The River of Five Colors

The Cano Cristales has many names – The River of Five Colors, Crystal river, The Liquid Rainbow, The river that ran away from paradise, and The Most Beautiful River in the World. All these names are absolutely correct and accurate in describing this unusual river. The five colors of the river are due to the algae which produces them – red, yellow, green and blue. The bottom of the river has a unique appearance. The colors shown in these pictures are absolutely real and there aren’t any photographic tricks at all. The bed and rocks of this river are covered with mosses and algae which for much of the year appear as dull green and brown water plants. The water level regulates the amount of sunlight reaching the plants. At certain times of the year, depending on the water level, the mosses ‘bloom’.

Cano Cristales is located in an isolated remote area, and it is not easy to get there. Enthusiastic tourists can get there by plane, to the nearest town of La Macarena. From there go on foot, or on horseback (or donkey back) to the “Serrania de la Macarena,” the national park in which The Most Beautiful River in the World is located. It is a succession of rapids, waterfalls, correones and pocetas which waters flow from the plateau south of the Serranía de la Macarena, behind the oldest tepuis of the Sierra in a rugged area in which numerous rock paintings are still unexplored.
The site was effectively closed to tourists for several years because of guerrilla activity in the region along with concerns about the impact of unregulated tourist traffic. It was reopened to visitors in 2009, and today there are several Colombian Tourist Agencies that will fly travelers to La Macarena. Visitors are not permitted to stay overnight or cook.
source of images: vk.com/public81431373

The River of Five Colors