Caminito del Rey 8 km canyon hike

This spectacular hike (‘Caminito del Rey’) takes you along the river Rio Guadalhorce through three different canyons, offers significant opportunities to spot vultures and other birds of prey, provides great vistas, and is one of the major tourist attractions in the area. You need to buy a ticket in advance from the website http://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/#2. Tickets are sold out long in advance. I had to buy tickets with a guided tour, as they were the only ones left available, but luckily you can then skip the guided tour once you are in. The tickets include a trip by bus back to the starting point (buses every half to one hour, check out the time tables on the website). At the starting point is a kiosk and a restaurant, and parking. You can also park near the end and first take the bus to the starting point and walk back to your car. You first have to walk 2.5 km (a slightly shorter access route is possible) to get to the entrance where you are provided with a helmet (…). Inside the three canyons boardwalks are provided that cling to the canyon walls. The walk is quite easy, unless you suffer from vertigo. The little hill in the track after 3.1 km and the depth after 6.1 km are not really there (I had to substitute some GPS coordinates because the GPS was off in the canyons and wikiloc than fills out the height data.) You can only walk the route inside the park in one direction (down as in this track). We did the entire walk in 2.5 hours, which is considerably shorter than advertised on the website. However, the scenery and the wildlife is interesting enough to make it last significantly longer. You can buy something to eat and drink at the starting point and near the exit where there is a kiosk, and near the shuttle bus stop in El Chorro. At the control cabin at the entrance there is a vending machine and there are toilets.
The hike starts at the northern shuttle bus stop (parade norte) at restaurant El Kiosko. You walk through the tunnel and then follow the river through the pine woods. You descend towards the river which expands into a reservoir. A peculiar rock face appears on the other side of the reservoir as you get closer to the entrance. At the control cabin you get a helmet and a short explanation on rules and risks, and then you are free to continue on boardwalks to the first canyon. The river has polished its way between the rocks. When the valley opens up a bit there is a small lake. You descend a bit and walk on to the next canyon while a rail road becomes visible on the left. After the second canyon a large valley (Hoyo valley) opens up and the boardwalk ends. You continue on paths through the woods with great views of the surrounding mountains. You cross a small stream and continue towards the third canyon. On the right side of this canyon tens to hundreds birds of prey (mainly griffon vultures) were circling around the mountain top, a spectacular sight. At the third canyon there is another boardwalk, arguably the most spectacular. There is also a Balcon de Cristal here (a glass floor above the canyon), and at the end of the canyon there is a bridge across the river. Behind it you can already see the green water of the Embalse Tajo de la Encantada reservoir. After the bridge you continue on boardwalks for about 200 m until you get to the exit of the boardwalk and you continue on an unpaved road down towards the reservoir. You pass by a small kiosk, a church and then get to the exit control cabin where you turn in your helmet. The shuttle bus stop and the train station of El Chorro is about 600 m further south.