From April 2016 walking the Caminito del Rey will have a charge between 7 and 10 euros. The final price has not been decided yet, nor the company that will eventually take over the running of the walkway. It has been decided that the “business” of the Caminito del Rey will be put out to tender and presumably this process has already been started by the council of Malaga. The councils of Alora and Ardales are in agreement to this but the opposition parties PSOE, IU Ciudadanos and Malaga Ahora abstained in the vote at the meeting presumably because they disagree with this desicion.
Doing some rough mathematics, if the Caminito is open 300 days of the year and there is a charge of 8 euros per person AND there are 900 people per day walking the Caminito this will generate just over 2 million euros per year so on paper this does look like a viable business for the right investor… The facts however are a little different. The Caminito closed 20 times this year due to weather conditions (and is closed on Mondays.) Also, although the reservations were full online when I visited three times this year, the numbers of people actually waiting at the entrance did not reflect the statistics on the online reservation system. The last time there were only 10 people waiting with me when there should have been 50. Once a charge is levied this will also deter some people especially the ones who have walked already during its free status.
More realistically, I think, we are looking at being open 250 days per year and a maximum of 300 people per day being charged 8 Euros. This would bring in around 600,000 euros. The Council of Malaga has already stated previously that the Caminito del Rey costs in excess of 500, 000 Euros per year to run so they might actually have some trouble finding an investor that has an interest in taking over the running of the Caminito.
In a way its a case of the Baby Einstein turning into a monster…. Time will tell.
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain. My articles contain affiliate links that will help you reserve a hotel, bus, train or activity in the area. You don’t pay more, but by using them you do support this website. Thankyou!
I’ve been coming to Benalmadena every couple of months and have not succeeded at booking the tickets for a weekend so far. Now I promised the kids that we’ll do it in April but there are no April bookings available yet and the official answer to my email to CDR is that : “From April on (in case the term is not delayed), a private company (not known officially yet. They are still studying the different offers) will run El Caminito del Rey. You will have to contact with them for reservations in the near future. As soon as known, all the information related to the new company, as well as the price and the different ways to make a reservation will be published on the official website: http://www.caminitodelrey.info.
Therefore nobody knows nothing. How more ridiculous can it get?
BTW I do not want to stay in a hotel since I have an appartment.
Hi Ewa, unfortunately you are fairly correct in your comments. We are all waiting for the official news and I have had pretty much the same replies to my emails as you have… Two weeks before the change over and no news at all…. However, I would presume that the web reservation system will remain the same and the new company that takes over the Caminito del rey will open up the reservations for April… I suggest you keep a watch on this website and also my facebook page (if you use facebook) as I will publish any news as soon as I get it… https://www.facebook.com/caminodelrey.elchorro/
I am coming to Spain in April and want to obtain four tickets for the weekend of the 16th 17th April. Just no idea how to do this as there is no website open yet. Can anyone tell me of who to ask please.
Hmmmm,
Tickets are actually easy to get? Maybe they’re too easy to get? Travelling through Spain in a motorhome. Wanting to walk the Camenito del Rey but finding there are/have been NO tickets available for January, February or March?
Have spoken to a couple of people who walked it and they both said hardly anybody was there when they took their trip?
Could it be that tickets are so easy to get that they aren’t valued and unused by the people who get them. With the result those people who genuinely want to book in advance and walk the walk can’t?
Payment might prevent this in the future but the impression it’s giving just now isn’t a positive one, especially when the information about what’s happening post April is vague.
Hi Fraser….. If you read my article (the one that you commented on) and some of the previous comments you will see that I also mention the town halls of Ardales and Alora… Yes, the tickets are very easy to get…. More than half of the tickets are given out by hotels, restaurants and the town halls as I have published since the opening of the Caminito del Rey… That is why this website exists. To help people like you walk a really cool route whilst you are here in Andalucia 🙂 Your last two points are spot on perfect by the way!
A lot of the tickets are distributed among local hotels and restayurants as they become available, and remain unused becouse A: No one knows where or how… B: The locals are sitting on the tickets hoping to get someone, but sadly NO one turns up not knowing if or when it is possble to get a ticket.
It is a classical example of strangling the goose that lays the golden eggs!!!!
We will have to wait for the announcement of who will be running the Caminito del Rey from April 2016… Hopefully things will change for the better… I was there last wednesday and the area was packed with a lot of people so to say “no one” turns up is not correct. Certainly local businesses have seen a huge increase in revenue since the re-opening of the walk
I agree with most of the things you are saying. However, maybe one of the reasons the numbers appeared to be down this year is that is has been almost impossible to get tickets. I run a Casa Rural in Ronda and have had many guests wanting to walk the Caminito Del Rey but I don’t know where to advise them to get tickets. As you know, you haven’t been able to book them more than a few months in advance and when they eventually appear on the website within a coupe of days they are unavailable again.
I think under the right management company the Caminito Del Rey could be a great success and is a great advert for the area.
Hi Stewart, actually tickets are really easy to get… Stay in a local hotel or eat in a local restaurant. There is also the possibility by contacting directly the town halls of Alora or Ardales…. In your case though why not contact the people behind gastroexperimenta… You could set up a package deal with them wherby they arrange the entry for your guests but it would have to include a meal!… http://www.gastroexperimenta.com/
Your last sentance is the key… It needs the right management company but when you do the maths who wants to take it on? It will make a loss and I personally think that it will never be financially viable without public funding… To announce a new investment of 1.2 million for new projects such as interpretation centres etc is mad when there is no revenue to maintain what they already have….
By the way Stewart, have a look at my page about your place on Ronda Today and send me any new images or updates needed
http://www.rondatoday.com/cortijo-la-perla-blanca-stylish-bed-and-breakfast-accomodation/
Also have a look at my walking holidays, maybe we can work together with your guests that don’t get on the Caminito. I can do day walks for them.
http://wildsideholidays.co.uk/
You can contact me any time clive@grazalemaguide.com