Water trekking in the Chíllar River
Aquatic route through turquoise waters with pools and caves.
- Nerja
- Easy
- Hiking
- 5 hours
- 5 km
Adeventure in the Chíllar River, Málaga
Do you like hiking? If you do, have you ever tried to do it in the water? Well, that’s just what you get with this experience: a water hiking trek along the Chíllar river, in Málaga. Fascinating, fun and impressive at every step.
Want to find out more?
Water hiking in the Chíllar river in four points
- Enjoy an amazingly entertaining experience with a linear route over water and caves - you'll see beautiful turquoise water pools and lots of local fauna and flora on your way.
- Walk along one of the most famous treks in Málaga and enjoy a refreshing experience walking almost always through the crystalline waters of the river.
- Cross Los Cahorros and admire the fascinatingly spectacular geological formations.
- Be part of a small group with similar tastes and have fun with a guide full of interesting information.
Bonus:
There is the possibility, only upon request, to do this trek in a circular manner. In this case, the route along the river is only done on the way back. On the outbound, we'd take a more physically demanding route. See below for more information.
Check it out, this is what this water hiking trek along the Chíllar River looks like:
This is what’s included in the experience.
- Total duration: 5 hours (transport + linear route).
- Route through the Sierra de Almijara, Tejeda and Alhama Natural Park, walking through the waters of the Chíllar river, which is for the most part ankle-deep.
- Visit a cave formed in the rocks and natural pools where you can take a swim.
- Eco-picnic in the middle of the experience, next to a waterfall.
- Seasoned guide.
- Languages: Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.
- High quality photos and videos shot with a GoPro.
- Transportation from the meeting point in Nerja.
Book now your adventure
Choose if you’re coming solo or with a group, pick a date, fill the form with your details and finish your booking.
If our schedules do not suit your needs, do not hesitate to contact us to check availability
Qué, ¿hay ganas o no?
Y es que esta experiencia de barranquismo en Río Verde, en pleno Parque Natural de la Sierra de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama (cerquita de la frontera entre Málaga y Granada), además de ser una de las más buscadas, es la que más disfrutamos nosotros.
Y no es para menos; todo lo que hemos puesto en esa lista de ahí arriba es verdad. Mira->
Material de calidad
Y homologado. Te damos todo lo necesario para que vivas esta experiencia a tope y de forma segura.
Un guía...
que es más que eso
Queremos que entiendas la zona como lo hacemos nosotros. ¿Guía o amigo? Al final ya veremos 😉
Fotos y vídeos muy cañeros
Fotos y vídeos muy cañeros Desde el primer momento te grabamos vídeos y echamos fotos que puedas llevarte como recuerdo. Con una GoPro.
Ecopicnic final
Cuando acabemos, cervecita y productos de proximidad para recuperar energías… Con el subidón de haber superado el reto.
Is your mouth watering just by reading this description? We thought so! Let’s see what’s included from start to finish.
Here's a sneak peak of this water hiking experience on the Chíllar river.
We meet at the bus station in Nerja at 08:30h (08:00h if it’s Summer). From there we head in our van to the beginning of the Chíllar river to start our adventure in style, having a snack while we tell you everything we will do during the route, which is where the excitement begins.
On our journey we will find a variety of small caves naturally formed in the rocks over millennia by the water (we will even enter one!) and natural pools of turquoise blue water surrounded by vegetation as beautiful as it is lush. Oh, we’ll get to enjoy natural beauty at every step!
The 5 km route (between coming and going, since it is linear) also takes us through Los Cahorros, a completely natural geological formation capable of surprising anyone who dares to cross it due to the amazing beauty. And with your feet in the water… It doesn’t get any better!
That’s what this water hiking trek is like: most of the time we will be walking through water which at most is as deep as our ankles. As you can imagine we will have no problem staying nice and cool. We will be there with you the whole time, so that you will know everything about the mountains that surround us, the natural pools, the native trees, flowers and the songs of the birds.
At the end of the route, we arrive at a beautiful waterfall, where we will enjoy an eco- picnic with drinks and fresh locally sourced snacks before heading back to the van. We will drop you off at the meeting point and later that day (or the following day at the latest) we will send you the photos and videos we have taken with our GoPro, so you will have a great souvenir of this watery experience.
Read what previous adventurers have said about this experience
Those who have already taken the plunge on this water trekking route along the Chíllar river have this to say:
This is what we need from you for this experience
It is simple, but important. Keep reading:
It is a low-medium difficulty route
But with somewhat uneven terrain, with rocks and water, so you have to bring a swimsuit and sneakers (or boots), plus dry clothes and shoes for when you finish. Sandals, crawlers or slippers are not allowed.
If you rather bring your own food and drinks
For the eco-picnic, no worries!
Wallet, cell phone, keys...
If you prefer not to carry them in your backpack, we will keep what you need inside the van.
Do you wear glasses? Bring your contact lenses
And if you can't/don’t have them, make sure you bring something to keep your glasses secured at all times so you don't lose them.
You should arrive at the bus station in Nerja at 08:30h
(08:00h from June through August)
Below are some additional details also included in the experience, but they weren't exciting enough to list above


