Here are some of the things that I packed in my suitcase during my fall trip to Spain this past October. Temperatures were in the high 60/70s during the day and as cold as the 40s at night. It definitely made for an interesting packing situation!
COMPREHENSIVE CAMINITO DEL REY GUIDE:
ABOUT
WHEN TO VISIT
WHERE TO STAY
HOW TO GET TO CAMINITO DEL REY
GETTING TO THE START OF THE TRAIL
CAMINITO DEL REY HIKE
CATCHING THE BUS
FINAL TIPS
El Caminito del Rey is a walkway, pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro, near Ardales in the province of Málaga, Spain. The name derives from the original name of Camino del Rey, abbreviated locally to el caminito. The walkway had fallen into disrepair and was partially closed for over a decade. It was previously known as “the world’s most dangerous hike” following five deaths between 1999 and 2000. The hike reopened in 2015 with a new walkway. [The Rough Guide to Andalucia, 1995]
While doing tons of research on my husband and I’s Spain trip, I came across this hike and knew that we had to do it!
The path is closed every Monday, and January 1st, December 24th, 25th and 31st December.
The hike is doable year round. The opening hours differ depending on the season: in the winter season (November–March) 10 am to 2 pm; in summer season (April–October) the walkway is open from 10 am to 5 pm. One can enter every 15 to 30 minutes.
Ronda
This beautiful white-washed city is home to the famous Puente Neuvo. Located on a hill-top overlooking a deep gorge, this is one of the most famous of Andalucia's pueblo blancos (white towns). You will not be disappointed in the impressive views if you decide to make this your base camp for the night. I would recommend a stay at Hotel La Fuente de la Higuera which is a converted olive mill with amazing views or for a more luxury property, Hotel Montelirio.
Málaga
Málaga is known to many as the gateway to the Costa del Sol. Having not been here myself, I cannot really recommend it personally, but given the chance, I would definitely love to visit. I would recommend staying at Palacio Solecio, which is a luxury hotel in Málaga.
Antequera
Antequera is a city most known for its ancient burial mounds. Hotel options here include: Finca Eslava and Hotel Convento La Magdalena.
C/O CAMINITO DEL REY
BY ROAD:
If you travel by road from Málaga through Ardales or Álora:
If you start your trip in Málaga City, take the A–357 motorway and go towards the MA-5403, through the Towns of Cártama, Pizarra, Carratraca, and Ardales. This route is 59.1 km long, and it takes a bit more than 50 minutes by car. In Pizarra, you can also go to Álora by road, and then along the A-343 to El Chorro Train Station. This route is a little bit longer – 60 km, and you will take a little more than one hour to get to your destination. The road is narrower and curvier than the previous one.
Coming from Antequera:
From most points of Andalusia, placed to the north of the El Caminito del Rey, the best way to the trail is coming from Antequera (which is usually accessed by the A-92 motorway). At Antequera, you can choose one of the following two ways:
a) The first one is towards Camplillos (the A-384 motorway), which leads to the reservoirs of El Chorro (A-357 and MA-451) in Ardales. This route is 55 km long and takes about 54 minutes.
b) The other one is from Antequera to Abdalajís Valley (A-343), and then to El Chorro Train Station (MA-4401). This route roads are much narrower, have more curves and their surface is worse. Nevertheless, the way is shorter (34 km long, and you take 45 minutes).
Coming from Ronda:
Finally, you can also arrive at the trail coming from Ronda, along the motorway that stretches from Cadiz (A-367) and goes to Ardales. There you can take the above MA-5403. This route is 60 km long and takes one hour to be crossed.
BY TRAIN:
On 1st February RENFE short-distance trains are starting to run again, offering tickets which include journeys by Train and Bus, and the entrance to El Caminito del Rey
These trains connect Málaga and Seville, but use the road between the stations in Pedrera and Osasuna and the opposite. The rest of the route is along the railway).
• Direction Sevilla-Málaga:
1. Train MD 13900 (34950), which stops at El Chorro station at 10:15 a.m.and leaves it at 10:24 a.m.
2. Train MD 13904 (33904), which stops at El Chorro stationat 3:49 p.m. and leaves the station at 3:50 p.m.
• Direction Málaga-Sevilla:
1. Train MD 13907, which stops at El Chorro at 4:51 p.m. and leaves the station at 4:52 p.m.
The train that goes from Málaga to Ronda and back keeps using the road and has no station El Chorro-Caminito del Rey.
