Unknown to tourists, Chima Waterfalls (Cascadas de Chima) are an off-the-beaten track adventure in Santander, Colombia and this guide helps you discover them.
one of the best things about speaking the language of the country you’re visiting is that you’re able to find out about hidden gems that your average tourist can’t.
One of Santander, Colombia’s best kept secrets is Chima Waterfalls (Cascadas de Chima) and I was able to explore these impressive, but elusive cascades thanks to a local friend, Andres, who spilt the beans.
Although not the easiest to get to, Chima Waterfalls are well worth visiting and, in this guide, I make it easy for you by providing all the necessary information.
Where are Chima Waterfalls
The falls lie a 45 min walk outside of Chima, a tiny municipality in the remote Santander countryside 3 h 30 min from San Gil. Chima Waterfalls are nestled in a forest-clad gorge and are fed by the Rio Suárez.
The walk from Chima to Chima Waterfalls
This is roughly a 45 min trek for the average walker and there are some steep sections, but nothing too tricky. The Strava map below shows the exact route I took.
While the location of Chima Waterfalls appears correctly in Google Maps, the default route it provides is wrong, so don’t use Google Maps to get to the waterfalls.
Leave Chima heading east following Calle 5. It won’t take long before you come to a house sitting on a fork in the road; here you need to head left.
Stick to the dirt road you’re on until you come to a farm. I believe this farm is called San Antonio, but you should double-check with someone in Chima.
The road ends at the farm but you’ll see a trail that bears right. It’s a little tricky to notice at first, but this is a public trail and you need to follow it to continue.
The trail runs along the top of steep farm fields and you’ll see plenty of cows. You’ll also come to several sets of blue gates which you need to hop over.
After the final set of blue gates, as I started the descent to the falls, I came to a point where there’d been what looked like a small landslide. Farmers had put up a barbed wire fence to stop cows from falling here.
I thought the landslide had swept away the trail, so I hopped the barbed wire fence to continue. However, it could be that I took a wrong turn beforehand, so I recommend having a quick look to see if there’s another way to continue down the hillside.
As you descend the hillside bear left towards the trees, enter the forest and you’ll find a narrow dirt trail. This trail leads you to the first and tallest of Chima Waterfalls.
Chima Waterfalls
There are four waterfalls in total, differing in size and power, running along the gorge. Aside from the first waterfall, to reach each one, you need to walk along the hillside and then climb down into the gorge (it’s only a few metres).
Careful when climbing down into the gorge as some of the trees have large thorns which could cause damage.
First waterfall
This is the tallest and most impressive of the four falls. The water crashes from 50 m into a small, shallow pool below. You can wade in the pool and climb onto the large rock at the edge of it.
I don’t recommend getting too close to the falling water nor climbing the rocks to the side of it as they’re probably slippery. To get up to this waterfall from the trail, you’ll need to climb over a short rocky section.
To get to the other falls, you need to cross the shallow river flowing away from the first waterfall. Crossing the river takes you to the other side of the gorge where you can walk along the hillside and choose where to climb down to each of the other three falls.
Second waterfall
This waterfall is a lot smaller than the first, I’d guess around 4 m tall, but it’s beautiful. The powerful stream of water flows over the wide falls and you can even sit under it on the rocks at the base.
There are also pretty rock pools here which you can get in.
Third waterfall
This waterfall is the second tallest, but I’d say the least impressive – at least during the dry season, which is when I visited Chima.
If I had to guess, I’d say the falls are about 20 m tall, but after little rainfall the stream of water is weak and pool at the base shallow. You can also get really close to this waterfall by climbing the rocks near its base.
Fourth waterfall
This is the smallest of Chima Waterfalls but it’s by far the most idyllic. The waterfall is only around 2 m tall but a steady stream of water flows over it and into a big pool at its base.
You can swim in the pool, which is tucked away at the bottom of the gorge, surrounded by plants and trees. To get to this final waterfall, continue past the third waterfall via the hillside for a few more minutes.
What to bring to Chima Waterfalls
You don’t need to bring too much to visit Chima Waterfalls:
- Water – at least 2.5 L to stay hydrated while walking to and from the falls and for after swimming.
