FREE ACCESS TO THE CAMINITO DEL REY HAS NOW CEASED .
THIS ARTICLE IS NOW REPLACED BY THE NEW BOOKING SYSTEM INSTRUCTIONS HERE…
Please click the above link to get updated instructions about tickets for the Caminito del Rey
Although the official website for booking a walk on the Caminito del Rey is in four languages (Spanish, English, German and French), the actual booking system is in Spanish. That said, the booking system is fairly easy to navigate. (though not without some annoying issues – See note at the bottom of these instructions.)
If there are no availabilities for the day you want then an alternative is to stay at the hotel Posada del Conde and the staff there can arrange a permit for you for any day apart from Monday.
- Go to www.caminitodelrey.info (This is the English language page.)
- At the top left click on “Book your visit”
- In the new page select the date that you would like the permit for. (use the buttons to navigate through the calendar) – The red dates are days where there are no spaces left. Green dates have spaces available.
- Once the date is selected on the right hand side select which entry point you want. (Ardales is from the lake side and finishes at El Chorro and Alora is from El Chorro side and finishes at the lakes. From El Chorro the walk is more uphill and takes a bit longer, about 5 hours)
- Select the hour you want to enter the Camino del Rey
- Fill in the identification details in the form that appears (The ones marked with an asterisk are obligatory). Select from the drop down, passport or DNI. (some people are having trouble with this. I put my British passport number in the DNI box without a problem
- Say how many people that are going with you and fill out the details of those people. (You will need their passport details as well.
- Tick the box to say you accept the rules – “Normas Reguladoras de Uso”
- Click on the “Reservar” and you are done… You will receive an email with all the details in a PDF document. Check your spam box if you don’t get an email)
- IMPORTANT – make sure you print the document and take it with you and also the passport/identification you used for you and any other people (You will be asked for this before you enter)
Note: Try to get all your info right the first time. Sometimes when the page refreshes and you have got something wrong, the information you previously put is lost and you have to start again.
TIP: You can walk back to the place you started from as long as you don’t pass the checkpoint at the other end. (I have walked from the Ardales side as far as the suspension bridge and then back again without problem and it took me 4 hours.)
There are also shuttle buses available – The shuttle buses start at 12:30pm from each end of the Caminito del Rey and the last bus is at 20:30pm. The buses run every half hour during these times. The cost is under 2 Euros to get you back to the your start point
IMPORTANT! Remember that you have to be at the start point 30 minutes before your allotted time and from either end it takes around 30 minutes to get to the start point. Allow plenty of time to park your car and get to the start checkpoint to show your entry permit.
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 have just read the information which says local hotels can arrange permits – this would appear to be an abuse of the system and I am going to complain directly to Malaga council. Corruption again!!!! I just can´t afford to go and stay in a hotel to go on a free walk – outrageous!!!
You could also eat at the Los Caballos restaurant in Alora. Their website shows 10 euros per person for lunch or dinner and the price includes and entry permit for the Caminito del Rey… It also says on their website that you must eat in the restaurant on the same day that you walk the camino…..
We were extremely fortunate to go on this walk in May after a lot of persistence with the website. It looked as if it was fully booked but then 2 days appeared with just a few available spaces – I assumed that these were cancellations so hoped that others might have appeared to help friends and visitors wanting to do the walk. I enquired and was told that there are no waiting lists. I am now wondering if the facility for showing availability following cancellations has been withdrawn? I would urge people not able to take up appointments to follow the simple procedures for cancelling. I suspect that many just can´t be bothered as they haven´t paid. I think that some form of sanction should be applied to those who fail to give a valid reason within a time frame of say seven days.
Sept booking just came up on computer. FULLY BOOKED.
900 people a day == 27000 booked before it shows up on computer. HOW???
Not sure what you are asking? The booking system at the official website hasn’t, as yet, opened up the reservation systen for the Caminito del Rey for the months of October, November or December… The Caminito website allows 700 permits each day when it does… The other 200 permits are given by the local councils of Alora and Ardales (100 each). September is full because when the reservations for July, August and September opened (in June) the demand was so great all permissions were pretty much full in a matter of days….
Hi! How can I contact these two councils of these departments? Thank you!
The email address for the official website and Malaga council is info@caminitodelrey.info – Have a google for ayuntamiento de Alora and Ayuntamiento de Ardales for contacting the two councils that also have control over the Caminito del Rey
I booked some tickets for family next week but i have just found out that they are not going to make it. Do you know if i need to cancel the tickets?
Hi Stewart, there is a contact form at the official website caminitodelrey.com… I would just drop them a message with the details of the people who are cancelling… Don’t expect a reply as many are complaining (both Spanish and foreigners) that it is difficult to contact the people running the caminito… The tickets are non transferable so you can’t give them to someone else to use. (found that out last week when someone tried to use 2 tickets of friends at the gates and the lady on the gate wouldn’t/couldn’t transfer the permits to different people so turned them away)…
Hi!
Do you know when it will be possible to get tickets for carminito del rey if we would like to go next year? Between april and june:)
Janne
Hi Janne, I am afraid we are all playing a waiting game untill the Malaga town council announces who will be running the Caminito del Rey from October this year.