The above information can be found in detail on Caminito del Rey’s official website - Please check there for any updates to roadways or parking situations.
There are two paths if you come from the surroundings of the Conde de Guadalhorce (the Count of Guadalhorce) Reservoir in Ardales. The first one is shorter and it takes from 20 to 25 minutes. It goes through the smaller lit tunnel, which is placed some 200 m before El Kiosko restaurant, to the control cabin at the Gaitanejo Hydroelectric Power Station. The second path is longer, and it starts at the Chair of Alfonso XIII (this is a signposted downhill path). These 2.7 km can be covered in 50 minutes.
It is 10 minutes distance from the control point to the access to the boardwalks.
Total length of the inland route takes 150 minutes to be crossed: The controlled area: boardwalk – Hoyo Valley – boardwalk.
From the boardwalk exit at El Chorro (Álora) to the control cabin: 15 minutes.
From the control cabin (Álora) to the train station: 15 minutes (the distance from point 4 to 5 is 2.1 km).
When you come to the end of the path, you can take the train or go to your car if you parked it at El Chorro. If not, you should go back to the northern access by shuttle bus or on foot (as mentioned before, this way is rather long and goes along a narrow local road with no hard shoulder at some points).
See full details on the website linked above.
All-in-all, the hike was not strenuous in any respect. The path is mostly flat with a few stairs. I am actually very afraid of heights - if this is you, then I would take a look at photos or watch some videos before attempting this hike. The path is literally suspended to the side of the canyon with a raging river running below you. The views are absolutely breathtaking!
The pathway recently reopened after being closed for several years. When you are walking through the canyon, you can see why! Much of the old path remains below the new one..there are no handrails, many broken boards, among other hazards - you can easily see why this was named as one of the most dangerous hikes to attempt. The Spanish government really did an excellent job repairing this hike and making it as safe as possible to enjoy!
After you have hike the 5 km, you will either need to walk back to your car (which I do NOT recommend - it is very far!) or catch the bus. The bus pickup is a hike in and of itself to be honest. There were several signs that stated “bus stop 300 m”. I feel like this was actually the longest part of the day. The bus ended up being almost a mile from the end of the hike so just keep going when you finish and eventually you will make it.
The bus picks you up and then will drop you off at either of the two restaurants at which point you can either grab a bite to eat or a cold beverage (the cider is wonderful!) and use the toilet before heading to your final destination for the night.
Buy your tickets ahead of time and do not miss your time slot! - We saw several people walk up to the control tower without realizing that they needed to purchase tickets in advance only to be turned away.
Take the shorter path to the start of the hike. If you go through a tunnel and you see a sign that states “Caminito del rey - 2.7 km”, then turn around! If you go out to the main road and walk a little ways down, then you will see another entrance that is a much shorter walk.
I do not think that you need a guide for this hike as the trail is very well marked and there are several employees that are interspersed throughout the trail. If you would like to have a guide, then you can book a guided hike here.
If you’re heading to Spain, don’t miss my How to Plan Your Own Andalusia Spain Trip.
PIN ME FOR LATER
With Halloween quickly approaching, I thought that I would deviate from my normal travel and foodie posts to bring you some spooky books to check out during the fall season. These would be great airplane or road trip reads as well! If you’ve read any of these books, let me know your favorite or your thoughts in the comment section below!
Also, if you have any other SPOOKY suggestions, then please add them in the comments below as well! I would love to check them out!
THE LAST MRS PARRISH
Stay tuned until the end for an unexpected twist!
VERITY
A novel about a murder-mystery writer..what do you think the truth is?!
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Not going to lie, this one is very disturbing. I had to skip a section of the audio book.
GIRL ON THE TRAIN
I feel like this is a classic that you have to add to any spooky reading list.
THE ALICE NETWORK
Not necessarily a psychological thriller but this follows a story of a spy during WWI and can be quite scary at times!
THE SILENT PATIENT
You cannot have a spooky reading list and NOT include this book!
THE PERFECT COUPLE
Follows yet again another murder mystery writer and a weird murder. Who did it??
ABOUT ME:
I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!
I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!
—
Follow me: @thatblondetravels
Disclaimer: This Spooky Books to Read this Halloween contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees but support me to keep this site running!
