# A weekend at the Caminito del Rey, an hour from Málaga

One night at El Chorro to do the Caminito unhurried and add the via ferrata or kayaking, the Cueva de Ardales with a guide and the church of Bobastro.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/caminito-del-rey/itineraries/caminito-del-rey-weekend-from-malaga · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Caminito del Rey and El Chorro

In a day the Caminito del Rey gives you the route and little else: an hour's drive, the approach, three or four hours of walkways and the shuttle. With a night in the area the plan changes. On Saturday you do the Caminito at your own pace and spend the afternoon at the reservoir; on Sunday you choose between hanging off a via ferrata, seeing Palaeolithic paintings in the Cueva de Ardales or climbing to Bobastro, the church carved into the rock.

## Where to sleep?

AccommodationFor whomWhat it has

Hotel La GargantaCouples or families who want to sleep at the exitAt El Chorro, beside the station; pool, restaurant and activities

Olive Branch El ChorroClimbers, backpackers, without a carGuesthouse with beds from €20 and a shared kitchen

Camping Parque ArdalesFamilies, motorhomes, with a dogAt the reservoir, 1.5 km from the start; apartments and a pool from May to October

Casas rurales de El KioskoGroups and familiesCottages for 2 to 6 on the road to the north entrance

## If you go with children or a dog

With children from age 8, the Caminito is the centrepiece of the weekend and the Cueva de Ardales still appeals to them (€5 for ages 8 to 12). With under-8s, the Caminito is not possible: that leaves the kayak, the dam and Bobastro, and sleeping at the campsite. With a dog, Camping Parque Ardales is dog friendly and La Garganta admits pets with notice; the Caminito and the cave do not admit them.

## El plan

### Saturday · 9:00 · North car park
Park at the Visitor Reception Centre (€2) and walk along the Gaitanejo path to the checkpoint.

### Saturday · 10:00 · The Caminito del Rey
The 8 km of walkways and the suspension bridge, north to south, in three or four hours.

### Saturday · 14:00 · Lunch at La Garganta
At the exit, with a terrace over the gorge and a kitchen that doesn't close at midday.

### Saturday · 16:30 · Kayak on the reservoir
Two hours unguided on the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir, from €16, from Camping Parque Ardales.

### Saturday · 19:00 · The dam and the Sillón del Rey
A sunset walk beside the water and dinner at El Kiosko.

### Sunday · 10:00 · Cueva de Ardales or via ferrata
The cave, with a guide and in groups of 15, at 10:00 from the Ardales Prehistory centre (€15). If you prefer adrenaline, the El Chorro K3 via ferrata with a La Garganta guide, from €55.

### Sunday · 13:30 · Bobastro
The rock church of Omar ben Hafsún's fortress, with views of the reservoir. Free.

### Sunday · 15:00 · Drive back
An hour to Málaga; an hour and three quarters to Córdoba or Granada via Antequera.

## Un consejo más

Take the 10:00 sitting on Saturday: you eat when you come out and have the afternoon left for the water.

## Cuándo no ir

The Caminito at midday in July or August: the walkway is in the sun and there is no shade or water along the whole route.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Málaga to the Caminito del Rey?
An hour by car on the A-357, or about 45 minutes by train to El Chorro.

### Is one night enough?
Yes, for the Caminito at leisure and one more activity. With two, add Antequera and El Torcal, about 45 minutes away.

### Where to sleep near the Caminito?
At El Chorro, at the La Garganta hotel or Olive Branch; in the north, at Camping Parque Ardales or in the El Kiosko houses.

