The footpath once regarded as the world's deadliest is calling on daredevils with a head for heights to book their hiking slots for this summer.
Access to the Caminito del Rey in southern Spain near Malaga was restricted in 2000 after five walkers fell to their deaths in two years. The walkway, which clings to the side of the El Chorro gorge, had fallen into a state of disrepair, with parts of the route crumbled away and reduced to just metal skeleton rails.
It reopened to the public in 2015 after extensive renovations and the installation of a sturdy path and railings, at a cost of $4.6m. Nevertheless, Caminito del Rey, which translates as the King's Little Walkway, still requires handsome nerves.
![El Caminito del Rey was built in 1905. Photo / Getty Images](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/YIZIX556FO67Z6HBDN67QFACSA.jpg?auth=665b6db3be14ff6749e3e7c554c32bbfce3e58d15b5d6808788234eb38cdcb30&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
The new path was built above the old route, which remains as evidence of its early 20th century beginnings. The walkway was originally built to provide workers at the hydroelectric plant at nearby Chorro and Gaitanejo Falls with a means to cross between them. It was about 1m wide and 80-100m above the river.