Caminito Del Rey tour review: is it worth booking a guided tour from Malaga?
If you’ve been looking for places to visit in Andalusia, you probably came across Caminito Del Rey. I recently took a Caminito Del Rey guided tour from Malaga and thought I’d share my honest review.
This will hopefully help you decide whether or not booking a guided tour to Caminito Del Rey is worth it.
What is Caminito Del Rey?
Caminito means walkway in Spanish. It was built between 1901 and 1905 to allow people working on the hydro-electric network to get to work every day, as well as bringing supplies.
At the time, it was considered one of the most dangerous walkways in the world.
Nowadays Caminito Del Rey is a popular touristic walk offering spectacular views, from cliffs to canyons. You can also spot wild animals such as Egyptian vultures and Mountain Goats to name a few.
Why is it called Caminito Del Rey?
Although originally this walkway has nothing to do with the King, King Alfonso XIII officially inaugurated a part of the walkway (he didn’t bother doing the whole walk!) and people were so proud to say that the King had been there that the path was known as walkway of the king.
Is Caminito Del Rey still a dangerous path now?
Caminito Del Rey has been heavily restored and tourist-proofed. It is now a safe site but you still need to wear a helmet for most of the walk!
Is Caminito Del Rey worth a visit?
Absolutely yet, no question about it! It’s a place like no other and the views are absolutely incredible.
If you are fit enough for the walk and if you don’t have a fear of heights then you definitely should plan to visit Caminito Del Rey, especially if you’re staying in Malaga.
Practical information ahead of your Caminito Del Rey visit
Just a few things to keep in mind:
The whole visit is a 7km walk where appropriate footwear (closed shoes, such as trainers or hiking shoes) is mandatory.
It’s a linear trail and you cannot turn around. Expect to be at the site for at least 3 hours.
There are no restaurants and toilets on the trail, and no space to sit down to eat. It is recommended to bring snacks such as cereal bars or dried fruit, as well as water.
What is the easiest way to get to Caminito Del Rey?
There are several options to get to the site. If you have a car, you can drive there. It takes about an hour from Malaga.
There are designated parking areas near the reception but you’ll then have to return to your car via the shuttle bus which runs between the entrance (north) and the end of the path (south).
You can also get there by train. El Chorro-Caminito del Rey station is on the Málaga-Seville line. The station is located by the exit of the trail, so you’ll need to take the shuttle bus to get to the starting point.
This option does require some coordination as there are only a few trains a day and you need to allocate enough time to get to the start at the time indicated on your ticket.
The final option, and the easiest in my opinion, is to book a guided tour departing from Malaga. All you have to do is hop on the bus and not worry about logistics, timings etc.
You’ll be able to fully enjoy the visit and you’ll also have a guide taking you around.
Should you book a Guided tour of Caminito Del Rey from Malaga?
I was originally planning on taking the train and the bus to do the Caminito del Rey visit myself, but after looking closely at train times and the logistics of it all, I decided that it would be less stressful and much more enjoyable to book a tour departing from Malaga.
What does it include and how much does it cost?
I booked the guided tour called “From Málaga: Caminito del Rey Guided Tour with Bus” and this is what was included:
Bus transportation from Malaga to Caminito del Rey and back
Entrance to the site
Guided tour in English or Spanish
Bottle of water
The cost of this tour depends on the date you choose, I paid 44€
My review of the guided tour of Caminito Del Rey from Malaga
The meeting point was near the train station in Malaga at 8:15am, for departure at 8:30am. The bus was almost full, it’s a very popular tour! You don’t need to print your ticket, as long as you download the app to be able to show the QR code.
The journey to Caminito del Rey took about an hour, and we were then separated in smaller groups with Eglish-speaking and Spanish-speaking guides.
We were given a bottle of water then had some time to visit the toilets before starting the walk.
From reception you actually need to walk almost 2km before reaching the actual start of Caminito del Rey, where you are handed a mandatory helmet.
During the walk, we made various stops and the guide explained about the history, the site, the fauna and flora etc, but the rest of the time she was just leading the group and letting us taking in the views.
I really appreciated being able to enjoy a quiet walk, take photos and focus on the scenery.
The walk was reasonably paced and we reached the end of the trail at 12:30. There are toilets, souvenir shops and some food available as well as a seating area.
We stayed there until 13:15, then got back on the bus and made our way back to Malaga. We were dropped off at 2:30 pm at the same bus stop we started from.
You can check out this Youtube video for more insights and stunning views:
Do I recommend it?
I absolutely don’t regret booking this tour, it was great to have everything taken care of, I just needed to be at the bus stop on time and to bring some snacks!
The stress-free experience allowed me to fully enjoy the visit and it wasn’t much more expensive than buying train tickets, bus tickets and a guided tour entry.
For 44€, it was definitely worth it! I would absolutely recommend choosing the tour option, you will not regret it!
If you’re looking for things to do in and around Malaga, have a long at these guided tours and activities for every budget:
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