### Do I need to book the Cueva de Ardales?
Yes, in advance on Giglón. It is open Tuesday to Sunday.

## Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **La Garganta Hotel**: La Garganta is the hotel of the El Chorro hamlet, in the municipality of Álora, at the very point where the Caminito del Rey ends and the Málaga commuter train stops. It occupies a building with a restaurant, café, panoramic pool and the reception of its adventure-tourism company, which runs the via ferrata and other outings in the gorge. Its address is 1 Avenida Caminito del Rey.
At the end of the Caminito and beside the train
The south exit of the Caminito is about 300 metres away and the El Chorro-Caminito del Rey halt, on the C-2 line from Málaga, about 100 metres. That makes it possible to do the trip without a car: you arrive by train, sleep, take the shuttle in the morning to the north entrance and, when you finish the walk, stroll down to the hotel. By car you get there along the Álora road to El Chorro or coming down from Ardales past the reservoirs. The hotel has parking for its guests.
Nine different rooms
The website lists nine types: double, double with terrace, superior double, superior double with jacuzzi, superior loft, duplex, junior suite, double suite and a room for four people with a terrace, the option for families. All have free wifi and a kettle for tea and coffee. There are rooms adapted for reduced mobility, subject to availability: let them know before booking. The website doesn't publish fixed prices; they appear in its search tool according to the date.
If you book on the website, breakfast is included, and guests get a discount on the hotel's activities, including the Caminito ones; you have to ask for it at reception. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00; late check-out is charged separately and depends on occupancy. Reception is open from 7:30 to 23:00.
Pool, table and activity
The outdoor pool, panoramic and with hydromassage, is open from 9:00 to 21:00. Downstairs, the La Garganta restaurant serves Málaga cooking from 12:00 to 22:30 without closing in the afternoon, and breakfast is served until 11:00. From the same reception departs the El Chorro via ferrata, which ends back at the hotel.
With a dog or with children
The hotel accepts pets: you need to tell them beforehand so they can explain the conditions, which the website doesn't detail. For families, the four-person room with terrace and the pool are the practical choices; teenagers have the via ferrata from age 12, with an adult.
- **Olive Branch El Chorro**, desde 20 € / bed: Olive Branch is a rustic guesthouse with a garden at the foot of Las Encantadas, one of the climbing walls of El Chorro, about ten minutes' walk from the hamlet and its station. It has been open for more than eighteen years. It sits halfway between a guesthouse and a hostel: rooms with bathroom for couples, shared bunks for anyone travelling on a tight budget, and a kitchen that is the heart of the house.
Two hundred metres from the wall
The Las Encantadas rock is about 200 metres away, five minutes on foot. El Chorro has more than 2,000 climbing routes, and the house explains that you can climb almost all year: December to March is the peak season, spring and autumn are usually the most pleasant, and July and August are tough because of the heat. If you don't climb, from here you can walk down to the hamlet, where the train stops and the Caminito del Rey ends, and climbing in El Chorro and the via ferrata both start from the same area.
Double with bathroom or bunk
Rooms with bathroom cost €70 a night for two in winter and €80 in summer. Beds in a shared room cost between €20 and €24 per person. In both cases sheets, towels and satellite wifi are included; breakfast is optional and paid separately. There is also an apartment with its own kitchen, dining room and living room. The website doesn't publish check-in and check-out times or a minimum stay; ask when you book.
The kitchen, the wall and the pool
The shared kitchen is open at all hours, with fridges, hobs, utensils and a dining area; in the morning, from 8 to 10, it is shared with the breakfast team, and from 15 to 20 with the house chef. There is a laundry for guests, a pool for hot days, a common room with a pool table, books and games, a training wall and a yoga platform. The showers have gas-heated hot water.
The house organises yoga and Pilates retreats and activity weekends; on those dates it can be full of groups.
Without a car from Málaga
The train from Málaga takes about 45 minutes to El Chorro, according to the house, and you walk up from the station. To start the Caminito del Rey from the north, catch the shuttle in the hamlet. For eating out, La Garganta restaurant is next to the station.
