The Caminito del Rey is a narrow walkway along the rock face of the Los Gaitanes gorge in El Chorro, a small village in the municipality of Álora in Andalucía, Spain.
Built in 1901 the pathway was originally created to provide easier access to the hydroelectric plants at the nearby falls. It took four years to complete and twenty years later King Alfonso XIII crossed it for the inauguration of the new dam. This gave the pathway it’s modern name of El Caminito del Rey, meaning the king’s little pathway.
Later, the pathway began to fall into disrepair and became one of the most dangerous walkways in the world. The path ran 100 meters above the river and was only one meter wide. It had no handrails and in some parts the concrete path had fallen down. After several fatalities the government closed the entrances to the pathway in 2000 although climbers and thrill-seekers still found ways to access it.
Restoration of the Caminito del Rey began in March 2014 and the walkway opened to the public around one year later. Visitors may now enjoy 7.7 kilometre long pathway across the boardwalks and 105 metre high hanging footbridge by booking a ticket online.
