El Caminito del Rey – Malaga

El Caminito del Rey – Malaga

El Caminito del Rey – Malaga

The Gorge Desfiladero de los Gaitanes is a natural beauty spot, placed in the centre of the province, between the towns of Alora, Antequera and Ardales. This is one of the most beautiful spots of the Malaga Mountains. Between its steep and considerably high walls, the River Guadalhorce flows, after having passed through the reservoirs El Chorro (The Spurt), Guadalhorce, Guadalteba and Gaitanejo.

This beautiful area, which hoards historical treasures and gorgeous scenery, lies in the middle of the Province of Málaga, and it is surrounded by the Serranía de Ronda and Antequera. It separates the plains Camplillos, Teba and Antequera in the northern part of the province from the Guadalhorce valley and the fields of Cámara in the south. Different nations have prospered throughout history at this place, which became rich in hydraulic structures and electricity sources especially in the last century. All of them are connected by the humble path called ‘El Caminito del Rey’ that goes along this nature spot – Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, in an unbelievable way.

The Gaitanes Gorge is a canyon, carved by the river Guadalhorce in the territory of Álora, which at some points is only 10 meters wide and 700 meters deep. The nothern access to it is via Guadalhorce reservoirs and the southern is via El Chorro.

The construction of a water channel from the reservoirs in the north to El Chorro, which was meant to make the most of the slope in a hydroelectric power station, was carried out together with a path for maintaining the channel. This one is known as El Caminito del Rey Path (The Kings’s Little Pathway) because it was first opened by King Alfonso XIII. This path, about 3 kilometers long, has just been refurbished, and it goes along vertical walls and a footbridge over the gorge on the same waterway.

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