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I have noted with great anticipation that the refurbished Caminito Del Rey will open this week. The opening was originally scheduled for today, but has been delayed because Spain is in mourning for the recent air tragedy.

I would like to go there with my son and his friend, both 10, possibly a group of a dozen during Easter break in two weeks. I do NOT want to walk the full 4 km of the path, instead just along on the board-walk for maybe 200 meters, have a view, have a snack, take some pictures, and then return to the control point. Strike it off the bucket list and provide a thrilling memory for the children.

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The board-walk part is acceptably safe. The part beyond the board-walk requires sportsman-level fitness and a passion for adrenaline.

The question: Is there a minimum age threshold? Common sense says there must be and it would be a shame to go all that way and get turned back. The booking part of the site is in Spanish and perhaps there is info there, but it doesn't seem to work with Google Chrome.

Adding 26 March 2015

We have previously been on the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which I am assuming is comparable...

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  • The site you linked says: "Agregar hasta cuatro acompañantes (se aceptan menores de edad a partir de 8 años)" or "Add up to four companions (children 8 years and over are accepted)". This was in the popup that appeared when clicking "Pasos para realizar la reserva". – Michael Hampton Mar 28 '15 at 9:45
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Firstly, the minimum age for children is 8 years so the kids of 10 will be allowed to go on the pathway. T he walk is linear, meaning you start at one end and finish at the other. You can't go halfway for example and then turn around.

There is some easier to understand information and instructions about how to reserve in English at www.caminodelrey.es

For the months of April and May there are now no spaces left on the Camino and the reservation calendar for June and July hasn't been published yet.

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    The site clearly says: "Agregar hasta cuatro acompañantes (se aceptan menores de edad a partir de 8 años)" – Michael Hampton Mar 28 '15 at 9:43
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There are several mentions of minors amongst the FAQ's but perhaps the most conclusive is:

Moreover, children and dependent minors must be under supervision of parents or a legal guardian at all times during the route.

There are various requirements that are not typical of a tourist spot so reading up on a proposed visit seems advisable. No toilets, passport details required, no catering facilities (eat either before or after the walk, even though that might be 4 - 5 hours long), obligatory safety wear ...

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    I think you may be slightly misreading the rules. Passport details are required (which actually isn't so unusual for Spanish nature reserves which limit visitors to a certain number), but the bit about insurance is actually saying that the ticket includes insurance which covers you for anything which isn't your fault. – Peter Taylor Jul 4 '15 at 20:38
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Neithe the official Spanish tourist page or the English official site's FAQ mention children - the main focus is on fitness really.

It's worth noting that traditionally, it's been noted as Spain's most dangerous hike, which would normally not be a good idea to take kids on.

However, the photo of how it looks in 2014 shows an easy boardwalk path, plus safety rails, so I suspect there's now very little problem with walking out on it with children under supervision. Naturally keep them away from the edge. Also, it appears to be free for the first few months, so get in while you can!

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    @pnuts That's physically carry, as in on your shoulders, I presume. – lambshaanxy Mar 26 '15 at 9:57
  • Wait. Are you saying even the board-walk is too dangerous? – Gayot Fow Mar 26 '15 at 12:17
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You can't just get to the boardwalk. You have to walk either 2.7km from the Northern Access point to the Boardwalk...and then back again or 2.1km from the southern access point to the boardwalk and back again. 5km walk at least!

Also plenty of info in English here:

http://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/5243/frequent-questions

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    I could not find an answer to a minimum age threshold to walk Caminito del Rey in the link you provided, so I'm afraid, that doesn't answer the question. – gmauch Mar 26 '15 at 14:00
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    @gmauch: Although this answer doesn't give a hard minimum age threshold, it indicates that there may be a practical age threshold - if the kids aren't used to walking 5km (or the parents can't carry them for that distance), you can't really do that excursion. – Jonas Mar 26 '15 at 14:28
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    The link is useful (and the upvotes confirm that) and give some nice insights about Caminito del Rey for the english-speaking audience. Perhaps there is no age restrictions, like Mark Mayo's answer (travel.stackexchange.com/a/45220/24596) points, so as an answer to the specific age-restriction question, I think Mark Mayo's is a better fit. – gmauch Mar 26 '15 at 17:48
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I have just come back from there and yes, you can take children 8 years and above. I am definitely returning with the kids. You can however visit on the day as I met an American couple who knew nothing about the walk and wanted to do it on the spot. They managed to buy tickets at the restaurant at the start of the north access of Andreles. I visited El Churro 25-27/5/15.

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