Short answer: it's safe, but it is exposed
The Caminito del Rey earned its "world's most dangerous path" nickname decades ago, when the original workers' walkway had crumbled into broken concrete and rebar with missing sections and no railings. That path was closed after fatal falls around the year 2000. What you walk today is a completely different structure: a modern timber boardwalk that was rebuilt above the old ledge and reopened in late March 2015, engineered to current safety standards.
So the danger that made the headlines belongs to the ruin, not to the walkway open now. The thing that hasn't changed is the setting — a metre-wide path pinned to a near-vertical cliff, roughly 100 metres above the Guadalhorce river. It is completely railed and structurally solid, but the drop beside you is real, and that is what makes it feel dramatic.
What makes it safe today
It is a walk, not a climb. There's no scrambling, no ropes and no special equipment — just sturdy closed shoes, water and sun protection. The surface is even, the gradient is gentle, and staff and guides are stationed along the way. For the great majority of reasonably mobile adults and older children, it is a straightforward few hours on foot.
What makes it feel scary
Three features do most of the work on your nerves, and it helps to know them in advance:
- The exposure. On the signature stretches the boardwalk is about a metre wide with a sheer drop of roughly 100 metres beside it. The rail is there; the view down is still vast.
- The glass floor. A short see-through balcony juts out from the boardwalk, and the floor seems to vanish beneath you. It's a purpose-built, solidly engineered viewing platform — one of the safest-built points on the route — but it's the moment most people either love or hurry across. You can stay on the normal boardwalk and skip stepping onto it.
- The hanging bridge. Near the end, a suspension footbridge around 105 metres above the river spans the gorge on a mesh deck. It flexes underfoot, which is designed behaviour, not a fault — but it's the crossing that gets the loudest reactions.
Plenty of people with a mild fear of heights finish comfortably by keeping close to the rock wall, looking ahead rather than down, and moving at a steady pace. A guide setting the tone for the group helps more than most expect.
The safety record and the rules
The falls and deaths that built the fearsome reputation happened on the old, unmaintained path before it was closed. The rebuilt walkway that reopened in 2015 was designed with helmets, guardrails and controlled, timed entry, and it has since become one of Andalusia's most popular walks — hundreds of thousands of visitors a year pass through under those controls. The single most important thing you can do is simple: follow the posted rules and your guide's instructions. Keep your helmet on, don't climb on the rails for photos, and don't stop where you're asked to keep moving.
Making it easier on yourself
If nerves are the main worry, a guided walk is the reassuring option: a guide handles the pace, points out where to look, and takes the group through the glass floor and hanging bridge together rather than leaving you to face them alone. It also removes the two-ends logistics so the only thing left to manage is the walk itself. If you'd rather picture the whole thing first, our waypoint-by-waypoint walk of the route shows exactly what each exposed section looks like before you commit.
See guided Caminito del Rey tours →Is the Caminito del Rey safe to walk today?
Yes. The path you walk today is a completely rebuilt boardwalk that opened in late March 2015, sitting above the crumbling original ledge. It has continuous guardrails, a mandatory helmet handed out at the start, timed entry to control numbers, and a one-way system so nobody has to pass anyone on the narrow sections. It is a walk, not a climb, and needs no special equipment or experience.
Is the Caminito del Rey scary if you are afraid of heights?
It can be. The boardwalk is only about a metre wide and runs roughly 100 metres above the Guadalhorce river along sheer cliffs, so the exposure is real even though the structure is solid and railed. Many people with a mild fear of heights complete it by staying close to the rock wall and not stopping to look straight down. Anyone with severe vertigo, panic attacks or serious heart conditions should think carefully before going.
Is the glass floor on the Caminito del Rey dangerous?
No. The short see-through balcony is a purpose-built viewing platform with a solid glass floor and railings; it is engineered to hold visitors safely. It feels alarming because you can see straight down to the gorge floor, but it is one of the safest-built points on the route. You can walk past it on the normal boardwalk if you would rather not step out.
Has anyone died on the Caminito del Rey since it reopened?
The falls and fatalities that gave the path its dangerous reputation happened on the derelict original walkway around the year 2000, before it was closed and rebuilt. The modern railed boardwalk that reopened in 2015 was built to current safety standards with helmets, guardrails and controlled entry. Always follow your guide and the posted rules on the day.
An independent visitor guide. Walk Caminito del Rey is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or the official operator or ticket seller of the Caminito del Rey, and does not sell admission. Booking links go to independent third-party tour operators, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Safety rules and requirements are set by the operator and can change — always check the official Caminito del Rey site before you travel.