We left Sevilla early in the morning to catch our train to El Chorro for el Caminito del Rey (the King's walk). To get to the station, we took the 8am tramou are supposed to buy tickets on the platform, however, the machine is cash only, so I went to the ATM to withdraw some money and managed to get the numbers wrong three times in a row and was subsequently barred. So then my friend used his card to withdraw 50€, however, the machine wouldn't accept anything over 20€! The sun hadn't risen yet, the streets were empty, and the shops were closed...mind you, it's 8am! We just hopped on the tram anyway (I'll pay extra next time), but remember to always have some small euro change on you (not the cents though, they're useless).
At El Chorro station, we were greeted by two other Auxes (British and American), and her Spanish partner. We bought the 1.55€ tickets for the shuttle bus from Restaurante La Garganta and took the bus to the start of the hike. It was a bit of a walk from the bus stop to the actual entrance, but once there, we equipped ourselves with helmets and set off. The website said the hike would take 3-4 hours, however, we did it at a comfortable walking pace in 1.5. The path goes alongside the hydroelectric dam and was constructed in the early 1900s for the maintenance workers. To promote the walking trail, the designer invited the Spanish King, in 1921, on the walk, and that's how it got its name. I was a bit disappointed by the actual fitness element as there were tonnes of people and so were all walked slowly and in single-file, however, it was my first time in the Spanish mountains and I really enjoyed the contrast between the aqua water and the grey skies. If you do want to do this walk, then I'd recommend booking the guided one so you can spend a bit longer there.
Afterwards, had a picnic by the dam, and drove down to Málaga and checked in at the Lights Hostel. Another really fun hostel, although, after hostelling and being in bars in Sevilla, I feel very anxious about Covid.
We went out for tapas and ordered provolone fundido which is melted Provolone cheese. It was really yummy.
Comments