I just recently returned (i’m talking on Sunday) from an amazing trip to the Andalusia coast of Spain + Mallorca. This region of Spain has some of the most breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains with interspersed villages beautifully located along the winding roads.
While visiting this region of Spain, we had so many amazing meals that it honestly is very hard to pick a favorite. Some restaurants had amazing views and ambiance, some had ambiance plus delicious tapas, and some not so much. Fortunately, the bad meals were few and far between and usually because we just stopped in for a quick bite while touring a local monument. I hate how in large tourist areas, it seems like a lot of the terrible restaurants are right beside the tourist spot. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have an amazing meal AND see the local attraction at the same time?!
Anywho, this post is about one of the wonderful restaurants that we had the pleasure to dine at while visiting Sevilla.
C/O ESLAVA
When you first walk into Eslava, expect to see a crowded tapas bar with a great atmosphere. Ask one of the servers to recommend you a class of Vino Tinto to start (Spanish wines are delicous!). When you get you glass of wine, you will also be served some homemade sourdough bread and some fresh aceitunas (olives) that are mixed with fava beans - you MUST try these! They are so yummy!). Aslo, don’t forget to request some aceite de oliva (olive oil) with some sea salt. I think Spain could give Italy a run for their money on olive oil - it was literally the best! The olive oil is the best when it is produced on a local Finca (or hacienda or plantation). We bought some to bring home from a local Finca that you can actually stay at in Mallorca, called Cas X’orc (another post for another time).
TAPAS TO TRY
Tataki de buey con gominola de jengibre
Beef tataki with ginger - These thin strips of beef topped with sea salt and drizzled with olive oil will leave your mouth watering for more! We actually ordered two plates of these. As you can tell, it is not a huge portion but the flavor is outstanding. There are dollops of ginger sauce on the plate that enhance the flavors of the beef.
Croquetas caseras de cerdo y ternera
Pork and beef homemade croquettes (bechamel-filled, breaded and deep-fried) - I must say that I thought that I would absolutely love the croquettes in Spain since it is definitely a staple tapas at most Spanish restaurants. While the croquettes were definitely delicious, they were not my favorite of all the tapas that I sampled. That being said, you still must try them!
Yema sobre bizcocho de boletus y vino caramelizado
Slow-cooked egg served on boletus cake with caramelized wine reduction (1st Prize, Sevilla en Boca de Todos 2010 contest) - This one is very interesting and worth a taste!
Un cigarro para Becquer (3º premio Sevilla en Boca de Todos 2013)
A cigar for Becquer. Brick pastry cigar-shaped with cuttlefish and algae) - The texture on this definitely different but the flavor was surprisingly good!
Costilla de cerdo con miel de romero al horno
Roasted pork ribs glazed in rosemary honey - MUST get these!! These are like a Korean BBQ style short rib with incredible flavor!!
Here is a link to the entire tapas menu. We didn’t get a chance to try everything but if you’re feeling up to it, then I would recommend at least sampling a few more of their delicious tapas!
C/O EAT SPEAK WRITE
ABOUT ME:
I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!
I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!
—
Follow me: @thatblondetravels
Eska - an amazing restaurant located about 10 minutes from the heart of Prague - is part of the Ambiente group which owns many restaurants throughout Prague.
C/O ESKA
This was our second breakfast, the first being at Boho. We all were pretty full so we ordered light. Even though we didn’t eat a full course meal, everything we ate was absolutely delicious!
It was also really nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city to relax and hang out with a great cup of coffee.
Eska’s dishes have a Nordic flare with a focus on vegetables. We all ordered coffees. I ordered pancakes with fresh creme (OMG! so good!). Lauren ordered a yogurt parfait which was also equally delicious and Wendi ordered oatmeal. Everything was so fresh and tasty!
ABOUT ME:
I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!
I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!
—
Follow me: @thatblondetravels
Before I left for Iceland, I took my planned itinerary and made a blog post about it. If you remember it, then you probably remember that it was a little over-zealous and included a lot of activities!
Here is the updated version of my Ultimate Iceland Ring Road Adventure!
SUGGESTIONS:
In order to see the entire ring road, I would recommend no less than 10 to 12 days. We did the entire ring road, but it involved a TON of driving. We had to cut some stuff out so that we could make it to our next destination before midnight.
Þórsmörk is absolutely breathtaking! You could easily spend 3 to 4 days in this area hiking, snowmobiling on a glacier, or taking a Superjeep Tour (See my post here about our Superjeep adventure with Southcoast Adventures.)
