James Warren
Malaga’s second Caminito del Rey welcomes a new addition in the form of a 54 metre suspension bridge on a section of the popular Gran Senda de Malaga hiking trail.
The 70 metre high structure has been years in the making, and will finally be opened to the public at 12pm this Sunday.
The bridge will join Canillas de Aceitunas with its neighbouring Sedella across the Almachares riverbed, and will form part of stage 7 of the popular route.
Large areas of the 650 kilometre trail have seen many improvements in recent years, with many parts of the Axarquia portion of the route receiving brand new metal walkways allowing walkers to traverse the steep rocky cliff faces.
The bridge was the result of an investment of €600,000, and it is hoped that the tourist attraction will bring much needed revenue to the area.
President of the Malaga Provincial Council, Francisco Salado praised the local council of Canillas de Aceitunas, specifically mayor Vicente Campos, who was instrumental in the creation of the project.
Salado also detailed the unique challenges that the construction team faced in completing the mammoth structure.
Modern transport solutions such as helicopters and zip lines were used alongside some more traditional methods such as the use of mules to carry smaller loads.
As with most projects, the aim is to generate tourism numbers and to bring more employment to the area to handle the increased footfall. It is estimated that 2 million adventurers take on sections of the Gran Senda every year.