- **Parque Ardales Campsite**, desde 16 € / pitch: Parque Ardales Campsite sits on the shore of the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir, among pine trees, in the municipality of Ardales. It is open all year and combines pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes with 40 m² apartments with water views. For the Caminito del Rey it is one of the closest places to stay to the north access: about 1.5 km to the pedestrian access and another 1.5 km of path to the ticket office.
The pitches and what they cost
There are three types. Tent pitches, in the shade of the pines, for five people at most, with or without electricity. Caravan and motorhome pitches take vehicles up to 8 metres and have a 15 A hook-up, drinking water, grey-water drainage and chemical toilet emptying. Camper vans up to 6 metres have their own area with a water point nearby.
The 2026 rates, for two people and including VAT, vary by season: a tent pitch without electricity €16 to €22, with electricity €21 to €27, a motorhome pitch €18.50 to €24 and a caravan pitch €22 to €28.50. Each extra adult adds €4 to €6, a child aged 2 to 12 €3 to €4, and a dog €1.50 to €2.50 a day. High season in 2026 runs from 29 June to 6 September. Pitch check-in is from 12:00 and check-out is until 11:30.
Apartments with a wood-burning stove
The apartments are for two, three or four people, with a bathroom, equipped kitchen, air conditioning, heating, a wood-burning stove and a terrace over the reservoir; sheets and towels are included. In 2026 the two-person apartment costs €60 in low season, €70 in mid season and €90 in high season; the four-person one, €90 to €120. A €100 deposit is required and firewood is bought at reception for €5; the stoves are used from November to the last weekend of March. Check-in is at 14:00, check-out at 11:30. Stays of a week or more get a 20% discount.
With a dog, with children, in winter
It is a campsite that admits dogs and has an area for them. On pitches they pay the daily rate; in the apartments they are only allowed in some, up to three, at €8 per stay, so ask when you book. For children there is the swimming pool, accessible from the pitches and apartments, which opens from May to 15 October if the weather allows; the supermarket opens from Easter to 15 October. Outside those dates, arrive with your shopping done. Free wifi only reaches the reception area, and there is a pay washing machine and dryer.
The Caminito and the reservoir from your pitch
If you book a pitch or apartment at least three days ahead, the campsite arranges your Caminito del Rey tickets, useful on spring weekends, when they sell out. The kayak trip on the Conde reservoir departs from the campsite itself, and the Ardales Cave is a few kilometres away. For eating without cooking, the El Kiosko restaurant is on the same shore.
- **El Kiosko Cottages**: The El Kiosko cottages are six holiday lets that the family behind El Kiosko restaurant has next to their eatery, on the shore of the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir, in Ardales. They are on the road to the north entrance to the Caminito del Rey, surrounded by countryside, with views of the reservoir and the surrounding mountains. It is simple accommodation, a house of your own rather than a hotel: you arrive, park in front and have a kitchen to yourself.
Two of six, one of four, two of two
According to its website, there are two six-person cottages, one four-person and two two-person. They are furnished and equipped with appliances, and parking is easy, right in front of the door. The website doesn't give the number of bedrooms or bathrooms in each, nor whether they have heating or air conditioning: if you are travelling in high summer or in winter, ask when you book. It doesn't publish prices either; it only says they are affordable.
On foot to the Caminito checkpoint
The advantage of sleeping here is the closeness to the north entrance. From the El Kiosko area to the access checkpoint it is about 35 minutes on foot along a 2.7 km path, and the organisers ask you to be at the access area half an hour before your slot. If your entry is first thing, sleeping here saves you the road from Málaga or Antequera at dawn.
When you finish the walk at El Chorro, the shuttle stops beside the restaurant, so you get back to the cottage without touching your car. Right next door, El Kiosko restaurant serves breakfast from 8:30 and cooks until midnight, according to its website, and the shop sells water and the basics for your rucksack.
What's nearby
A few steps away are the reservoir viewpoints and the Sillón del Rey. On the same shore, Parque Ardales campsite hires out kayaks to explore the reservoir, and the Ardales Cave, with a guided visit, is a few minutes away by car. For climbing or the via ferrata you need to go down to El Chorro, on the other side of the gorge.
Who they're for
They suit families and groups of friends doing the Caminito who prefer a house to a hotel, and anyone who wants to cook something and have dinner on the restaurant terrace without moving the car. If you are looking for a pool, a reception desk or hotel services, the La Garganta hotel, in El Chorro, has them.

