Hiking Rio Verde, Otívar, in Granada province is a must in the Andalusian summer heat. Tucked within the lush and insanely mesmerizing Sierra de la Almijara, the Rio Verde forms a myriad of water pools and waterfalls at the bottom of a ravine, making it a refreshing summer escape.
Whether you want to do the entire hike or just stop at the first swimming holes to swim and relax for the day, Rio Verde is a fantastic escapade.
This hiking guide takes you past hanging bridges and swimming spots to the big waterfall, where you’ll return the same way.
Note that this hike is on private land and there’s an entry fee before driving to the parking areas. Read on to prepare your trip without any surprises!
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I just want to specify that this is the hiking guide for Rio Verde in Otívar, Granada, and not Rio Verde in Istán to Charco del Canalón in Malaga.
I’m Linn Haglund, the face behind Andalucia Hiking. I’m an avid hiker and after calling Andalucia home for over 10 years, I’ve covered my share of peaks, ravines, rivers, and valleys across all 8 provinces. I’m here to help you navigate this incredible region with thorough hiking guides, hiking tips, and gear recommendations.
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Table of Contents
Practical information
- Province: Granada
- Mountain range: Sierra de la Almijara
- Length: 4.5 km
- Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes, but you’ll likely spend the whole day on the trail swimming!
- Elevation: 222 meters
- Route: Linear return
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Hiking season: All year round (it might be closed for 2 months during winter)
- Limited entries: Max 100 vehicles can enter at a time
- Winter visits: From October to April, call in advance on phone: +34 680 493 629
- Hiking with dogs: yes, but avoid the pine processionary caterpillar season as there are pine trees on the route.
- Fee: 5 EUR per vehicle + 5 EUR per person
- Opening hours: 09:00-18:00 (July-August 8:00-20:00)
- Wikiloc recording
How to get to the Rio Verde trailhead
Driving inland from Almuñecar, you’ll pass the tiny village of Otívar. Shortly after, there is a small road to the left where you’ll see a little yellow building through a gate saying Private property. This is the ticket booth, so don’t miss the left turn!
Stop the car outside the ticket booth and enter to pay. It’s 5 euros per vehicle + 5 euros per person. They take both cash and cards.
After you pay, continue down the road. It’s about 7 kilometers of narrow, windy, and mostly dirt road. It starts off fine, but gets a bit uneven as you advance down the valley.
Before you reach the parking areas (which are on the LEFT side of the road, indicated by a person guiding you where to park), you’ll pass a gate, and the road gets even narrower.
There are 5 parking areas, and the parking guard will tell you which one you can park at. Note that you’re NOT allowed to park on the right side of the road, only on the indicated slots on the left side.
I recorded this Wikiloc route, so you can choose to follow the driving route to the trailhead.
FOLLOW MY WIKILOC RECORDING OF THE TRAIL
When is the best time to hike
Rio Verde in Otívar is open all year round; however, the staff at the ticket booth told me that they close for 2 months during the winter months.
Additionally, during the winter months, please call this number, +34 680 493 629, before you visit. They will tell you whether they’re open or not (If I don’t recall wrong, December is closed, and either November or January).
That said, the Rio Verde in Otívar is without a doubt a summer hike! The many pools and waterfalls make it too tempting to get in for the colder months, says I, who hasn’t been in the winter.
My assumption aside, this hike is all on dry land and there’s no need to enter the water (despite my little venture on the accompanying recorded Wikiloc trail – just follow the same trail I did on the return!)
Despite being a bit hard to get to, Rio Verde is a very popular route, and if I were to avoid any time of the summer, it would be weekends and the month of August when the locals take their vacation.
What to bring
The hike itself isn’t that long, but trust me, while you’re there, at least in the summer, I’m pretty sure you’ll spend 4-7 hours easily on the trail and in the swimming pools.
Bring enough water and food/snacks so you don’t run out of energy. Water is especially important, and keep in mind that there’s a long drive on the dirt road back up to civilization before you get to a place where you can buy anything to drink when you return.
