I’m Adriel, the Indonesian traveler behind the Instagram account: @adrieltjokro. In this article, I will be acquainting you with a hidden gem in Spain called Caminito del Rey. But before I share my experiences and recommendations for this awesome walkway, let me introduce myself a bit.
I currently live in Hong Kong and moved here in July of 2018. I’ve always loved travel, especially to places where planning is challenging – and that’s what pulled me back to Hong Kong. Back then this city was the busiest aviation hub in Asia Pacific, so it was both easy and cheap for me to travel anywhere around the world. After the pandemic, everything changed.
Hong Kong became one of the world’s most isolated cities. The situation taught me that I can no longer take Hong Kong for granted. In October of 2022, after accumulating enough savings and passive income, I felt that it was time to move on from Hong Kong. I quit my job and have been traveling around the world since to find the next place that I can call home.
A Wonderful Month-Long Trip in Spain
Spain was a recent stop on my worldwide trip. I traveled here for a month and was seriously considering the country as my next home. There were six main inclusions on my Spanish itinerary: Malaga, Granada, Seville, Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. From each of these cities, I also embarked on some day trips to see what each destination had to offer if I were to live there.
What gravitated me towards Spain was the lifestyle and array of attractions: the seaside cities in the south and east, the fiery flamenco, the siesta and late-night scene, and more. Coming from Hong Kong, Spain was such a breath of fresh air because of how the people – especially in southern Spain – enjoy their lives. Despite the economic and natural resource hardship that is hitting Europe, I’m so amazed that the community continues living their lives as if nothing has happened (in a positive way, of course).
Discovering Caminito del Rey Through Locals
I found out about Caminito del Rey after the locals recommended it to me. I was actually planning to visit Gibraltar but people told me that Caminito del Rey was way better. Essentially, Caminito del Rey is a little pathway that brings you through some dazzling landscapes with vistas that will surely make you want to take photos and videos every single time.
The trail goes up and down, through a lot of different landscapes, from the mountains with forests, through gorges that will probably give you vertigo, as well as waterfalls toward the end section. It’s definitely a bucket list thing to do from Malaga city. I don’t think there’s anything like it in Spain.
My Experience on Caminito del Rey
Caminito del Rey was a highlight because I wasn’t expecting it to be so beautiful. As I said before, I only found out about it from the locals, not knowing what to expect. The experience blew my expectations. As I was in Malaga the week before Easter, I joined a tour as it was quite difficult to organize the logistics of going on my own using public transport.
I finished the entire walkway in around 80 minutes but that was because I’m a relatively fast walker and – being an avid hiker in Hong Kong, which is known for some tough trails – Caminito del Rey was a relaxing trail for me.
My favorite part of Caminito del Rey was the final kilometer or so towards the end. It was extremely beautiful. The walkway runs alongside the gorge with some handrails in front of you, a bridge that you cross, and a waterfall that can give you a refresh after your trail (if the wind blows in the right direction). Some of the views I saw there were absolutely unbelievable.
How to Reach Caminito del Rey from Malaga
I think the best way to reach Caminito del Rey is to take a guided tour from Malaga because the tour usually comes with all of the inclusions, from the admission ticket to the transport from/to Malaga. Public transportation can also take you there, but it’s a little difficult as the train stops at the finishing point and you would then have to make your own way to the starting point.
Need to Know Before You Go
- Wear sunscreen. You’ll be exposed to a lot of sunlight.
- There is no restroom. Make use of the toilet at the beginning of the trail.
- Don’t go if you’re afraid of heights. It’s one-way and there’s no return.
- Caminito del Rey is an easy trail. Other than a couple of stairs and natural terrain, the trail is probably 1.5-2 out of 5 in terms of difficulty.
- Make sure to wear proper shoes (at least running shoes).
