The walk through the river Rio Chillar
The river walk at the Rio Chillar is a popular destination in Nerja. The trail leads through the Chillar River, which flows through Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Nature Reserves. On your journey, you will go through a marble gorge, bathe in natural created pools and encounter a great waterfall. At high temperatures just the right cooling trip for hikers.
That’s what you will need for your hike on the Rio Chillar
Before starting the hike, you have to get the right equipment. That’s a very important thing for this trip. The next hours will definitely be wet! Most parts of the route take you straight into the River Chillar, where you’ll be up to your ankles in water. Get sturdy footwear with a thick sole that can get wet and dirty. Best choices are sport sneakers or hiking boots. A large number of stones in the river makes it hard and uncomfortable to walk on this long tour. My brother had thin-soled bathing shoes and was struggling on the way back. To prevent any abrasions from slipping in a wet shoe, you should also pack thick socks. I recommend hiking socks, as they are well padded at the sensitive areas.
You are in constant contact with the water and should store your valuables, such as money, mobile phone, and camera in a water-repellent bag or right equipment.
Your constant companion should be the sunscreen. You will be exposed to the sun for a few hours and you should protect yourself from it.
Hiking season and the dangers
In summer the water level is low and the river becomes accessible to hikers. During this time, the gates open for young and old for a great adventure. Start your walk in the morning. The tour can take up to six hours.
During storm and rain, a lot of water can fall from the sky in a short time. This fills up the river and can make the trip dangerous. In this case, keep an eye on the weather and check the weather at the beginning of your journey.
Getting there and Parking
There is a public and free parking for hikers north of Nerja in the street “Calle Mirto”.
From there it’s a 15 minutes walk to the entrance of the nature park. The path leads you under a large motorway bridge. You’ll know you’re right when the hanging shoes on the power poles meet you. They say that a hanging pair of shoes on a power pole means that there are drugs for sale in this house. I doubt it that it should serve this purpose here. At this point, it looks like a fun trend that many have followed. Follow the road until it ends at a barrier. From here, the trail starts to the Rio Chillar.
Update: The community has done a great cleanup and removed the trash and shoes. It is asked to take garbage and personal belongings back home.
The hiking trail
The tour can be divided into two sections. The first section is easy to walk on and is suitable for everyone. It starts in a gorge and takes you to the Rio Chillar in about 30 minutes. At the river, it’s starting to get wet. The plants become denser and the surrounding area forms a gorge. After about 1.5 hours you will reach the first big highlight of your tour. You can walk through a beautifully shaped gorge of marble. The Spaniards say to this natural spectacle “Los Cahorros”.
Here you can make great pictures. The close cliffs shimmer through the sunlight in great colors. At the end of the gorge, the hiking trail surprises you with a beautiful natural pool. Here you can enjoy the first cool down and take your first break. A good endpoint if you are hiking with toddlers. The water points are low up here and the river is still very well accessible and not too steep.
If you want to see more natural pools and the worth seeing waterfall, you have to do another 1.5 hours on this path. This means that you have to prepare for a six-hour hike back home. The water gets higher towards the end and there are steep climbs that need a bit of skill. Big obstacles are not present, but a few rocks can be challenging for toddlers or seniors.
If you decide to take the next step, you will end up with a very idyllic hike to a great waterfall. It is surrounded by dammed water holes, which look like small natural pools. The plants and flowers on the river create a wonderful scenery. Finally, treat yourself to a massage at the waterfall and cool off before returning home. If the tour is not too long and too adventurous for you, I can really recommend the way to the waterfall.
The trail at the Rio Chillar is a beautiful and great hike for the summer months. With good equipment and weather, you can spend a wonderful time at the adjacent natural park of Nerja. The trail offers variety for young and old. The highlight of the hike is the waterfall with the surrounding natural pools. For hiking lovers and nature enthusiasts a must.
Do you have any other tips for a trip to Rio Chillar in Nerja?
Have you already gained experience on this hike? Are there any other helpful tips that might help with this hike? I would be happy to hear from you in the comments.
Do you have any unanswered questions on this subject? Then just write me in the comments and I will answer them in the best possible way for you.
Newsletter & Social Media
You want to be informed about new blog posts? Then subscribe to my newsletter. You will receive news from the Nerja Blog once a month and stay up to date. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook.
Read more
The best activities in Nerja for summer and winter
The 10 most beautiful cities in Andalusia around Nerja