This hike requires good footwear. In summer, when you’ll likely be swimming and maybe even walking short sections in the water if you opt for it, I highly recommend a pair of sturdy water hiking shoes. You can check out my top picks here.
I also recommend bringing a waterproof backpack or dry bag for your stuff, in case you venture out on a little swimming venture like we did on our last hike there.
But also at the last waterfall, I feel like it’s best to have something that doesn’t get wet (alternatively, just bring a miniature dry bag for your phone and car keys).
Obviously, make sure you wear hiking clothes that dry fast, that you can swim with, or swimwear under it, so you can strip down at the waterholes. I always bring a towel in my pack, but I hardly ever use it because it’s so hot in the air. But I think you might need it outside the hottest season.
THINGS TO BRING
- lunch
- fruit or other snack
- water
- hat/caps
- swimwear
- towel
Where to stay
Otívar is a very small village, but there are some private rentals you can book for a night or two. However, if you plan on staying in the area a bit longer, I highly recommend Almuñecar. It’s a lovely city with plenty to do and see.
I’ve stayed at both these hotels and loved them!
Hotel Helios Costa Tropical – The hotel is located on the beachfront of Almuñecar’s Playa de San Cristobál within a short walk from the old town and has a nice pool area.
Hotel Toboso Almuñécar – The hotel is more central than the above, but not on the beach side. I still enjoyed it, it was newly renovated, and there’s also a small pool that I didn’t use.
Hiking Rio Verde, Otívar
The Rio Verde, Otívar, hike starts at the end of the dirt road you drive down. It depends on where you get a parking spot along the road, on how long you have to walk before reaching the trail.
There’s an iron bridge crossing the river shortly after the last parking spots on your right, it says private property.
Don’t cross this bridge.
Continue past it, and the trail will soon wind down into the canyon and soon cross a patch of river, where you most likely will get wet feet, unless you balance on some rocks.
Going in the summer, I always enjoy cooling down my feet here before entering a forest trail to the first swimming pools.
Once you reach the first swimming opportunity, I highly recommend getting in if you’re hiking in the summer. Otherwise, the ascent awaiting you in a few minutes can get extremely hard.
Shortly after crossing the river and a popular cliff jumping spot, you’ll cross the first hanging bridge. After crossing the hanging bridge, you’ll encounter a mean climb taking you high above the river, and the heat usually beats like the flames of a fireplace up there.
On my last Rio Verde hike, I forgot about this, and we got waayy too hot and had to use our drinking water to cool down our heads and necks.
Before starting the descent toward the river, make sure you stop at the viewpoint to take in the majestic natural surroundings!
Once you get down to the river again, there’s a nice little waterhole to cool down before continuing on the trail.
If you follow my Wikiloc recording, you’ll see that I did a section in the river a little bit further ahead, but followed the trail on the way back.
This was a section with water until my neck (I’m not that tall), but you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to. It’s surely not a part of the official trail!
If you don’t have a waterproof backpack, I especially recommend following the marked trail, which will take you above the river.
There are a couple of sections where you’ll notice how important your choice of shoes was, so I’ll say it again: make sure you wear good footwear!
I’ve always stopped the hike at the big waterfall (pictured below) and turned around after I’ve finished playing around in the water, but the path continues if you feel like hiking for longer. Next time I go, I might check it out and make a Wikiloc recording for the trail further ahead.
Getting down to the waterholes under the waterfall is a little tricky, but you’ll figure it out.
Make sure you watch the time, as you need to start driving out of the natural park half an hour before closing hours so you get out of the gate in time.
OTHER RIVER HIKES IN GRANADA
- Los Cahorros de Monachil
- Ruta de los Bolos, Dúrcal
- Barranco de la Luna, Saleres
- Ruta del Gollizno, Moclín
Reflections on hiking Rio Verde in Otívar
Summing up, hiking Rio Verde in Otívar is well worth the long and bumpy drive down there (and not to mention the drive back up the valley!)
It’s not a summer hike you go and do and return. It’s the kind of hike you enjoy, spending time in the waterholes before you continue.
Happy hiking!