COVID-19
The excursion along the Nerja river (Chillar) and bathing in its pools are totally prohibited.
The Nerja river walk, or the “Cahorros” as it is known in Nerja is an excursion, that requires a certain level of preparation, up the Chillar river. I would say this excursion is a medium difficulty walk, though if you wish to only reach the first pool then it’s considerably easier and more people can take on this part of the walk.
You will always be surrounded by water, trees and local flora. Also you will enjoy the relaxing sounds of the birds of the area.
It is important to know that the Nerja Town Hall does not promote this walk. A protection and conservation protocol has been introduced by the Junta de Andalucia to fight fires in the area and soon another protocol which regulates the use of the area will be introduced. This is to regulate, as much as possible, bad use of the environment.
It is a FREE natural park and you do not need any kind of license to do this walk (up to today). Because of this, you should know how important conservation of this area is.
The Nerja river walk (Río chillar) – What you should know
The Nerja river walk (Río Chillar) – What you should take
On top of what I have already told you about this excursion, I also recommend:
- Footwear: You should choose comfortable sporty footwear that can get wet, and that will protect your ankle. Keep in mind that you are going to walk on wet and slippery stones. We do not recommend using flip-flops or sandals!! We also do not recommend using mountain shoes because when they get wet they become very heavy, It is important to know that it is prohibited to throw your shoes onto the electricity line after you have completed the walk.
- Hiking staff: One of these could come in handy at certain parts of the walk, especially the slippery parts. Not mandatory though.
- Suncream and a hat: Highly recommended, especially in July and August. It is a long walk and the sun is always present.
- Food, water, sport drinks: You should pack very well before you set off because you will be in the middle of nature.
- Camera: Don’t forget your camera or smartphone, take lots of pictures with the local flora so you can treasure this moment forever.
- Bag or waterproof bag: I recommend the later because, although the water will never cover you completely, you may slip and you don’t want your personal belonging (or food!) to get wet.
Pro tip: You will have to carry whatever you put in your bag the whole distance, so try and spread everything out with the other members of your group.
Map of the Rio Chillar walk
The Nerja river walk (Río Chillar) – Cahorros – Vado de Los Patos
Now that you have read everything you should know about the walk, and you are sure about what you are going to take with you on the walk it’s my turn to describe the walk to you.
I will let know that although there are a few kilometers to cover, the walk is very satisfying. The scenery you will take in during the walk is more than worth the effort.
I am going to describe the walk up to “Vado de Los Patos”, but you should know that when you reach this point you can actually continue until you arrive at the “dam” or the “Imán” country house. The route from the river to the dam is a considerably longer walk that requires more effort and climbing skills. (We will cover this walk in another article in the future).
If you wish to take part in this excursion, the Nerja river walk then I recommend that you park your car in one of the two free car parks that are very close to the walk. Parking is forbidden all along the Almachares road and police cars often pass by and fine those who didn’t obey the laws.
You don’t want to find that you have been fined when you get back to your car, do you?
Almijara – Market car park
I hope this article helped you on your Nerja river walk excursion (Río Chillar). I’m sure that you will have a fantastic day with your friends or family in a natural environment. And the best part about it is that you will be doing some sport too.