While our Cozy Campers campervan was amazing, I highly recommend splitting up the trip and spending a couple nights in a hotel just to stretch out your legs. While I’m mentioning the campervan, it takes a while to get organized and head out from the campground in the morning. We would wake up, make breakfast, clean our dishes, then shower and get dressed. Depending on the campsite, the showering is sometimes more difficult than at other places.
Do yourself a favor and skip the DC plane - it is a 4 mile walk round trip and there is absolutely nothing to look at during the walk - OR you can pay 2500 kr to take a shuttle bus. It was the biggest tourist trap. I felt like they just placed this plane out in the middle of nowhere and were like these stupid tourists are going to walk all this way to see this - insert evil laugh here.
Hot Springs:
The Blue Lagoon: Like Disney World for adults (If you go, I would recommend staying at Silfra so that you have your own private hot spring.) Also, VERY IMPORTANT, do not get your hair in the water at the Blue Lagoon unless you have a ton of conditioner in it or your hair will be dry for weeks!
Grettislaug Pool: There is a campground here! I would recommend camping here overnight so that you can enjoy this amazing hot spring!
Secret Lagoon: While touristy, this was one was by far my favorite. The bottom is rocky instead of slimy like others and the water does not have a ton of floating algae in it.
Snaefellsnes Peninsula - If you remember back to my full itinerary post, then you will see that this is at the end of our trip. We were exhausted by this time due to all the driving that was involved during our last few days. We had planned to start the next day with the Glymur Waterfall hike but there was a monsoon the night before and morning of so we weren’t able to do it.
These are just a few of my suggestions to changes that I would make to the itinerary that I blogged about a few weeks ago! Updated itinerary Iceland post coming soon!
ABOUT ME:
I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!
I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!
—
Follow me: @thatblondetravels
For our Ultimate Ring Road Adventure, we rented a campervan from Cozy Campers. I have NEVER been camping before (not tent, not campervan, not motorhome), so I knew that this was definitely going to be an experience that I would never forget.
Just before we go into this packing guide, I want to talk about how disastrously we packed for this trip. First off, due to no fault of ours, the airline lost my husband’s bag and we didn’t get it for 5 days. This was even with taking a direct flight from DFW to Reykjavik. We couldn’t believe it! Just a heads up, if the airline loses your bag, make 100 percent sure that you grab some underwear and socks before you leave Reykjavik otherwise you will be SOL. Seriously, we did not find underwear for him until night four, when we finally found some at a local grocery store in the small town of Höfn. This sucks, especially if you’re planning on doing a lot of daily hiking and you’re staying in a campervan at campsites that either don’t have washers/dryers or they’re not working. (This is the problem that we ran into. The campsites would have washers but no dryers or they just were not working at all. -sigh)
We packed two HUGE suitcases! I’m talking, I brought my Away medium suitcase and my husband brought a large duffel that had rolling wheels. Not only did we have two large suitcases, but we had also rented a grill. We rented the Cozy 5, which looks huge online, so I thought that we would have a ton of room -WRONG! Along with the suitcases and grill, we also brought a duffel that was filled with food, as well as 2 backpacks. Bear in mind, when you’re getting ready for bed, you have to move all of this stuff to pull out the bed and to have room to move. Every night before we went to bed, we had to move all of this stuff. Mostly, it went into the front of the van to then again be pulled out in the am, but some had to stay in the back due to space limitations.
Bottom-line: If you’re renting a campervan, don’t be like us! Pack light and be intentional with your packing! If you can fit everything into a carry-on, then I highly recommend this, but if not, then I would recommend some soft-sided luggage that is easily malleable to fit the confined space.
TIP: If I had one piece of advice for you, then it would be to get organized before heading out on the road.
Spacing issues aside, Cozy Campers was awesome! I was very nervous about this experience since I’ve never been camping or even glamping before. The first two nights were pretty rough to be honest just due to getting used to the van and getting organized. If I had to give you one piece of advice, then it would be to get organized before heading out on the road. Once you get on the road, it will be non-stop sightseeing and you will not want to waste time re-organizing all of your things on a daily basis. Around night three of our trip, however, the campervan began to feel very comfortable and homey and I really enjoyed sleeping in it (and cooking in it, and dressing in it, etc. -HAHA).
