As I was searching for things to see/do in Malaga, I wasn't coming up with too much, and thought it would just be a get off the ship and walk around town kind of day.
Then one of my searches found a path/hike/trail that wasn't in Malaga, but was close. I did some more researching and found what we were going to do and it was amazing.
We arrived in Malaga, Spain and headed to the train station. This was no ordinary train station - it was huge! It was like an airport with stores and restaurants.
We were headed to "El Chorro" which is a narrow gorge in the mountains with a river at the bottom. A power plant was built in the early 1900's and to help the workers to get there, a walkway was built from 1901-1905 when it opened. The current King walked along the path several years later, and it was then called Caminito del Rey - or "King's Pathway".
The original path was just concrete slabs over two steel rails supported by beams placed into the rock at 45 degree angles. The walkway stopped being used in the 60's and over time, deteriorated over the years where some of the concrete slabs fell off, leaving big gaps, and people had to walk only on the steel rails.
Between 1999 and 2000, two people fell off and the government closed the walkway. You can find YouTube videos of people walking on it, and it was called the "world's most dangerous walkway" Even when it was closed, 4 more people, who were trespassing, died walking the path.
In 2011, the government decided to upgrade the path, making a new safer path, leaving much of the old path still in tact as it was. It took them 4 years to rebuild the new and safer path which is what's used today and it opened in 2015 and is about 3 miles long.
The train was 50 mins through farmland and mountains
VIDEO:
The entrance is through a rather long tunnel
Then about a mile slightly downhill path
Past the dam that started it all
Finally, we made it to the boardwalk path
Ok, right from the very start, this is amazing. WOW!
VIDEOS:
The best views of the path are from a distance and you can really see how the path really is along the cliff!
After about a mile and half, the walk turns into a hike through the valley, away from the river
Then you come to the "best part of the walk" as Jacob called it. Back on the cliff, higher and steeper for about another mile
You can easily see the original path here just under the new path
One of the original bridges along with the original concrete slabs
At the end is a short suspension bridge, that does bounce and sway in the wind
I was holding on the railing and not looking down, so I couldn't do a video or any pics from the bridge. But Jacob did:
After the bridge, is the "stair section" - the stairs were steep and narrow
Time to head back
Time for some pics
We loved this day. So worth the 50 minute train ride and so easy to do on your own. This path/walk/hike was one of the highlights of our trip. So different than anything you can do around here.
Luggage update: Not likely to be in Lisbon in time. Jacob told them now to just send it home to Salt Lake City.
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