The southernmost region of Andalusia in Spain is known not only for its world-famous historic buildings and picturesque beaches, but also for its beautiful national parks.
In the Aldales National Park, 60 km from Malaga, on the border of the Ronda and Antequera mountains, is the beautiful gorge surrounded by swamps, mountains and valleys - El Chorro. With a cliff height of about 300 meters, this canyon is a stunning natural landscape.
There is a famous royal trail (Spanish: El Caminito del Rey) in this gorge through which the Guadaljos River flows. It is located on the cliff face of this canyon, 100 meters from the river, between the two waterfalls of Chorro and Gatanejo.
The Royal Trail was built between 1901 and 1905 to transport materials and personnel between two power plants built on either side of the El Joro Gorge.
The trail takes its name from King Alfonso XIII of Spain who followed the road to attend the opening of the dam in 1921.
Over time, the Royal Trail fell into disrepair and was officially closed to the public. But many people who like to seek thrills are constantly trying to get through it.
There is a railway track that runs through the mountain. Walking in tracks and tunnels is illegal, and if you are caught, you face hefty fines, and witnesses say that if a train passes through the tunnel, you need to squeeze your body very hard into the wall, otherwise your life is in danger. Why did they go this way? Because through the tunnel you can reach the other side of the canyon.
On the other side, you can climb the Royal Trail. In 2000, three young men fell to their deaths in the canyon and tried to climb directly from the tracks to the Royal Trail.
Old boardwalk on the other side
After the death of three climbers, the Royal Trail was declared closed. However, despite this, explorers continue to come here in search of excitement. As a result, the Royal Trail is considered one of the most dangerous tourist routes in the world.
People who come here for adventure
Look down from the boardwalk
The dimensions of the Royal Trail are as follows:
- width - no more than a meter, in some places even narrower;
- length - about three km;
- Height - from 100 to 300 meters.
A trail in disrepair
In 2006, the Government of Andalusia began a project to rehabilitate the road in order to open an official tourist route here. Nine years later, on March 29, 2015, the restored Royal Trail was officially opened to visitors at a cost of €7 million.
The pavement, railings along the entire route of overhanging rocks, steep slopes and dizzying bridges have been strengthened, and the hiking route has been renewed.
The New Kings Trail is a structure consisting of concrete, steel frames driven into rock, railway tracks and suspension bridges, which are 3 km long and 1 meter wide. It begins in the municipality of Ardales, passes through the district of Antequera and ends in El Choro (Alora).
Amazing views from the trail: picturesque cliffs, broken rock lines, blue rivers.
In several places, the royal trail has extensions, where platforms with transparent floors are made. They are only a few meters away from the rock and are designed to observe what kind of abyss extend under their feet.
Throughout the tour, you can see the remains of the old Royal Trail, along which climbers and extreme sports enthusiasts walked before the new roads were rebuilt.
On the opposite side of the canyon, a railway runs along the Kings Trail. It periodically sneaks into tunnels in the rock and comes out of them.
One of the most famous places to check in here is the pedestrian bridge between the canyons. This is the most beautiful part of the Royal Trail: from one direction of the bridge you can see the canyon through which the trail passes, while in the other direction you can see the beautiful reservoir in the middle of the canyon.
Conde Gwadarhols Reservoir
How to buy Royal Trail tickets
You only need to buy your tickets for the Royal Trail via the internet. This should be done a month in advance, preferably two months.
When purchasing tickets, you will need to select a date and time. At the same time, we must not forget that the time stated on the ticket is the time to reach the beginning of the travel route. And you still have to walk a few kilometers to get to the trail.
Individual tickets to the King cost €10, but group tickets with English and Spanish-speaking guides cost €18.
In addition, you can buy tickets for the shuttle bus that runs between the entrance and exit of the Royal Trail. Its cost is 1.55 euros.