Rio Claro Canyon

The Rio Claro cuts through a belt of marble and limestone in the hot lowland east of Medellin, and the result is a gorge of pale, water-polished rock with a river so clear that you can count the stones on the bottom from the bank. The reserve along it has cabins built into the forest, a stretch of easy whitewater for rafting, and the Caverna de los Guacharos, a river cave inhabited by oilbirds, entered partly by wading and swimming with a guide and a headlamp. Since it sits on the main highway, it works as a stop between Medellin and Bogota rather than a detour.

What you actually see

• The marble gorge - white polished rock walls above clear green water.
• The Guacharos cave - a river cave with oilbirds, entered by wading and swimming.
• Rafting and tubing - easy whitewater on the clear river.
• The forest cabins - open-sided lodges built into the canyon walls.

When to go

December to March and July to August are drier, which matters because heavy rain upstream turns the clear river brown and can close the cave for days. Book cave trips ahead in high season, since group sizes are limited. Weekends and Colombian holidays fill the cabins. It is hot and humid at this altitude in every month.

Honest expectations

The cave trip means swimming in cold water through a dark passage with bats and birds overhead, and people regularly turn back at the entrance. Rocks in and out of the water are slippery and falls are common. The reserve is popular with Medellin weekenders, so the river can be busy and noisy. Mosquitoes and sandflies are persistent all day.

Nearby

Doradal, the Magdalena river valley and the towns along the Medellin to Bogota highway.