Caminito del Rey: how access and booking work

The short answer

The Caminito del Rey is entered by ticket only, for a fixed date and entry time, and the rules behind that ticket are a public regulation, not just a booking policy.[4][2] The operator's compulsory rules reproduce a decree of the Diputación de Málaga, No. 2026/3306 of 6 May 2026, and say tickets must be obtained through prior reservation, with the booking platform on caminitodelrey.info as the official sales channel. The same rules bar children under 8 and admit visitors only through the North Access.[2]

The route is one-way and linear. The operator's FAQ describes it as running from the Northern access in Ardales to the Southern access in Álora, so a visitor finishes at the other end of the gorge, not where they started.[4] XTOUR's reading is that the booking decision is really three decisions: an entry time, a way of getting back to the start, and a party that meets the age and kit rules. XTOUR does not publish the operator's prices or opening hours, which are on its site.

Who runs it

Three bodies appear on the operator's own pages. The rules are set by the provincial government: each rules page carries Decree No. 2026/3306 of the Diputación de Málaga.[2] The booking website belongs to a temporary business consortium, which the legal notice names as "Sando, Salzillo, Mundo UTE Caminito del Rey".[13] The FAQ adds an inter-institutional monitoring committee made up of the Diputación de Málaga and the town councils of Ardales and Álora.[4]

The history page explains why a provincial body is involved. The path was built between 1901 and 1905 for the El Chorro hydroelectric company, took its name from King Alfonso XIII's visit in 1921, was closed by the Junta de Andalucía after fatal accidents in 1999 and 2000, and was restored by Málaga's provincial council from February 2014 before reopening at the end of March 2015.[10]

Where it is, and where it is not

The Caminito is not in the city of Málaga. The operator's history page says the path begins in the municipality of Ardales, passes through Antequera and ends at El Chorro in Álora.[10] INE's official list of municipalities for 1 January 2026 records Ardales, Álora, Antequera and Málaga as four separate municipalities of the province of Málaga.[14] XTOUR lists Málaga as a city some visitors may stay in, not as a place that contains the Caminito, and it holds no route or travel-time data between them.

What has to be booked

The booking platform sells a general ticket and an official guided visit, plus optional places on the shuttle bus and in the reception-centre car park.[1] The FAQ sets out the process: register an account, choose a day and an available entry time, buy up to 10 tickets per person, then personalise each ticket in the personal area before downloading it. The FAQ says the tickets on the website are for private use only, that agencies have their own space, and that tickets from unauthorised points of sale are not guaranteed.[4] The prohibitions page goes further and lists selling or reselling tickets as grounds for expulsion.[3]

Packages that bundle the ticket with something else are sold by local businesses, not by the operator. The packs page says they are offered by establishments around the Caminito and bought directly from them.[12]

The FAQ says changes and refunds are not allowed; only tickets for a day closed by bad weather can be moved to another date, subject to availability.[4]

Who can go, and what you can carry

The age rule is the one most likely to stop a family at the gate. The compulsory rules say children under 8 are not admitted, and visitors aged 8 to 17 must come with an adult and carry an identity card, equivalent document or passport for checks during the walk.[2] The home page asks over-8s for an original ID or the Family Book to prove their age.[1]

The prohibitions page is long and specific. It bans carrying anyone in one's arms on the boardwalks, large backpacks, canes, crutches, wheelchairs, prams and pushchairs, selfie sticks, umbrellas, tripods, drones and animals.[3] The FAQ adds that the animal ban includes guide dogs and that hiking poles count as canes.[4] The compulsory rules require hiking footwear secured at the back and forbid flip-flops and heels.[2] XTOUR has not verified accessibility for any visitor and does not describe the walk as suitable or unsuitable for anyone; the operator's FAQ advises against the visit for people with vertigo or heart or lung conditions.[4]

Organised groups have their own ceiling. The compulsory rules allow up to 55 people per group plus one responsible person or accredited guide, who presents the group's tickets.[2]

The route, the entry time and the way back

The compulsory rules ask visitors to be at the entrance gate 30 minutes before their time and place that gate a 25-minute walk, by the shortest route, from El Kiosko restaurant beside the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir.[2] The FAQ says groups enter every 10 minutes.[4] The how-to-get-there page warns that the start of the path cannot be reached by vehicle.[6]

Because the walk ends at El Chorro, the return is part of the plan. The FAQ describes three ways to start: park in the Ardales municipal car park near the entrance, park at El Chorro at the end and take the shuttle to the start, or park at the Visitors' Reception Centre.[4] The shuttle bus links the two ends, but the parking and shuttle page says the service is not managed by the Caminito and must be paid in cash on board if not bought online.[7] By train, the how-to-get-there page names El Chorro - Caminito del Rey station in Álora as the only option.[6]

XTOUR publishes no walking or driving times of its own. The figures in this section are the operator's, and they do not all match.

Where the operator's pages disagree

Read side by side on 9 October 2026, the operator's pages give different answers on five points. XTOUR states them rather than choosing between them.

• Where tickets are sold. The home page says tickets can be bought on the website or at the ticket office at the northern access, though not at the Visitors' Reception Centre.[1] The compulsory rules say tickets must be obtained by prior reservation through the website's platform.[2]
• Where the guided visit meets. The guided-visit page says groups meet at the northern access ticket office.[8] The FAQ tells guided visitors to arrive at the Visitor Reception Centre 30 minutes before their slot, while another answer on the same FAQ puts the meeting point with the official guide at the entrance.[4]
• Shuttle hours. The how-to-get-there page says shuttle trips run from 08:30 to 16:30 from the southern area, every 30 minutes.[6] The parking and shuttle page gives the service as 07:40 to 19:00.[7]
• How long the walk takes. The FAQ gives about 1:30 to 2:00 hours for the Caminito itself and 3 to 4 hours in total.[4] The recommendations page, part of the decree, estimates the controlled walkway section at 150 minutes and the full tour at three to four hours.[5]
• Where the visit starts. The welcome page calls the Visitors' Reception Centre "the start of El Caminito del rey", where tickets are validated.[9] The compulsory rules say ticket holders enter directly through the North Access.[2]

One more notice deserves a check before booking. The purchase page, read in October 2026, carried the line "Tickets for dates after May 2nd will be on sale at a later date" above an October 2026 calendar.[11] XTOUR cannot tell which year that notice refers to and does not know when future dates go on sale.

Closures

The compulsory rules reserve the administration's right to close, limit or suspend the visit for safety, conservation, repairs, weather or force majeure, without compensation.[2] The FAQ says closures are announced by email, SMS, Telegram and social media, and that if no notice has arrived 24 hours before, the visit initially goes ahead, though it can still be cancelled on the day.[4]

What XTOUR does not tell you

XTOUR does not publish Caminito del Rey prices, opening hours, availability or the date the next block of tickets goes on sale. It has no routing data, so it gives no travel time from Málaga or anywhere else, and it does not say whether the Caminito fits into a day with anything else. XTOUR does not sell or list Caminito del Rey tickets. For the wider trip, see the Spain travel guide and the Spain country page.