Malaga province’s spectacular El Caminito del Rey gorge walk has a new landmark: a 110-metre-long suspension footbridge, the longest of its kind in Spain, which is now open to the public. This structure, installed just before the area above the railway bridge and the El Chorro tunnel, creates an alternative route for the final section of the Caminito, making the experience even more spectacular and enhancing visitor safety.
It has cost 1.5 million euros and has been covered with own funds generated by the Caminito that must be applied to improvements, as established by the concession fee – currently managed by the UTE Sando, Salzillo Servicios Integrales and Mundo Management.
The president of the Diputacíon de Málaga provincial authority, Francisco Salado, and the president of the Junta de Andalucía regional government, Juanma Moreno, inaugurated the footbridge during an event also attended by the mayors of Álora, Antequera and Ardales, Francisco Martínez, Manuel Barón and Juan Alberto Naranjo, respectively, and the mayor of Valle de Abdalajís, Virginia Romero.
Salado recalled that ‘the spirit of El Caminito’ made it possible for different administrations of different political persuasions to join forces for the recovery of this enclave.
“What seemed like an impossible project,” he emphasised, “with administrations of different political stripes, became a reality with an initial investment of 5.5 million euros, of which only 2.2 million were allocated to the construction of the footbridge and the rest to improving access and facilities. This is also the most profitable investment ever made in Andalucía, and I would venture to say in Spain.”
More than 3,200,000 people have walked what was once described as one of the most dangerous pathways in the world since its reopening in March 2015. Salada emphasised that in these 11 years it has established itself as a powerful brand in its own right, strengthening the tourism offering of Malaga province, the Costa del Sol and the Andalucía region. In fact, the majority of international tourists who visit its walkways come from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
He also explained that the El Caminito del Rey has been and is a model project of sustainable and environmentally friendly development, a benchmark at the international level, since all the actions that have been undertaken have always taken into account the utmost respect for this natural landscape.
“El Caminito is a source of pride for all the people of Malaga and for all Andalusians. It is an object of admiration for all who approach the Gaitanes gorge, an infrastructure with a soul, in which man and nature interact with respect.”
Bridge features
The president of the provincial authority explained that the footbridge, some 110 metres long, sits at a maximum height of 50 metres and has a path width of 1.2 metres. The bridge deck is made of metal (tramex) and the railings are constructed of steel cable and mesh. It weighs approximately 17 tonnes and the total weight of the new structure is around 38 tonnes.
The new suspension bridge has been completed with the creation of 300 metres of new pathway, railings, fibre optic cables, surveillance cameras, a control booth, silvicultural treatment, plantings and implementation of irrigation, among other things.
With this alternative, visitors will save almost a kilometre of downhill walking, which was previously done over steeper terrain, but those who wish to can continue using the current final section.
This project has also been carried out taking into account the indications of a geological study carried out by the universities of Granada and Jaén, which recommended planning an alternative route in the final part of the route to improve the safety of visitors.
“A success story”
Francisco Salado has described the Caminito del Rey as “a success story” that has brought about a true economic, tourist and social revolution in the surrounding municipalities: Álora, Antequera, Ardales, Campillos, Carratraca and Valle de Abdalajís.
Since the reopening of the Caminito del Rey after its restoration, some 685 jobs have been created, both directly and indirectly, and its economic impact grows every year. For example, in 2024 (the latest data available) it reached 64.1 million euros.
Furthermore, these towns have seen a dramatic increase in the number of accommodation establishments (such as hotels, apartments, rural houses, and campsites), rising from 210 to 893. In other words, they have quadrupled. And the number of beds available has doubled, from 4,204 in 2015 to the current 8,160.
According to a study by Costa del Sol Tourism and Planning, almost one in four visitors are tourists who stay overnight in the towns surrounding the Caminito del Rey, and more than half of the visitors are foreign. One in four are Spaniards from outside Andalucía, and residents of Malaga province make up 14%.
The average tourist stay in the area is 3.1 days, and the average daily expenditure is €91.22. The average visitor age is 45, and 59% travel as a couple, while 21% travel with friends and 19% with family.
Gaitanes gorge
The Desfiladero de los Gaitanes natural area, which covers an area of 2,016 hectares that extend through the Malaga municipalities of Ardales, Álora and Antequera, is part of the Natura 2000 Network and has been included in the Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean since 2006, a status declared by Unesco.
It boasts a unique natural environment, an enclave of extraordinary geomorphological interest, and one of the most impressive places in the province of Málaga. It is a gorge carved by the Guadalhorce River through Jurassic limestone and dolomite at a place known as El Chorro, forming a canyon three kilometres long, with heights of up to 300 metres and widths of less than 10 metres.
This magnificent enclave, with its unique configuration thanks to its undeniable natural value in terms of fauna, flora, geology, and landscape, combined with the confluence of three rivers nearby, has been linked to humankind since ancient times and boasts a rich cultural heritage. Visitors to this area will find a range of public facilities specifically designed to highlight and interpret its natural and cultural significance.
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