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Tiptoe along the 'world's scariest footpath' online

Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones - [email protected]
Tiptoe along the 'world's scariest footpath' online
You can now explore the "world's most dangerous path" from the comfort of your own home. Photo: Jorge Guerrero/AFP

Google Streetview has launched a new project which allows people to explore "the world's most dangerous footpath" in southern Spain from the comfort of home.

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El Caminito del Rey was closed 14 years ago when five people died walking along the wooden walkway, but was reopened in March 2015 after extensive repairs.

The walkway, which hugs the cliff side of the El Chorro gorge, near Álora, Málaga, is one metre wide and 7.7km long.

Tickets to walk the path are free, but require advanced booking. Spokesman for Malaga Tourist Board, Gustavo Ballesteros, told The Local that 33,000 tickets had been reserved before the footpath's grand re-opening in March. 

But for those who want to explore the beautiful gorge without the risk of suffering a nasty case of vertigo, you can now do so online. 

The Google Earth project was completed with "the trekker", a backpack with a camera system on top, which allows camera operators to move through small spaces that are only accessible on foot.

The job of collecting the images was carried out with the help of the inhabitants of Valle de Abdalajís, a village of around 2,600 people 50km from Málaga as well as with the team from Spanish television programme "Volando Voy", presented by Spanish mountaineer, Jesús Calleja.

The Spanish adventurer spoke of his anguish in April over his many Sherpa friends who remained lost after a devastating earthquake hit Nepal. 

Google announced it would be adding 50 of Spain’s wonders to its streetview back in December 2014. Sites included the Alhambra, the famed Moorish hilltop fort in Granada, and Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia. 

Video showing the state of the Caminito del Rey before it was repaired. 

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