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The village of El Chorro at the foot of the Ardales Nature Park has long been known among climbers, as there are some great climbing routes here and it is considered one of the best climbing areas in Spain. But it’s not just climbers who get their money’s worth here. You can also experience some great places here just by hiking, which I would now like to introduce to you.
You can find accommodations in El Chorro or Alora – there’s a lot more accommodation in Alora though.
3 hiking & via ferrata highlights around El Chorro
There are many hiking trails and climbing tours around El Chorro, we did 3 of them, all of which have their own character and I would therefore like to introduce them to you.
The Mirador de tres Embalses is a very short hike that we didn’t do, but from which you also have great views of the reservoir.
Caminito del Rey – once one of the most dangerous ‘hiking trails’
The Caminito del Rey was built at the beginning of the 20th century so that workers at the hydroelectric power station could get from A to B to transport materials or carry out repair work. Completed in 1905, it was a narrow path at a lofty height in the gorge and over the years cost a few people their lives, especially around 1999/2000, when the path became more popular as an excursion destination and a few people died trying to cross the gorge. The original path here was also quite dilapidated, resulting in huge holes in the 1 metre wide path and complete concrete slabs missing in places. The Caminito del Rey was therefore closed and a new path was built above the old platform. The ‘restoration work’ was completed in 2015 and what used to be the most dangerous hiking trail was reopened as a simple tourist attraction. Today, the biggest challenge is actually getting an entry ticket (and of course for some, the fear of heights, as you walk around 100 metres above the river in the gorge).
From the ‘Caminito del Rey North Access’, the starting point of the hike, you first walk through a tunnel and then around 20 minutes to the gate, where you have to show your tickets and collect your helmets. It’s impossible to get lost, because after the entrance gate you can quickly reach the path in the gorge and, once this is over, there is only one hiking trail leading to the exit.
Tip: Be sure to buy a ticket very early, as everything is usually sold out 1 month in advance, especially in the peak holiday season.
How do you get to the Caminito del Rey and where do you park?
The easiest way to reach the Caminito del Rey is by car. However, since the path through the gorge is a one-way route, you’ll need to figure out how to get from the starting point to the end. Luckily, the tourist area has thought of a few solutions. The most convenient option is a shuttle that runs between the start and end points (and vice versa). If you’re visiting early in the morning, you can drive straight to the starting point (Caminito del Rey North Access), hike through the gorge, and then take one of the regular shuttles back to your car. Since parking is limited at the starting point, you can also park in El Chorro and catch the bus to the start, then walk back to your car. If there’s no space in El Chorro, you can park at the ‘Parking Ardales’ lot, which is 2 kilometers from the starting point and served by shuttle buses. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to reach the starting point, as admission tickets are time-specific.
Reiseführer für Andalusien, Sevilla und Alhambra – Amazon
Pico Huma – hike with a great view
There is a great view of the Guadalhorce reservoir and the entire region from the summit of the highest mountain in the region, the Pico Huma, which is around 1200 metres high. However, the view has to be earned first, the climb is not too steep, but the route is relatively poorly signposted, so you should definitely bring a map on your smartphone, enough battery, surefootedness and a sense of direction. You can park either in El Chorro or a little closer to the trail, where you have to drive up a gravel road, which was no problem for us with a normal car. The car park can be found on Google Maps under the name ‘Sendero Circular Pico de Huma’. We walked the trail as a round trip from the gravel car park.
Route description Pico Huma
Time: 3 – 5 hours, about 600 metres up, around 7.5km – from the railway station you have to calculate about 2 hours more
We started heading west from the parking lot along the gravel road. For a while, the trail is well-marked, and you’ll walk on a wide forest road through the trees. However, there are two options here: if you turn left, you’ll take the longer route, but if you stay on the forest track, you’ll find a shortcut. After about 30 minutes, you’ll reach a barrier on the road, and from here, the path gets trickier. Near the barrier, you’ll need to turn right into the steep terrain. The trail here is marked with a few steps and cairns (though not very clearly), and we had to navigate through dense vegetation that made the path hard to spot. In the first photo, you can see where you’ll need to “climb” up. It gets significantly steeper, so good balance is important. After this steep section, you’ll reach a small hill with a beautiful view. From here, the route continues upward until you reach the vast plateau of Pico Huma. This section is a little better marked, but when we arrived at the plateau, we lost all traces because the fog was so thick we could barely see anything.
