Work begins on new Caminito del Rey suspension footbridge, the longest in Spain

Antonio M. Romero

Malaga

Wednesday, 26 March 2025 | Updated 30/03/2025 22:05h.

The long-anticipated installation of a new suspension footbridge on the Caminito del Rey path began this Friday 28 March, exactly ten years after the reopening of one of the most beloved tourist attractions in Malaga province. The 110-metre-long construction will be the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Spain and will be located near the area above the railway bridge and the El Chorro tunnel.

The new suspension bridge will have two main sustainable steel cables of 4,500 kilograms and a 1,450-metre special braided steel cable and a downward slope with an average drop of 7.5%. The footbridge will be made of wood on a metal foundation and the handrails will be made of steel cable, like those already existing along the Caminito.

The total structure will weigh 38 tonnes, of which 17 tonnes will be the new bridge. With such figures, it is no surprise that the assembly and installation will be complex and require the use of helicopters.

This new bridge is presented as an alternative to the current exit route of the Caminito - which can still be used - and will save visitors almost a kilometre of downhill walking on steeper terrain. At the end of the bridge, paths will take visitors to the exit.

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According to a geological study compiled by several of Granada's universities, a "very detailed" evaluation was carried out to assess the safety of a slope located near the exit of the Caminito. It has revealed the slope shows "signs of instability and is apparently the most problematic part of the exit path".

Therefore, although the measures recommended for the stabilisation of the slope have already been carried out (installation of triple torsion meshes and the placement of anchors, cables and high resistance meshes to retain possible landslides), the report also recommends studying other measures such as the search for alternative routes for the transit of the numerous visitors to the Caminito del Rey to reduce exposure to possible landslides.

The enclave's sustainability team is already carrying out several other safety measures, in addition to the preventative measures already in place for visitors.