important: Get to the parking lot at least 1 – 1.5 hours before your timed entry. It can take up to 45 minutes to get from the parking lot to the entrance.

There are three parking lots to choose from at Caminito del Rey. The North Parking Lot in Ardales which is the closest to the walking path toward the entrance. You can walk to the town where the pedestrian areas begin or hop on the bus.

The shuttle bus is 2,50€ roundtrip cash only, so make sure you have some Euros with you. The buses run from 7:40 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and come by every 15-20 minutes.

The other parking lot is in the south, closest to the end of the hike making it a nice option for an easy walk back to your car when you’re finished. However, it will require a 20-minute bus ride to reach the pedestrian paths to get to the start of the hike.

You can also park at the Visitors’ Center which is located in between the southern and northern parking lots.

If you park at the North lot or Visitor Center make sure you are there no less than 1 hour in advance (we recommend at least an hour and a half). The shuttle bus takes around 15 minutes to get to the start of the hike. From there, it’s another 20 to 30-minute walk to the entrance. We managed to get there in 40 minutes but jogged nearly the entire mile path to the entrance.

‘Túnel Grande’ is the longest path to the entrance and is directly next to El Kiosko restaurant and bathrooms. We instead took the Pedestrian Tunnel, which is the shortest route because we did not know we’d have to walk just under 1 mile to get to the entrance from the bus stop and were late for our timed entry.

You access the Pedestrian Tunnel by walking away from the Kiosko restaurant on the highway until you see a long tunnel. From there, follow the dirt path until eventually you’ll reach the entrance.

🚨 Important: Tickets are timed, if you are late for your timed entry they have the right to refuse entry. There was no cell phone service at the entrance. Download the QR code and entry ticket BEFORE arriving so you they can scan it to let you in.

What to Bring to Caminito del Rey

My lack of research beforehand made me assume this was more of a “walk” than a hike. While I was partly correct, Caminito del Rey requires effort. There are lots of stairs and elevation gains and will have you walking nearly 5 miles in one day.

With that in mind, come prepared with your typical hiking gear including:

• Backpack
• Comfortable shoes like Vivobarefoot Primus sneakers or hiking boots. Flip-flops and heels are prohibited.
• At least 2 liters of water.
• Snacks like granola bars, nuts, fruit, or sandwiches.
• Sun protection like sunscreen, neck buff, or a sun shirt, depending on when you are visiting.
• Jacket, depending on when you are visiting.
• Cash (euro coins).

History of Caminito del Rey

The Gorge dates back to the Jurrasic period when this area would have been under the sea. As the ocean dried up, the Guadalhorce River widdled away at the canyon walls over thousands of years, creating the gorge we see today. Toward the end of the walk, you’ll come across an ancient fossil in the wall from when this area was underwater.

Caminito del Rey was built in 1901 to connect the neighboring gorges to two hydroelectric dams. The electric workers need a way to traverse the landscape better, make repairs to equipment and transport materials. It took four years to complete the construction of the path, which was in operation until 2000.

You may wonder why it’s called Caminito del Rey if it’s just a utility walkway. In 1921, King Alfonso VIII traversed the path to reach the Conde del Guadalhorce dam and celebrated this engineering feat. After that, people started calling it Caminito del Rey, or the “Little Kings’ Path“.

The walkway wasn’t well maintained over the years causing dangerous conditions for those on it. In 2000, the path was closed after five people lost their lives. They took several years to reconstruct a safer path and reopened it to the public in 2015.

What to Expect on the Hike

The hike takes around 2 hours to complete at a brisk pace. We stopped for around 10 minutes halfway through to drink water and eat snacks, and we finished exactly at the two-hour mark. I loved this part because it’s also where we say Iberian ibex, a type of mountain goat. We also saw loads of vultures and possibly a Condor, a rare sighting.

The path has a mixture of stairs, wooden walkways, and paved areas. The highest point stands 700 meters above the river or 2,296 feet high. It definitely makes your stomach drop a bit. I’m not afraid of heights per se, but it made me a bit uneasy.

In total, including the walk from town to the entrance where the hike begins, Caminito del Rey is around 7.7 kilometers or 4.5 miles long.

Since they restrict how many people can access the hike at any given time the path is never too crowded and you feel extremely safe walking the path the entire time. There is a nice guardrail to protect you from falling over and handrails on all the paved and stair areas.

The end of the hike finishes near the train station, making it a convenient way to get back home if you travel by train. We, however, stopped for a much-needed lunch at La Garganta Hotel & Restaurant which had stunning views of the canyon. The meal was delicious, although a bit on the pricier side. If you want cheaper options or a less formal dining experience you can stop at one of the market stalls at the end of the hike.

I was blown away by the Caminito del Rey hike in Andalusia and highly recommend adding it to your Spain bucket list. I’ve hiked across North America and parts of Europe and this is hands down a top 5 hike for me.

Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand why you have to visit this stunning canyon and also helped you prepare for your visit to Caminito del Rey, too. Read more of my Spanish posts to prepare for your upcoming trip below

• The 18 Best Tips for Traveling in Spain (From an Insider)
• Is Madrid Worth Visiting? (Yes! Here’s Why)
• Don’t Visit Spain in August. Here’s When to Go Instead
• What to Eat in Spain: 20 Delicious Spanish Foods You Can’t Miss
• 3 Days in Barcelona, Spain: The Best First-Time Itinerary
• Ultimate Guide to Meal Times in Spain: What to Know
• The Perfect 3 Days in Madrid Spain (Itinerary with Map)

FAQs about Caminito del Rey