## Dónde dormir without a car
- **La Garganta Hotel**: La Garganta is the hotel of the El Chorro hamlet, in the municipality of Álora, at the very point where the Caminito del Rey ends and the Málaga commuter train stops. It occupies a building with a restaurant, café, panoramic pool and the reception of its adventure-tourism company, which runs the via ferrata and other outings in the gorge. Its address is 1 Avenida Caminito del Rey.
At the end of the Caminito and beside the train
The south exit of the Caminito is about 300 metres away and the El Chorro-Caminito del Rey halt, on the C-2 line from Málaga, about 100 metres. That makes it possible to do the trip without a car: you arrive by train, sleep, take the shuttle in the morning to the north entrance and, when you finish the walk, stroll down to the hotel. By car you get there along the Álora road to El Chorro or coming down from Ardales past the reservoirs. The hotel has parking for its guests.
Nine different rooms
The website lists nine types: double, double with terrace, superior double, superior double with jacuzzi, superior loft, duplex, junior suite, double suite and a room for four people with a terrace, the option for families. All have free wifi and a kettle for tea and coffee. There are rooms adapted for reduced mobility, subject to availability: let them know before booking. The website doesn't publish fixed prices; they appear in its search tool according to the date.
If you book on the website, breakfast is included, and guests get a discount on the hotel's activities, including the Caminito ones; you have to ask for it at reception. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00; late check-out is charged separately and depends on occupancy. Reception is open from 7:30 to 23:00.
Pool, table and activity
The outdoor pool, panoramic and with hydromassage, is open from 9:00 to 21:00. Downstairs, the La Garganta restaurant serves Málaga cooking from 12:00 to 22:30 without closing in the afternoon, and breakfast is served until 11:00. From the same reception departs the El Chorro via ferrata, which ends back at the hotel.
With a dog or with children
The hotel accepts pets: you need to tell them beforehand so they can explain the conditions, which the website doesn't detail. For families, the four-person room with terrace and the pool are the practical choices; teenagers have the via ferrata from age 12, with an adult.
- **Olive Branch El Chorro**, desde 20 € / bed: Olive Branch is a rustic guesthouse with a garden at the foot of Las Encantadas, one of the climbing walls of El Chorro, about ten minutes' walk from the hamlet and its station. It has been open for more than eighteen years. It sits halfway between a guesthouse and a hostel: rooms with bathroom for couples, shared bunks for anyone travelling on a tight budget, and a kitchen that is the heart of the house.
Two hundred metres from the wall
The Las Encantadas rock is about 200 metres away, five minutes on foot. El Chorro has more than 2,000 climbing routes, and the house explains that you can climb almost all year: December to March is the peak season, spring and autumn are usually the most pleasant, and July and August are tough because of the heat. If you don't climb, from here you can walk down to the hamlet, where the train stops and the Caminito del Rey ends, and climbing in El Chorro and the via ferrata both start from the same area.
Double with bathroom or bunk
Rooms with bathroom cost €70 a night for two in winter and €80 in summer. Beds in a shared room cost between €20 and €24 per person. In both cases sheets, towels and satellite wifi are included; breakfast is optional and paid separately. There is also an apartment with its own kitchen, dining room and living room. The website doesn't publish check-in and check-out times or a minimum stay; ask when you book.
The kitchen, the wall and the pool
The shared kitchen is open at all hours, with fridges, hobs, utensils and a dining area; in the morning, from 8 to 10, it is shared with the breakfast team, and from 15 to 20 with the house chef. There is a laundry for guests, a pool for hot days, a common room with a pool table, books and games, a training wall and a yoga platform. The showers have gas-heated hot water.
The house organises yoga and Pilates retreats and activity weekends; on those dates it can be full of groups.
Without a car from Málaga
The train from Málaga takes about 45 minutes to El Chorro, according to the house, and you walk up from the station. To start the Caminito del Rey from the north, catch the shuttle in the hamlet. For eating out, La Garganta restaurant is next to the station.