Caminito del Rey

El Caminito del Rey

Ground-level view
Established 1905
Length 3 km.
Location Ardales, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain
Use Hiking
Hiking details
Trail difficulty Baqueano
Hazards Peligro

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 (English: King's pathway). 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.[1]

History

The walkway was built to provide workers at the hydroelectric power plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls with a means to cross between them, to provide for transport of materials, and to facilitate inspection and maintenance of the channel. The construction began in 1901 and was finished in 1905. King Alfonso XIII crossed the walkway in 1921 for the inauguration of the dam Conde del Guadalhorce and it became known by its present name.[2] The walkway is 1 metre (3 ft) in width, and rises over 100 metres (330 ft) above the river below.

Traversing a collapsed section in 2006

The original path was constructed of concrete and rested on steel rails supported by stanchions built at around 45 degrees into the rock face. It deteriorated over the years and there were numerous sections where part or all of the concrete top had collapsed. The result was large open-air gaps bridged only by narrow steel beams or other supports. Few of the original handrails existed although a safety wire ran the length of the path. Several people lost their lives on the walkway and, after two fatal accidents in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed both entrances. Even so, in the 4 years leading up to 2013, four people died attempting to climb the gorge.[3]

Current state of El Caminito del Rey, with the original pathway at the bottom and new pathway at the top

The regional government of Andalusia and the local government of Málaga agreed in June 2011 to share costs of restoration (including car parking and a museum) of €9 million. The project took approximately three years to complete.[4] Many of the original features remained in place.[5]

In March 2014, the cornerstone of the rehabilitation project was laid by specialized alpinists.[6] The walkway reopened on 29 March 2015 and was listed in the best new attractions for 2015 by Lonely Planet. Route description and GPS track is available in Wikiloc with information, photos, and videos to help visitors. The new pathway still offers a walk of 2.9 km along the side of the gorge.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kim, Soo (April 3, 2015). "Are you feeling brave enough? World's most dangerous footpath has reopened". Irish Independent. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  2. ↑ Bryant, Sue (2007). Costa Del Sol. New Holland Publishers. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-84537-636-9. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  3. ↑ "El Chorro Death walk cash plea". Euroweekly News. January 24, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ "La Junta pagará la mitad de la rehabilitación del Caminito del Rey" (in Spanish). Diario Sur. June 17, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
  5. ↑ "El Caminito del Rey recuperará su aspecto original tras las obras de rehabilitación" (in Spanish). Diario Sur. December 15, 2010. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
  6. ↑ The Caminito del Rey will open Easter (29th March) 2015 13 March 2014 (English)
  7. ↑ "Caminito del Rey (The King's Little Path) • SIDSNET". SIDSNET. Sidsnet. 19 April 2016.


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Coordinates: 36°54′57″N 4°46′22″W / 36.91583°N 4.77278°W / 36.91583; -4.77278

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