Environmental permit from the Junta de Andalucía.
You need to have a special permit to enter this area of the Rio Verde. Not just anyone can enter... Well, we do have one 😉
Liability and accident insurance
Required by law; not that we doubt your trekking ability. We provide this for you.


Why book this experience with us ?
Best price guaranteed
You won't find it cheaper anywhere else. It's our experience, remember 😉
Flexible cancellation
Get a refund if something happens (hopefully not!) and you end up being unable to come.
Directly managed by us
For anything related to your reservation. Say goodbye to the middleman.
Is this experience for you?
Sure thing! All kinds of adventurers are welcome:


Groups of friends


Families


Couples


Solo Adventurers
But this is what sets the tone:
This is for you if...
- You'd like to hike through the water and swim in turquoise blue water pools.
- You are in decent physical condition.
- You are looking for a unique way to get to know and enjoy the destination you are traveling to.
And it is not if...
- You don't like ecotourism or nature.
- You don't enjoy small groups.
- You don't take care of the places you visit.
- You are not yet 6 years old (if this is the case and you are reading this, we’d love to meet you in the near future!).
And if you feel like doing it, how do you make it happen?
It’s a very simple process:
You click on the button and complete your reservation
(dates, personal data and the 50€/person payment).
We will confirm immediately with an email
And send you the information about what you have to bring, the schedule, meeting point, etc.
We pick you up at the meeting point
And jump into the van and drive to the starting point of the route.
We enjoy the experience together
Like we were little kids again.
We return you
To the meeting point.
We send you a link with the photos and videos we take
Trust us, you will want to remember this adventure.
We also have this route in a circular version, which has a higher difficulty level
That’s right: the way back (along the Chíllar river) is the same as in the standard experience, but the outbound changes a bit. We leave the river and the route we follow is initially uphill for about 45 minutes on the way towards the mountains, and then we enjoy a 3h hike with vistas of the mountains, the sea, Nerja and Frigiliana. Then we will walk along a beautiful irrigation channel where along the way we will probably see some Iberian goats! At the end of this route, we’ll stop for our eco-picnic, and we’ll have a chance to get into the river and we will return by water hiking for about 3 hours.
The main difference between the original linear route and this one (circular, in this case) is the physical demand of the first section is somewhat higher, as well as the total duration of the experience (the linear route takes 4 hours while the circular takes 7).
This more demanding circular option has a cost of 45€/person and is only available upon request. You can do it from here:


Who is behind all this?
Andalusian adventure guides that our goal is to bring this piece of geography closer to anyone willing to enjoy it in a sustainable and ecological way.
Frequently Asked Questions (yes, there are some)
Not necessarily, but you do need to be in quite good shape. The route is rated low to medium difficulty. However, if you choose the more demanding circular option, it becomes a medium to high level one… in that case you should be in good shape and have some previous hiking experience.
The outbound route is longer, it is done alongside the river and is more physically demanding. The return is along the same trail inside the Chíllar River. Request the circular route here.
Swimsuit or bikini, sneakers (no crab shoes, slippers or sandals), spare footwear (you will get wet), a backpack and clothes in order to change your clothes when we’re done. Although we provide food and drink for the eco-picnic, you are welcome to bring any other snacks or beverages you need. We especially recommend you bring something extra to drink – the water we provide is a half liter plastic water bottle. In short: if you can bring your own drink, all the better (and if it’s in a sustainable container, that would be peeeeerfect).
Nope. You will have to be at the bus station in Nerja at 08:30h (08:00h in June, July and August). If you want us to pick you up in Málaga or elsewhere, that comes with an extra cost.
This route is organized upon request only, usually on Wednesdays. The circular route is on Mondays.
Yes, about 10 people more or less. We prefer small groups to get to really know our adventurers, and that is impossible when there are too many people. There is also the option to make the experience totally private; you just have to ask us.
If you let us know 5 days in advance or more, yes: the full amount. And if it is due to a medical reason, if you give us proof of cancellation, we will refund the money even if you don’t let us know 5 days in advance.
Of course. We will make you a voucher, so you can surprise whoever you want
So there you have it: dare to do some water trekking in this Natural Park?