The Guadalteba comarca is most easily reached by car. The AP-46 motorway connects the area with Málaga in about an hour, passing through the Chorro gorge. Antequera is 30 minutes to the northeast on the A-343.
There is a railway station at El Chorro (on the Málaga–Ronda–Algeciras line), which stops at the entrance to the Garganta del Chorro and the Caminito del Rey. Several trains a day run from Málaga, and the journey takes about an hour. This is a useful option if you are coming specifically for El Caminito del Rey, as the shuttle bus at the far end can drop you back at El Chorro station.
Buses serve Ardales and Cañete la Real from Málaga, but services are infrequent and the schedules do not always suit day-trippers. A hire car gives you far more flexibility for exploring the reservoirs and villages.