- Food – I’d bring lunch to eat at the falls and a couple of snacks for the walk.
- Sunscreen – the trail to the falls is largely exposed and so are the waterfalls.
- Towel
- Swimming shorts/bikini
- Trainers – sporty shoes you don’t mind getting wet as there are lots of rocks you have to climb over.
While it’s a good idea to always have money on you, you don’t need to bring cash. It’s free to explore Chima Waterfalls and there are no shops along the way.
How to get to Chima
Getting to the tiny countryside town is easy with public transport as you only have to take two buses: from San Gil to Socorro and then from Socorro to Chima.
However, although the journey is only 50 km, it takes 2 h 30 min and isn’t the most comfortable thanks to a bumpy, dirt road between Socorro and Chima.
The bus from San Gil to Socorro leaves San Gil from Terminalito, the small bus terminal near the city centre and you get off at Terminal de Transporte Socorro.
Buses leave every 15 min Monday — Friday from 5:30-19:45; the journey takes 30 min and the fare costs 6,000 COP ($1.5 US). The agency running the route is Cotrasangil.
In Socorro you’ll need to walk for 10 min, or take a taxi, between the bus terminal and Plazuela de San Victorino, as this is where buses to Chima leave from.
Cootrasaravita runs buses between Socorro and Chima. They leave Socorro for Chima at 9:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 17:00, except there’s no 9:00 bus on Tuesdays.
The journey takes 2 h and tickets cost 15,000 COP ($3.7 US). The bus drops you in Chima town centre.
Buses from Chima to Socorro leave at 4:30, 6:00, 7:00, 12:00 and 15:00. There’s no midday bus on Tuesdays.
Where to stay in Chima
There are only two accommodation options in Chima: Bello Atardecer and Tres Rosas. The town is well off the beaten track so there’s almost no tourism infrastructure here.
I stayed at Bello Atardecer and can recommend it. The night costs 50,000 COP ($12.5) and rooms are double with an en-suite, a TV and WIFI. There are no cooking or food storage facilities.
Ariel Zuñiga owns the hotel and to reserve a night contact him on: +57 312 5512949.
Hotel Las Tres Rosas is a street over from Bello Atardacer. The restaurant/hotel is run by an older lady and her mother. I don’t know the cost of a night here nor what the rooms are like, however, I did eat lunch here one day which was nice enough.
Where to eat in Chima
If you stay the night in Chima then you’ll need to sort breakfast, lunch and dinner. Your options are limited, but you can make it work.
For breakfast there’s Cafetería Oasis in the central plaza too or you can buy things from a shop. I recommend Hotel Las Tres Rosas for lunch and the restaurant next to the police station in the central plaza for dinner. When I was in Chima, I think this restaurant was the only option after late afternoon.
Your final option is to get lucky and have a friendly local offer to cook for you if you buy the ingredients. I met a woman called Maria and she prepared dinner for me two nights in a row.
Speaking of friendly locals, you might be invited for a drink or three as you walk around the town. The people here are open to foreigners as they want tourism in the area to grow.
I don’t drink alcohol, so after my third Coca-Cola, I had to start saying no to people before my body shut down from a sugar overload.
When to visit Chima Waterfalls
The dry season in northern Colombia typically lasts from December – April and is the ideal period for exploring waterfalls.
While Chima Waterfalls will be less impressive during these months, the weather is sunnier and warmer and trails are in better condition. There’s also a secondary, shorter dry season throughout June and July.
You can visit the falls during the wet season, but you might get caught in the rain. And if it’s raining, then swimming in the pools won’t be as enjoyable.
More adventure travel guides on A World Over
Visiting Chima Waterfalls (Cascadas de Chima) is a fun trip from San Gil and the perfect adventure if you like off-the-beaten-track experiences.
I recommend staying one night in Chima so you have time to check out the waterfalls but also the town and meet locals without having to rush.
Just remember to bring enough cash for your entire stay; there is a bank in the town centre but I wouldn’t count on this.
Finally, there are loads of other fun things to do in the San Gil area, but two of my favourites are: