hiking the Camino del Rey

I was in Spain recently, one of my main goals to hike the newly reopened Camino del Rey.

Unfortunately you can only access the trail after booking through the official portal page.

The portal shows up 3 months in advance. But it’s ALWAYS booked. 😦

I couldn’t get a reservation.

Update: It turns out that the Garganta Hotel, near the train station in Alora, will sell you an expensive lunch for 25 euro … with a “free” ticket for the hike. Other restaurants may do the same.

Here’s a May 2015 trip report (tickets from Garganta Hotel).

I wished I’d known. The official website does not mention this option.

El Caminito del Rey (English: The King’s little pathway) is a walkway, pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro, near Ardales in the province of Málaga, Spain. The name is often shortened to Camino del Rey.

The walkway had fallen into disrepair and was partially closed for over a decade. After four years of extensive repairs and renovations, the walkway re-opened in 2015. It has been known in the past as the “world’s most dangerous walkway” following five deaths in 1999 and 2000. …