‘The King’s Little Path’

Today was a bucket list kind of day. I first saw the Caminito Del Rey on Pinterest (it was actually one of the first pictures that I pinned to my travel inspiration page). This pathway 100 meters above a gorge was first built in 1901 for workers of the hydroelectric dams. Over the years it crumbled into disrepair and was nicknamed ‘the world’s most dangerous walkway’ due to the numerous (Darwin award) deaths over the years. The local government put millions into restoring the pathway and it was re-opened in 2015, which was when it made the bucket list. Now it has to be booked months in advance as only 900 people are allowed on it each day. I was pumped when I reserved my spot in January.

I am staying in the nearby town of Alora and decided to hike to the trailhead rather than take the train. Using my trusty maps.me app* I started hiking before sunrise to ensure I would be there in time for my 12:30 ticket time. It like I was walking through a dream landscape, witnessing the first rays of light on the lemon, orange, and olive groves. I followed dirt roads and paths weaving through fields and along the railway tracks and arrived to El Chorro (the train station) with plenty of time for a cafe con leche and snack.

Incidentally I almost ended up missing my entry time as I didn’t realize that I was supposed to be at the trail head 30 mins in advance. I anxiously watched the guy turn numerous people away (tickets were sold out) before he squeezed me into the next grouping (which was confusingly at my original ticket time).

The actual hike is only 7kms and takes about 2 hours (including time to snap hundreds of photos). It decidedly earned it’s place on the bucket list. There are spots where it is still possible to see the original sketchy pathway with the pristine new one built above it. I know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is: no, it’s not scary at all. In fact, not once did I get that wibbly feeling in my gut that sometimes comes along with heights. 

The old path:

I decided that I had the energy and provisions to hike back to my hotel as well, which added an exclamation point to an already fantastic day of hiking.

Tomorrow I’m headed to the town of Ronda to settle in for a week of Spanish school.

* I would like to give a shout out to the free maps.me app. If you haven’t heard of it, trust me when I say that it is a travel game-changer. Here’s how it works: you can download a country, then ‘pin’ useful places (hotels, restaurants, sights, train station, etc). Then you can use the app to look at the map or create walking/biking/driving/transit routes. Now, here’s where it really shines: you can use it in real time when you’re not on wifi or data! Without it, there’s no way I could have attempted, let alone completed an un-signposted hike.