Just the ticket, your own pace

About this experience

Every product on this site walks the same boardwalk. The guided tours add someone talking; this ticket doesn't. You get the entry, collect a helmet at the control booth and walk the gorge from north to south at your own pace, with control staff along the route. The listing puts the whole visit at about 3 to 4 hours, including the access paths, which matches the official FAQ.

Reaching the start is up to you. By car, the listing says to park at the Visitor Reception Centre at least an hour before your slot, take the shuttle bus to its last stop, go through the pedestrian tunnel and follow the signs for about 1.5 km to the control booth. By train, you get off at El Chorro-Caminito del Rey station and ride the shuttle up to the second stop, near the tunnel. The shuttle runs about every half hour, the listing says, and it is not included: pay the driver in cash.

Be honest with yourself about one thing. The route is signposted and hard to get wrong, but nobody explains what you're looking at. If the old path, the railway and the dams interest you, the guided tour or the tour with an official guide fills that gap. If you just want the gorge, save yourself the group pace.

• Walk the boardwalk at your own speed, with no group to keep up with
• Take your time at the Valle del Hoyo and the hanging bridge
• The same helmets and safety staff as the guided visits
• Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before

How the day runs

1. At least 1 h beforePark or arrive by train

   Drivers park at the Visitor Reception Centre. Train travellers get off at El Chorro station, at the south end of the route.

2. About 15 to 20 minShuttle to the north

   Take the shuttle bus north. Pay the driver in cash. Drivers ride to the last stop; from the station, the listing says to get off at the second stop near the tunnel.

3. About 20 minThrough the tunnel to the booth

   Follow the signs through the lit pedestrian tunnel for about 1.5 km to the control booth. Be there 30 minutes before your slot.

4. At the boothCheck-in and helmet

   Show your booking and ID. Children need their own ID. You get a helmet and keep it on until the end.

5. 1.5 to 2 hoursThe boardwalk

   Gaitanejo gorge, the Valle del Hoyo, the Gaitanes straits and the hanging bridge, at whatever speed suits you. Snacks are fine; lunch waits.

6. At El ChorroOut at the south

   Hand in your helmet at the south access. From here the shuttle runs back north to the car park, or walk to the station for your train.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Skip the midday slots in July and August. Heatwaves have closed the route before.
• Carry cash for the shuttle driver; cards are not accepted on board.
• Bring ID for every adult and an original ID for every child, as the official rules require.
• Phone signal is almost non-existent in the gorge, the official FAQ says. Save your ticket and train times offline.
• Read our guide to walking it without a guide for what you'll miss and what you won't.

Read next:

• With or without a guide
• Getting there
• Tickets

Frequently asked questions

Compare with

Guided Tour and Entry TicketEntry plus a live guide in English or Spanish, with radio headsets. You make your own way to the north access.★ 4.6 · 2 hoursTickets, Guided Tour, Shuttle & WaterMeets by El Chorro station. Shuttle to the north gate included, guide in your language, and you finish where you began.★ 4.7 · 4 to 7 hoursFrom Málaga & Costa del Sol: Guided Day TripCoach from Málaga or the Costa del Sol, entry, a guide and a breakfast stop. The bus waits for you at the exit.★ 4.8 · 6 to 8 hours