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Walking down from Altos de Chavón to the Río Chavón sounds like a really wonderful idea – and it really is a rather nice experience, but for one tiny problem – walking back up!
Once again in search of great photographs and in pursuit of new things to do around and about Casa de Campo, Philip Silvestri (founder and CEO of Silgon Inc., Marketing, Web Development & Publishing Services) and I (editor of Casa de Campo Living, TODO Casa de Campo and CasaLife), took what we imagined would be a leisurely stroll from Altos de Chavón down to the Río Chavón.
The start of the pathway down to the Río Chavón
The path starts from just behind/to the side of the Dye Fore Pro Shop, where a mysterious stone pathway lurks in amongst the trees and is marked by a stone entrance and it is from here that our adventure and descent down to the Río Chavón (the Chavón river) began.
The first part of the path is a gently sloping stone walkway lined on both sides by trees, there is also a quaint stone bridge, a glimpse of the beautiful view of the river and even a small rest stop. About half way down, the path becomes a stone stairway, completely enclosed by the forest (which keeps it nice and cool) and in no time we found ourselves at a small opening right on the river bank. The walk down took probably only about 10 minutes – at a pretty slow pace, because I stopped to take photos every few steps.
Upon arrival we were rewarded by a beautiful view – both up and down stream, but undoubtedly the best vista was looking back towards Altos de Chavón, which we could actually see perched atop of the cliff. From what we have heard, as well as photo-taking (our primary aim for the outing) this is also a great place for fishing.
The pathway ends at the Río Chavón
Getting back up to Altos de Chavón…well it was steep on the way down (the last part anyway), so unsurprisingly it was steep on the way back up. I think the walk back up actually took us less time than going down – because we went fast to get it over with! But the steep stairs, certainly left us a little out of breath (which I am loathed to admit).
Was is worth it? In my opinion yes it was, Philip on the other had was a little less enthusiastic!
TIP: Wear sneakers, long pants and long sleeves – the path is good, but it is a bit steep and there are mosquitos, so covering up is recommended. I would also suggest taking a bottle of water or two, or even a few beers…..
IMPORTANT: The pathway down to the Río Chavón is CLOSED after 6pm.