Some more food for thought as far as the campervan goes, I would recommend getting the 4x4 so that you can hit up the F-roads! This is where all the remote spots are located for some great hiking, views, and possibly a secret hot spring.
The packing list below are the necessities for a trip to Iceland. The weather is unpredictable in Iceland and changes daily, if not hourly, so I recommend to pack in layers to be most comfortable.
bags
Duffel Bag or Travel Backpack
This carry-on bag from Lo & Sons is very nice and can fit so much!
Reusable bags - For grocery shopping (you have to pay for all plastic bags in Iceland) or carrying your wet clothes after exploring a hot spring.
clothing
Thermals (Base layer) - I like Thermotech or Hot Chilly’s
Waterproof Jacket and Pants (I like this Northface Gor-Tex but Frogtoggs are the cheapest, most economical option.)
Mid-layers
Outer-layers
Hiking Pants (I like these Columbia ones or these Eddie Bauer ones)
Hiking Socks (My absolute favorite! They are double-layered to prevent blisters.)
Hiking shoes (Great resource for hiking boot reviews here)
Timberland Women’s Mt Maddsen Mid Leather Waterproof Hiking Boot
Merrell Moab 2 WP Low Hiking Shoes - These are my personal favorites, although, they are very heavy.
2 x swimsuits - There are a TON of hot springs so I would bring 2, so while one is drying you have a dry one available.
1 x Jeans (These Agolde ones are my favorite!)
toiletries
Refillable Water Bottle - This one is nice because it has a clip to clip to your bag and also it compresses so packs down easily.
Flip-flops for the shower (Old Navy has some great ones for super cheap!)
Coola Sunscreen - My fav!
What do you think about my packing list? Anything that I left out or you feel is an essential? Let me know in the comments below!
ABOUT ME:
I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!
I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!
—
Follow me: @thatblondetravels
Disclaimer: This Iceland Packing List contains Affiliate Links for services and products I’m using on my travels – therefore I can highly recommend using them. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees but support me to keep this site running!
ICELAND - the land of FIRE and ICE. We spent a wonderful and adventurous 9 days in Iceland over Labor Day (You can find the blog post here.)
Our time was filled with numerous hikes, beautiful sunsets, and breathtaking views. One of our most memorable experiences was our day with Southcoast Adventures!
ÞÓRSMÖRK SUPERJEEP ADVENTURE:
Spectacular hiking options and adventurous rides over various un-bridged glacial rivers.
Southcoast Adventures Gljúfrabúi base is located down the road from the famous Seljalandsfoss waterfall. There is an amazing campground that is located at this base (Hamragarðar Campsite) that sits below the Gljúfrabúi waterfall. You can park your camper van here for the night while you spend a full day in þórsmörk hiking.
TIP: Spending the night camping at Hamragarðar Campsite allows you to beat the crowds at Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi waterfalls
Our Þórsmörk superjeep adventure started first thing in the morning with a 45 minute drive from Gljúfrabúi base to Þórsmörk, which is the sight of many trail heads.
The drive to Þórsmörk itself is quite entertaining! You’re fording rivers and going over large rocks down one of Iceland’s F-roads all while spotting glaciers and mountains in the distance.
We did several hikes during our time in Þórsmörk valley. The main one that we did was . This is the longest of the most popular ‘short hikes’ in the area (around 10km) usually starting in the canyon valley. We started in Húsadalur and made our way to a delicious lunch at Húsdalur at Volcano Huts cabin. Our guide was Darri and he kept us entertained all day with stories of Icelandic Trolls (The Christmas story was especially entertaining.) and normal day to day life in Iceland.
My husband’s bag was lost for the whole first five days of our trip so we had to cut our hiking day short. Just a heads up, there is no where to buy men’s underwear in Iceland - HaHa! (We finally found some at a local grocery store on night four!)
We had enough time to stop by a small canyon on the way back to Gljúfrabúi base, however. The canyon involves some jumping from rock to rock over a small creek/river. Once inside the canyon, you use this chain that has been bolted into the side of the canyon in order to pull yourself up over a small waterfall to see the much larger waterfall. It was gorgeous!
If I could do this trip all over again, I would spend a couple days in Þórsmörk taking in all the sights and doing multiple hiking trails. Everywhere you turn, the views are incredible and all so different. I would have to say this is probably the most favorite hike that I have ever done.
ABOUT ME:
I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!
I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!
—
Follow me: @thatblondetravels