Malaga Day Trip to El Chorro Gorge

The gorge is famous for the Camino del Rey (King’s Walk), a truly frightening single-file walkway pinned to the cliff face and hanging 150 metres above the river floor. Built in the 1920s for the workers engaged in building the hydro-electric system on the dam, it is named for King Alfonso XIII of Spain who is reported to have inspected the construction from the walkway.

A sign at the entrance to the walkway says “Prohibido el paso de peatones” (No entry by foot), an instruction that should not be ignored. The path has crumbled in places and the handrails are not to be trusted. However, the view from the lookout at the entrance to the Camino is breathtaking. Often climbers can be seen on the opposite cliff face.

A railway bridge spans the gorge and offers a glorious view down the gorge. This is the bridge that appeared in the film Von Ryan’s Express and is still in regular use.

Walking trails traverse the countryside around the gorge and offer stunning views of the wild terrain. The land is dry but rich in wildlife including golden eagles and vultures and cabra monteses (Spanish ibex).

The river is dammed and forms three large, turquoise reservoirs fringed by forest and suitable for swimming and water sports. Four kilometres below the gorge are the lakes. The journey from the gorge down to the lakes takes in some majestic waterfalls. The Conde de Guadalhorce lake offers swimming and picnic spots, a children’s playground, walk trails and (in the high season) water sports.

Getting to El Chorro Gorge

• El Chorro Gorge can be reached by car from Malaga in about an hour. Take the Malaga ring road and look for exit signs for Cartama and the University. Follow these (junction 231A/B which becomes 233B) and continue past Cartama (14 km) on the C341/A357. Continue for another 32 km and take the El Chorro exit.
• After 6 km, turn right at another sign for El Chorro. A further 5 km down a very steep and winding road leads to the dam. Turn left and cross the dam into El Chorro village. To get to the gorge take the track on the left before the railway station and continue until you can drive no further. The last few hundred metres must be done on foot.
• El Chorro Gorge can also be reached by train from Malaga in about 45 minutes. The train journey takes you into the heart of the gorge because it follows the curves of the river. It offers an excellent view of the Camino del Rey.
• RENFE (the Spanish Rail System) also offers a customized train trip called “El Chorro”. It departs from the main station and goes to Gobantes. On the way it crosses bridges, threads through valleys and mountains, and the frequent tunnels take you into the heart of the limestone massif.
• The only place to eat in El Chorro is the station restaurant but there are many restaurants along the reservoir and in the nearby village of Ardales.
• Worth seeing nearby El Chorro are the villages of Alora (Moorish monuments and a castle) and Teba (18th century church).

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