Elías Bendodo informs that the number of visitors to the natural beauty spot will have exceeded 100,000 by the end of summer. 'This is much higher than it was forecast', he added.

Since the new boardwalks were opened last March 28th, more than 9,000 people have gone across the Gaitanes Gorge.

Besides Spain, most visits to the site caminitodelrey.info come from the USA, followed by Germany, UK, Italy and France.

The County Council invests 1.19m euros in widening of a 2.7km-long section of the road from Ardales to El Chorro. Soon, other four kilometres of the same road are to be improved as well.

The first visitors who registered on caminitodelrey.info, go along the boardwalks at the Gaitanes Gorge on this historic day for the province.

Mr Bendodo praises 'a huge international interest' that has been aroused by this tourist and natural spot, and he underlines that the annual profit of the path will be 20m euros.

Besides the service offered by shuttle buses which connect the two entrance points, there is the transport service provided by the Town Councils of Álora and Ardales to the path as well.

County Council president ElíasBendodo says that it is going to have a positive ROI in less than a month and a half.

Tourists, whose average stay is two days long, will spend 65 euros a day, while average expenses in the case of hikers will be 26 euros.