On Day 2, we set out to hike the Caminito del Rey, “The King’s Little Path” in southern Spain. 

The Caminito del Rey lies about an hour’s drive from Málaga. We’d booked a guided tour and arrived early. During peak season, plan to get there at least an hour ahead of your slot. We parked at the north entrance (P1) and walked through a dimly lit tunnel to reach the trailhead. There, we grabbed safety helmets, met our guide, and stepped onto the path, ready for what lay ahead. This mini-adventure blended excitement with a satisfying sense of achievement, made even better by flawless weather—clear skies and a gentle breeze setting the tone for the day.

Stretching roughly 7.7 kilometers, the trail takes most people 3 to 4 hours to complete. Once infamous as “the world’s most dangerous walkway,” it underwent a full renovation in 2015, transforming it into a safer yet still thrilling experience.  A narrow wooden boardwalk is bolted to a sheer cliffside, suspended over 328 feet (100 meters) above the gorge below. For the faint-hearted, it might feel intense, but with sturdy guardrails, it’s more exhilarating than truly perilous nowadays. 

During the trip, our tour guide introduced us to carob trees along the way. Carob is a nutritious superfood known for its numerous health benefits. The carob fruit has a naturally sweet taste, and one fascinating feature is that all the seeds weigh exactly the same. So ancient Greeks are believed to have used carob seeds as a standardized measure for weighing gold.

After reaching the end, we hopped on a shuttle to return to our parking spot near the north entrance, close to Restaurante El Kiosko. There, we unwound with a hearty dinner, soaking in a serene sunset over the lake. Alternatively, if you park at the El Chorro south entrance (P2), you’d take the shuttle at the start and enjoy a more relaxed finish to the day. 

Caminito del Rey is closed on New Year's Eve (December 31st). It is also closed on New Year's Day (January 1st), as well as on December 24th and December 25th. The walkway operates from Tuesday to Sunday throughout the year, with Monday closures and additional closures on these specific dates.