|
Fifty kilometres north of Malaga, Garganta del Chorro is an amazing place - an immense five-kilometre-long cleft in a vast limestone massif - but its most stunning feature is a concrete catwalk, El Camino del Rey , which threads the length of the gorge, hanging precipitously halfway up its side. Built in the 1920s as part of a burgeoning hydroelectric scheme, it used to figure in all the guidebooks as one of the wonders of Spain; today it's largely fallen into disrepair, though a deal has recently been struck between the Madrid and Malaga governments to fund renovation works. At present, despite a few wobbly - and decidedly dangerous - sections (one tourist fell to her death in 1998), with random holes in the concrete through which you can see the gorge hundreds of feet below, it's still possible to walk much of its length. You will, however, need a very good head for heights, and at least a full day starting from Malaga. If you've neither, it's possible to get a glimpse of both gorge and Camino from any of the trains going north from Malaga - the line, slipping in and out of tunnels, follows the river for a considerable distance along the gorge, before plunging into a last long tunnel just before its head. If you're determined to walk the Camino , the safer way is to do it with an expert climbing guide. To explore the gorge, and walk the Camino , head for EL CHORRO , served by direct trains from Malaga. In the village there's an excellent campsite (tel 952 112 696) with pool, reached by heading downhill to your right for 400m after getting off the train. Near the station, Bar-Restaurante Garganta del Chorro (tel 952 497 219; ?27-36) has pleasant rooms inside a converted mill and overlooking a pool. Signs from the station will also direct you 2km to the Finca La Campana (tel & fax 952 112 019, www.malaganet.com/lacampana ), with an economical bunkhouse (under ?12) and a couple of pleasant cottages (?18-27). Run by Swiss climber Jean Hofer and his wife Christine, the place also offers courses in rock climbing and caving, rents out mountain bikes, and can arrange horse-riding and hiking excursions, as well as guided trips along the Camino using ropes.
Your Tip for El Chorro Gorge
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to El Chorro Gorge - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to El Chorro Gorge - visit the main El Chorro Gorge forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the El Chorro Gorge webguide section below! Thanks.
|
