Caminito del Rey

The Caminito del Rey is located in the Natural Area of Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, and is attached to the walls of the gorge opened by the Guadalhorce River as it passes through the Sierra de Huma. It is geographically situated between the towns of Álora, Antequera, and Ardales.

It is named after the inaugural visit made by King Alfonso XIII to the Conde de Guadalhorce dam, located a few kilometres upstream.

In this canyon, which is more than three kilometres long, with walls reaching 300 metres high and a width of no more than 10 metres, is the service path of the El Chorro hydroelectric jump. 

This path, for more than 4 kilometres, is made of wood and runs parallel to the water channel and the railway route. It connects the Gaitanejo jump, which is 2.5 kilometres upstream, and the Chorro jump 1.8 kilometres downstream. Both routes were executed by Benjumea and Werner, the first in 1914 and the second in 1904.

It also crosses the great gorge via an aqueduct carried out by Ribera in 1903. This aqueduct has a span of about 35 metres without centring -a framework that serves as a base for constructing arches, vaults, and other structures-, at 100 metres above the El Chorro ravine, very close to the railway bridge. 

Over time it became very deteriorated, with almost the entire route lacking a railing. It also had collapsed segments, leaving only a support beam. 

In 2014, refurbishment works began. A new walkway was built with wooden panels along the entire route. These works were completed in 2015 and it reopened at the end of March that year. Such opening aroused great anticipation among the visitors.