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Summer tickets for spectacular Caminito del Rey gorge trail now on sale
The hugely popular tourist attraction in Malaga province has been dubbed "one of the world's scariest hikes"
Summer tickets for the infamous El Caminito del Rey gorge path, once dubbed "one of the world’s scariest hikes", went on sale on Friday May 5.
Costing 10 euros, or 18 euros for guided tours, the tickets are for dates between June 26 and November 5, and can be purchased at www.caminitodelrey.info.
The walkway attached to the steep walls of the El Chorro gorge in Malaga province is a major international tourist attraction, drawing hundreds of thousands of thrill-seekers every year.
Summer opening hours will be Tuesday to Sunday from 8.30am to 5pm. The 7.7km hiking trail will also be open Mondays June 26; July 3, 24 and 31; September 4 and 11; and October 9 and 30.
A visitor reception centre, located in Ardales, next to the MA-5403 highway, was opened last October as part of a one million-euro investment by Malaga's provincial authority.
The site boasts a generous exhibition area, a large 240-space car park, and a viewing terrace overlooking the Conde del Guadalhorce reservoir.
Visitors making their own way to the trail by car can purchase a full-day parking ticket for just two euros when buying tickets online. And shuttle buses are on hand to get to and from the car park and path. Again these can be brought online or with cash on site.
Alternatively, the local train service, Cercanías, connects Malaga's María Zambrano and Centro railway stations with El Chorro/Caminito del Rey.
El Caminito was constructed between 1901 and 1905 to allow maintenance workers access to the region's new hydroelectric power plant infrastructure, that zigzagged through the limestone Gaitanes gorge. Before long, locals began using the path, too, to get to neighbouring communities rather than walking around the mountain.Spain's King Alfonso XIII hiked the trail in 1921 during its official opening, and it was hailed 'El Caminito del Rey', or 'The King's Little Pathway', a name that has stuck to this day.
Over time, the trail deteriorated and metal railings along with chunks of flooring fell away. It was eventually closed in 2000 by the Spanish government after several people were injured and five people died.
Following major construction, El Caminito reopened in 2015 and its restoration won the Europa Nostra Award for heritage conservation.
Landslides forced its closure last December while essential maintenance on the wooden walkway was carried out after a 20-metre section was destroyed. It reopened in February of this year.
Also of interest: Malaga cruises into May with 35 ships expected to dock
Image 1: caminitodelrey
Image 2: Andalucia.org
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