First hike on “the most dangerous route in the world”🥴
In March 2023, I made a trip to the beautiful city of Malaga in Spain. I was in between jobs and thought it was a perfect moment to explore some more places in Europe.
I read about a famous hiking trail in Malaga, Caminito Del Rey. Apparently, this was one of the most dangerous hiking trails in the world.
Don’t ask me why, but for some reason I thought it was a good idea to start my hiking journey with “the most dangerous trail in the world”😅
In this article, I will share my experience of this breathtaking journey.
We stayed in a city close to Malaga called Benalmádena. This city was perfectly located between Malaga and Marbella. However, from our place to Caminito Del Rey was a bit further. Not too bad though. It was about an hour’s drive.
Because this hike is so popular, we had to make sure we booked for a certain time slot. To get a good start to the day, we decided to go early in the morning.
We entered the route in groups. It was required to wear a helmet throughout the whole journey. The color of the helmet shows which group you belong to.
Can you tell that this is my first hike? I look like I have been doing this a thousand times😂
A brief history of Caminito Del Rey
Caminito Del Rey was originally constructed between 1901 and 1905 to provide workers access to the hydroelectric plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls.
The name, which means “The King’s Little Path,” came about in 1921 when King Alfonso XIII used the path for the inauguration of the Conde del Guadalhorce Dam.
In the beginning of the 20th century, there was a growing demand for energy and water in the area around Malaga. The water resources in Gaitanejo Falls had to scale out to sustain the demand. But how? A well-thought-out solution was needed to respond to the demand.
The problem was that the Gaitanejo Falls were not really accessible, which made it not only difficult but also dangerous for the workers to reach the water resources.
Despite the name of the route, the locals in the area know that there is only one person who is responsible for constructing a masterpiece for this dilemma.
Rafael Benjumea y Burín
Rafael Benjumea y Burín is the engineer who, with his team, managed to create a route that provides access to Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls.
Because of this route, they were able to expand the water resources and meet the needs of the local area.
He accomplished all of this at the age of 24, by the way. Minor detail.
Once on the route, we could experience with our own eyes how beautiful the landscape is.
Experiencing the Route
Before we knew it, we were already at quite a high altitude. When we looked down, we could see the edges of the smooth, rounded shapes in the rocks, which are the result of water erosion.
Over the years, water has worn away the limestone, making the rocks smooth and rounded. This is called karst formation. It happens when water with a bit of acid (from carbon dioxide) flows through the limestone and slowly dissolves it. This also creates caves and other interesting rock shapes.
Life in Caminito Del Rey
Over the years, the cliffs have become a shelter for certain bird species.
It’s difficult to see in this picture. I was too impatient to wait for a bird to pose for me. But what you are looking at is the home of various bird species that use the cliffs to hide from predators.
Did I hear you say: “Which predators?” Think of eagles, owls, foxes, and snakes!
Renovated route
I must say, even though we were at quite a high altitude and we could look all the way down through the wooden walkways, I felt really comfortable and secure throughout the whole journey.
Our guide told us that this wasn’t always the case, though. For a long time, this route was not being maintained. One of the reasons for this were the geographical challenges.
Because the route was not being maintained, it fell into disrepair. And because of its bad state, the route became popular among fanatics who would risk their lives walking the route.
This is a picture of the old route underneath the new route. Can you imagine walking the old route? Me neither.
Do you see that huge hole in the left corner? Our guide was giving us an anecdote about how his friends had pressured him to come along on this exciting hike. When they reached the hole in the left corner, they all jumped over it as if it was a puddle of water on the street. This is where his fear got the most of him and he went back home.
A good decision was made that day😂
On a more serious note, a few people actually lost their lives walking the old route. This is why they had prohibited access to the route from the year 2000.
In 2015, they opened the new route that we are walking on in the pictures.
It was an amazing experience and with the new route, definitely not “the most dangerous” route in the world😛
Ending the Day
To end the day, we had a relaxed boat trip at the harbor of Malaga. During the ride, I made a new friend who thought it was a good idea to make me the captain of the boat halfway through and put the lives of all on board in my hands🥴
We all made it safely back to the shore😂
Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this article.
