El Chorro
In order to visit the Caminito del Rey you need to get to the area of the small village of El Chorro and Guadalhorce reservoirs located in Málaga province, Andalusia, Spain. Getting to El Chorro, reservoirs and Camino del Rey is pretty easy.
El Chorro is a few miles away from the larger town of Alora. REMEMBER THAT THE START POINT FOR THE CAMINITO DEL REY IS NOT IN EL CHORRO… EL CHORRO IS THE FINISHING POINT.
Check out types of travel to the Caminito del Rey and reserve your bus, train or taxi with OMIO…
GPS coordinates
Coordinates are 36°54’0″ N and 4°43’60” W in DMS (Degrees Minutes Seconds) or 36.9 and -4.73333 (in decimal degrees). Its UTM position is UF48 and its Joint Operation Graphics reference is NJ30-10.
How to get to the Caminito del Rey By Car
From Malaga take the A-357 towards and past Cartama and around 47 km (from Malaga) take the exit towards M-442/Ardales/MA-5403/El Chorro. (About an hour)
You can park at El Chorro and get a shuttle bus (every 30 minutes) to the start point which is the other side of the gorge by the kings chair/posada del Conde/Mirador and Kiosko restaurants… Or you can park by the restaurants, walk the caminito and get a shuttle bus back to your car…
The Map below explains the route towards El Chorro to take by car from Cádiz or Seville.
Parking at the Caminito del Rey
At the visitor centre:
https://maps.google.com/?q=36.91456538493755,-4.8071835875446105
You can also park your car at P1 North. at the starting point of the Caminito del Rey at 2 euros/day. (Shuttle bus required to get back to the start point.
https://maps.google.com/?q=36.928814,-4.801529
Or, at P2 South at the El Chorro side of the Caminito del rey (shuttle bus required to get to the start point) Free.
https://maps.google.com/?q=36.905602,-4.759938
How to get to the Caminito del Rey By Train
REMEMBER: Your destination (travelling to…) is the train station “El Chorro, Spain”
You can easily book a train ticket online from OMIO… and just fill in your departure station and make sure El Chorro is in the destination. Follow the instructions and print your e.tickets straight away.
On arrival at El Chorro train station you will need to get a shuttle bus (2,50 Euros per person) to the Caminito del Rey start point.
Click here to easily book a train ticket online from OMIO
How to get to the Caminito del Rey By Bus
Time tables keep changing it seems all the time and it’s impossible to get an updated timetable for buses to El Chorro. Also, the buses from Malaga, for example, go to the town of Alora, and then you have to wait and change for a bus to El Chorro. With that in mind and as the village of El Chorro sits on a railway station I am going to recommend the train and forget the bus. (see above for trains to El Chorro)
Guided Tours to the Caminito del Rey
Getting to the Caminito del Rey: Travel FAQ for El Chorro and the Guadalhorce Reservoirs
The Caminito del Rey is located in the province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. The route winds through the dramatic El Chorro Gorge, finishing near the village of El Chorro. However, the official starting point is on the opposite side, near the Guadalhorce reservoirs. Key landmarks close to the start include the King’s Chair, Posada del Conde, and the Kiosko and Mirador restaurants.
By Car: From Málaga, take the A-357. The drive takes about one hour. Parking is available at the northern entrance (P1, paid) or the southern exit near El Chorro (P2, free). A shuttle bus connects both ends of the route.
By Train: Take a train to El Chorro, Spain. Tickets are available via platforms like OMIO. From El Chorro station, a shuttle bus brings you to the trailhead.
By Bus: Public buses are possible but less reliable, requiring connections (e.g., Málaga to Álora, then to El Chorro). The train is typically more efficient.
Visitor Centre: Located near the reservoirs.
P1 North (Start Point): Costs €2/day. Coordinates: 36.928814, -4.801529.
P2 South (El Chorro Side): Free parking. Coordinates: 36.905602, -4.759938.
If you park at the start, take the shuttle back after the walk. If you park at El Chorro, take the shuttle before starting the walk.
The shuttle bus runs approximately every 30 minutes from 08:30 to 16:30.
Cost: €2.50 per person, paid in cash (exact change recommended).
Journey Time: About 15 minutes from El Chorro to the start point.
