Cristina Hodgson
THE Caminito del Rey is set to enhance safety by installing a weather station provided by Spain’s Met Office, AEMET.
This move aims to provide more accurate weather data for the iconic walkway which frequently has to close due to safety concerns caused by high temperatures or strong winds.
Additionally, the installation of this new weather station will provide the AEMET with additional data sources for statistics in the province.
According to Cristobal Ortega, Vice President of Infrastructure and Sustainable Territory at the Malaga Provincial Council and Deputy for Environment, Interior Tourism and Climate Change, the creation of a Comprehensive Safety and Health Management System (SGISS) has been in the pipeline for some time with the aim of addressing various risks such as geological, forest fires, biotic, natural, and climatic factors.
An official weather station, as part of this system, will provide precise climate data for the Caminito del Rey, enabling informed decision-making with a focus on minimising weather-related risks, particularly during summer and windy periods, to prioritise visitor safety.
“For us, visitor safety is paramount,” Ortega said, adding that whenever AEMET issues an orange warning in the Guadalhorce area, ‘despite the inconvenience it causes to visitors, we close the facilities,’ underlining the importance of accurate data.
It is expected that the weather station could be operational between the end of this month and early October.
Efforts to minimise risks at the Caminito del Rey extend to geological hazards, with collaboration from various institutions including the University of Granada, the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, the University of Jaen, and the Catalonia Technological Telecommunication Centre.
For forest fire risk mitigation, collaboration with Infoca is underway, while Civil Protection is involved in addressing natural risks.
Additionally, the treatment of biotic risks is jointly managed with the Territorial Delegation in Malaga of the Ministry of Sustainability, Environment, and Blue Economy, with workgroups developing action protocols for these situations.
It’s worth noting that the Caminito del Rey is a rehabilitated infrastructure designed for active tourism in a natural environment, where visitors accept a certain level of risk and physical effort.
READ MORE:
- Did you know? 5 curiosities about the Caminito del Rey in Spain
- Blistering heat sees Spain’s most popular hiking trail ‘El Caminito del Rey’ closed TODAY
