The walkway was built as an easy way for construction workers to access the hydroelectric power plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls, as well as transport materials and make routine inspections and maintenance of the channel. Located in Malaga Province, Spain, the walkway is only 3.3-feet wide (1.0 meter) and rises over 330-feet (100 meters) above the Guadalhorce river gorge below. Construction of the walkway started in 1901 and was completed in 1905.
If you’re wondering how the pathway earned its royal moniker, here’s the story. In 1921, King Alfonso XIII visited and carefully walked along the path for the official inauguration of the Conde del Guadalhorce dam. Ever since that time, the pathway has been known as the “Kings Path.”
The pathway was constructed with concrete resting on steel rails supported by stanchions driven into the rock face at a 45-degree angle. Over the years, the concrete deteriorated, leaving the steel rails exposed in many places. Some of the open gaps were so wide that hikers would have to use safety lines just to get to the other side of the path. Over the years, the safety rails also disappeared, making trekking the pathway even more dangerous.
Hikers eventually installed a safety wire that ran the length of the trail, and the Kings Path soon earned the reputation for being one of the most exhilarating yet treacherous trails in the world. In 1999 and 2000, five hikers fell to their death off the dangerous trail, forcing the destruction of both access points to the pathway, closing the trail to hikers. Over the past 10 years, the regional government of Andalusia and Malaga province have poured $3.36 million into restoring the pathway.
Now El Caminito del Rey is set to open a week before Easter, on March 28, 2015. New renovations will make the pathway safe, and include wooden and concrete flooring, glass-bottomed viewing sites and safety rails along the whole length. There will also be a museum and car parking. It is understood that admission to the trail will be free for several months. There is discussion on adding a fee to walk the pathway, but a price has not been set.
Local businesses are gearing up to accommodate at least 32,000 ticket-holding visitors to the trail later this month, so for those wanting to attempt the hike, it may be necessary to get in line. The best way to start would be to go to the Facebook page of an organization in El Chorro. This site will let you make a booking. People are already being warned that only 500 people a day will be permitted to walk the trail, and weekends will be very busy.