Access: Required whether arriving by car (P2) or train at El Chorro.
Arrive early and plan ahead. For example, if your train arrives in El Chorro at 09:37 and you catch the 10:00 shuttle, you’ll reach the trail start around 10:15. Factor in a 20-minute walk to the control point, where you must arrive 30 minutes before your slot. A booking for 11:30 or later is safest for a relaxed visit. The walk takes 2.5 to 5 hours depending on your pace.
There are no official luggage storage facilities at the Caminito del Rey. If you’re traveling between cities like Granada and Seville, plan to carry only essentials or arrange alternative storage beforehand.
Toilets are available just before the walkway begins, at the control checkpoint near the northern entrance. There are no toilets along the route itself.
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!
That’s helpful thanks – on a week day in January, is it possible to walk from South to North and get the bus back to the station?
Hi, right now you can only walk the Caminito del Rey in one direction from the North, that is from the lakes/kings chair(el kioskpo bar side. So in your case you would have to get a shuttle bus from the El Chorro side to the start point…
A great help thank you. As others have told you, it’s difficult to collect all the details needed to plan visit!
You are welcome Freddy….. Please feel free to share this website with your facebook friends or other social media and please send any photos or trip reports to post here on this website…. 🙂
Hi
We’re going on the train from Malaga, arriving at El Choro at 10.45. I think we have to get the shuttle bus to the start at Ardales (north end).
How long does it take to get from the station to the Ardales entrance, including any walking and the shuttle bus? (Then I can decided what time to book on our entrance tickets) Thanks for any help
I would say that an entry time of 13:00 at the very earliest is what you need…. The bus from El chorro to the drop off is 20 minutes or so and then you have a 30 minute walk to the checkin and start point of the Caminito del Rey… You could always take a picnic and eat before you do the walk :)… Of course this all depends on what time your train back is….
I just visited yesterday to confirm that there are in fact tickets available at the checkin point… So you could wing it if there are no entrances for the date that you want on the online system. You can pay at the gate by card or cash, then wait for a slot to go on the walk. Obviously weekdays are better than weekends and there are no guarentees that you will get a permit at the gate but the lady did tell me that normally nobody waits for more than an hour or so…. Either way, its a nice train trip and good food in the area 🙂
Oh, one more question! Do I need to print out my ticket, or will having it on my phone be enough?
I would be inclined to print your ticket as well but some people have mentioned that they got in with the details on their phone.
Hi Clive, thanks for creating such a great resource!
I don’t see anything here recently about walking one way or both ways? My ticket doesn’t seem to indicate which way. I have a 4:15pm ticket on 10/19 and am wondering if I should plan to only walk one way (so I am not rushed to get off the path before sundown).
I am taking the train and staying in El Chorro. If I were to only walk one way, would it be possible for me to take the shuttle bus from the south end to the north end so I could walk from north to south?
Hi Kelly…The walk can only be done from the North side and is one way finishing at El Chorro so you will need to get the shuttle bus from El Chorro to the start point. Plenty of time before dark to complete the walk. Have fun!
Great! Thank you so much! I am very excited 🙂
You are welcome! Please share this website with your facebook or other social networks if you have them
Hello Clive
What a great website you have created – a clear path through the minefield which is the booking system ( albeit improving ! )
We are booked on the 4pm walk tomorrow ( Thursday ) and realise that we need to set off at 3pm but thought we would make a day of it by possibly swimming and kayaking/ boating beforehand and also having a nice lunch – can you advise how and where we can best do this ?
Kind regards Sean
Sorry meant to also ask is it better to leave the car at the end of the route and get bus to the start so no waiting when we finish ? If so can you let us know where to park and get the bus from ?
ATB Sean
I would park somewhere by the train station, not far of a walk from the bus stop and you can grab a beer afterwards at the train station…. However, that doesn’t fit with your plans of going kayaking in the morning….
Right by the Bar el mirador is the lake and campsite where you can hire kayaks…
Many thanks Clive – an amazing experience- should be a must for anyone capable of walking a few miles – fabulous day out
Glad you had a great day and sorry I couldn’t get back to you sooner to answer your questions, I was leading a walking group for the week and my internet access was a bit limited…