Route from Málaga to El Caminito del Rey by car
- Distance from Málaga: 61,9 km
- Travel time: 57 minutes
- Route: A-357
To El Caminito by car
Leaving Málaga, take the A-357 north towards Cártama. On the motorway you will need to drive for 65 km. After passing the village of Ardales (on the left hand side of the road) be careful not to miss the sharp right turn (signposted M-442 / Ardales / MA-5403 / El Chorro).
Then turn left onto the secondary road MA-444, which quickly begins to wind its circles around the Guadalhorce Reservoir, giving you a chance to enjoy the fantastic scenery. Continue on this road winding around the lake. Eventually you will reach a junction with a sharp right turn to the village of El Chorro. Instead of turning right, continue on MA-444, passing a campsite and beach areas.
Just before a small tunnel, take a sharp right onto a dirt road. You will see signs for Restaurante El Mirador. You need to drive a couple of hundred metres and you can park your car (anywhere). The tunnel is clearly visible, plus signposted.
There are plans to build two large car parks in the future. For more information on the routes, check out the official Caminito page.
Always remember
- It is not advisable to visit the trails if you suffer from vertigo or are very nervous.
- You will be issued with a helmet at the start - do not take it off all the way.
- There are no bathrooms along the whole trail.
- Take water and food with you.
- If you are arriving by train, make sure you book on the Alor side.
- The El Chorro train station will be renamed El Chorro - Caminito del Rey.
- Children are only allowed over the age of 8 and accompanied by an adult.
- The trail may be closed if the wind reaches over 35 km/h.
- The walk is a linear one. You start in the north and end in the south.
- There is a bus service connecting the two sides. It departs every half hour and the ticket price is €1.55.
- The bus from the El Chorro side departs before arriving at the railway station.
The bus from the Ardales side departs from El Sillón del Rey, The King's Chair: a few hundred metres down the road from the Kiosk restaurant. El Sillón del Rey is a stone table and chair dedicated to the opening of the reservoir. They had to be pulled out of the same reservoir after being dumped there during the Spanish Civil War.
Tickets for El Caminito del Rey
Tickets need to be booked online, you can do so on the official Caminito del Rey website. The maximum number of people that can be in the Caminito at one time is 400. Groups of up to 50 people can pass through the initial checkpoints at half-hour intervals. It is estimated that in the first six months, the Royal Trail will host 600 guests a day.
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