Tip: At the plateau, be sure to go to the ‘photo spot’, where you can take spectacular photos with the sloping cliffs and the reservoir in the background. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the spot in the fog, or you probably wouldn’t have seen anything anyway, but if you google Pico Huma, you’ll see what I mean…
A summit cross, as we’re used to in Austria can not be found here, there’s only an ‘ugly’ concrete pillar, which probably marks the highest point. The descent now continues along the plateau until at some point the path leads off to the left into steeper terrain again. Once you have made it downhill here, you come to a flat path again, past a few ruins to the gravel road and back to the car.
Via Ferrata El Chorro – Some adrenaline
Time: 3 hours, Difficulty C, 250 metres up
The El Chorro via ferrata, also known as the Via Ferrata de los Albercones, is definitely a tough one and is not for the faint-hearted or via ferrata beginners – and not because of the height of the via ferrata itself, but because of the two rope bridges that you have to cross and the flying fox that lies along the way and which you cannot avoid. In addition to the via ferrata set (helmet, harness, shock absorber), you must (!) take a 13cm pulley with you for the Flying Fox and if you want to go without a guide, you must also have via ferrata experience!
Tip: Via ferrata sets can be hired at Finca La Campana – please note: opening times!
Starting point Via Ferrata El Chorro
The starting point is located one road above the end point of the Caminito del Rey and is a little difficult to find because it is not signposted at all. Basically, it takes around 15 minutes to get there if you can find the path. It is best to park near the Maribel supermarket and then walk along this dirt road. At a fork in the road, keep left along the fence until you come to a railway tunnel, where there is also a car park – as the road here is a rather bumpy gravel road, I would rather park in the village. Above the railway tunnel on the left-hand side (to the left of the Oceano Gris climbing wall) is the start of the via ferrata. Alternatively, you can also climb up from the end point of the Caminito del Rey, keeping to the right at the small church and walking up the steep path to reach the railway tunnel.
Route Via Ferrata El Chorro
The via ferrata begins right away with a steep, vertical wall equipped with plenty of iron rungs. From there, the route leads into a gorge, where the difficulty eases a bit, before climbing along the side of the gorge to greater heights. After roughly 30 minutes, you’ll reach the Flying Fox, where you’ll find clear instructions on how to use the pulley correctly. The path then becomes a bit easier (about a grade B) before you reach the first rope bridge, which leads to a steep wall with numerous iron pegs (around grade C). After crossing a tower, you’ll find another rope bridge, which offers a breathtaking view perfect for a photo. Unfortunately, both rope bridges are quite sensitive to wind, and we encountered some strong gusts, which made it a bit tricky. After crossing the second bridge, the descent begins gradually—along a rope for a while—before reaching the final exit of the via ferrata.
The descent, much like the ascent, is a bit tricky. The best route right after the exit starts with a short uphill section before heading downhill. This leads you to a path on the right side of the gorge, which eventually connects to a wider hiking trail. We followed this trail, keeping the railway bridge in sight, until we reached a power station and the tracks, where the Caminito del Rey ends. From there, we walked back to El Chorro.
All in all it’s a really cool tour, the via ferrata could be better maintained in my opinion and the signposting is an absolute disaster – so plan a little more time to find the way.
3 fantastic villages around El Chorro
Around the beautiful Ardales Nature Park there are also a few very nice little (mountain) villages that many visitors skip, but are definitely worth a visit. In general, the Andalusia region has wonderful (white) villages, but here are my 3 highlights in the region around El Chorro:
Antequera
Antequera is a city with a great historical heritage, with over fifty monuments and archaeological sites of particular importance. Worth seeing are the Alcazaba, the Dolmen de Menga burial site and the monastery of Santo Domingo.
Ardales
The small village of Ardales has only around 2500 inhabitants and is one of the white villages around Malaga. It looks back on a long history, with paintings of early settlers found in caves in the area. You can also visit the Cueva de Doña Trinidad Grund caves here, but we only visited the village itself.
Alora
Alora is half an hour away from El Chorro and is definitely worth a visit. This somewhat larger town has a castle that is around 200 years old and was used as a cemetery. The castle can be visited and is situated on a hill, which I would personally recommend walking to, as driving and parking in the town is an absolute disaster.
So, who has ever been to the region? Feel free to let me know in the comments, I’m always happy to read whether you also like places like this.
