Rio Verde - the whole way

This is another post going over some walks from our recent holiday walking in the hills of Andalucia with Pure High Walking Holidays Spain. The holiday was a mix of various walks in the mountains with days chilling out in the village or touring the region a bit more visiting the sights of the Alhambra, Alhama de Granada and elsewhere.   


Of course, we had been here before.  Memories of this place had haunted me all year.  I remember the colours  - pure white rock and pristine blue skies - the ibex, the perfect green/blue waters in the river.

Coming back had been an aim of returning to Andalucia with John. 

We met John at  his apartment in Nerja and then headed along the motorway to Almunecar, before turning left.  We were in two cars, us following him, the idea being to leave one car lower down the river and walk back to it from the other.

We went north, up the fertile valley watered by the Rio Verde, always climbing past Jete and then Otivar, before we twisted on serious hairpins higher and higher, as the stunning views opened up.

We left his car in a layby and he jumped in with us as we carried on up the hills to find the parking place.  We got out and got ready, soaking in the scenery.  It is an amazing place.  I cannot understand how this place is so under appreciated.  For some reason it doesn't feature in many guidebooks.  After briefly looking at the information board we took off down the path.

It was  a year since I had been here last, but I had thought of this place often.  It had sustained me, through some long hard days.  So it felt familiar, as if I had been here much more recently.

This first stretch of path is wonderful you suddenly enter a different world, ridges appearing and deep valleys falling below you.    It is special.

There is a point where a bit of rock juts out into the air, a small path cutting off up it.  We hopped out up there and looked over the world below us.  What a place.

Then it was back on the path as it cut down into the valley of the Rio Verde and the too perfect pool of water which falls over the petrified trees.  We revisited the cave behind the waterfall, taking doomed photos of the geology.


We chilled here for a while taking it all in.  John took some video for his website.  Marian explored the cave.  I was just stunned by it all - all of it.  Even the amazing little lizard hiding under my bag.

We carried on, this was where it was different from last year.  We were not returning to the road in a big loop, but going along the whole length of this river.  After the waterfalls which had cut through the limestone cliffs, we  climbed high above the river, looking over the steep cliffs opposite, sometimes spotting ibex in the greenery.

Then it was down on a fine path to the river below, where we had lunch.  I took my shoes off and paddled in the water.  It was a paradise.  

After eating we carried on along the river.  Crossing it back and forth.  Sometimes struggling up mossy paths through undergrowth.  Sometimes, crossing the river on adventurous bridges.

Again we climbed high above the river.  Looking down it was obvious that there was no way along it down there.  We found constructed platforms high on the hill looking out over the surrounding landscape.  John checked the position on the crap Spanish map.

And we were off down again to find the river, finally meeting a spot where John had been before on a trip from the other end of this walk and we headed off through a majestic gorge back out towards the road.

The fun was not over as we had to climb up a hillside which had become overgrown with thorns and scrub since John's last reconnaissance visit.

Marian picked up a good few scratches on the trip back to the road, but she was OK with that.

Coming up through an olive grove we found the car.

It had been a full day.  Challenging but with such a variety of views and  terrain.

I love this place.

I have not expressed myself well in this post.   This was a long and varied day in amazing landscape which does't come across well in these photos.  Words are not well capturing this one.

After cleaning ourselves up we got in John's car and then climbed the hill back to our car.  It took a good 15 minutes or so to get there and we passed some paragliders, launching themselves off into this magical sky and swooping around.

A good day.