Booking the Caminito del Rey (how to buy a ticket)

Instructions – How to make your reservation for the Caminito del Rey

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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.

  1. Go to www.caminitodelrey.info (This is the English language page.)
  2. At the top left click on “Book your visit”
  3. 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.
  4. 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)
  5. Select the hour you want to enter the Camino del Rey
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8.  Tick the box to say you accept the rules – “Normas Reguladoras de Uso”
  9. 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)
  10. 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.

 

82 thoughts on “Instructions – How to make your reservation for the Caminito del Rey”

  1. Hello Clive,
    first of all, very informative website, thanks a lot!
    We are planning a trip to Andalucia in April and would really love to do the Caminito del Rey, therefore I am waiting to book hotels until I know if we actually can get tickets.
    Since it is apparently being privatized and will cost entry from April 1st there is no info or calendar on the official website.

    Do you have any idea where and when tickets from April 1st on can be bought?
    Thanks for any input or info. Janina

  2. Hi! I see that you know a few things about the booking system to caminito del rey..Maybe you can help me.. We are a family of eight people who plan on going on the 2 nd of january,, I emailed the caminito website earlier to check when they put out new tickets for january,and got the answer december… So i checked daily,and saw the other day that available tickets were online. Then the problem starts,because you can only book for 5 people at the time.. So we booked for the first 4,and were supposed to book for the rest of the family,but then it was full already,on the same day the tickets were put out.. I have tried to email the website,but get the answer that i have to book tickets on their website..but that is not possible when it s full. Do you have any suggestions? I tried to explain that we wanted to go as a family,but impossible to book tickets when only 5 tickets could be booked at one time. So now we have 4 tickets for the half of the family.. Glad for any suggestions,exept for eating at the local restaurant,i know that is an option to get tickets,but i dont think that is fair.
    Best regards
    Cecilie from Norway

    • I have been trying to book tickets for March since January.
      The website shows booking available for the following 8 weeks but curiously it is always fully booked.
      I contacted the official website . They told me it is fully booked for March.
      So if March was not available to book on the official website, how can it be fully booked.
      There is obviously another method of booking.

      I have read online that most of the tickets that are allocated daily are given to nearby Hotels and Restaurants. It seems that they specify that if you stay with them or spend a minimum amount in the restaurant that you will be allocated a ticket.
      Bearing in mind that in theory these tickets are free, what the hell is going on !

      It seems a shame that such a wonderful amenity is yet again being abused so people can make a quick buck or euro.

      I would be happy to pay for my ticket to stop this sort of shit. xx

  3. I would like to book a ticket in 2016, is that possible? Because I can only see december 2015 on the calendar…

    • Hello!
      the tickets for january were put out earlier this week,you should hurry and book,they disappear quickly!

  4. Hallo,
    Ik had graag tickets voor caminito del rey,tussen 7/11/15 en 12/11/15,maar kan niet boeken via de site.Is er een andere mogelijkheid?

    • Hi Joe, you should have received an email from the caminito del rey with your permit attached…. Why not reply to that email?

      • I didn’t apply for a ticket Clive, I will be in Malaga from 1st November for 5 days and no spaces available . I was looking for one around the 4th, I have sent email to ask if there is any to keep me posted

        • Ahhhh, I read your question that you had a permit for the Caminito del Rey and wanted to cancel it… As far as I know there is no system like the one you are thinking of… Its hard enough to get them to reply to an email let alone put you on a reserve list for cancellations… Your only option is to stay in a local hotel or eat in a restaurant. Details of which you will find on this website…

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