From July through November, moss, aquatic flora and corals, as well as red plants, cling to the rocks throughout the riverbed, creating a kaleidoscope of colours just beneath the water’s surface.
The river’s colours of red, blue, green, black, and yellow resemble a ‘liquid rainbow,’ and it is a popular tourist destination during the monsoon season.
Locals say the best time to see the colourful aquatic creation is right after a storm, when all the colours are evident.
The rich sediment and 1.2 billion-year-old rocks lying beneath the river’s topology are hidden behind the river’s topography. When all of these things are combined with the river’s diverse plant life, an amazing rainbow spectrum emerges.
Because of the numerous hues seen beneath the clear waters, the Cao Cristales river in La Macarena, Colombia is known as the “River of Five Colors” and “Liquid Rainbow.” According to Insider, depending on the light and water conditions, bright greens, yellows, reds, and purples appear to be flowing down the river.
How to get there?
Fly to La Macarena and then take a taxi to the Serrania de la Macarena National Park. From there, take a walk or horseback ride to cover the final leg of the journey on foot to Caño Cristales.
Best time to visit?
A visit to Caño Cristales is most apt from July to the beginning of December. Travellers should bear in mind that booking tours before or after this season is not possible.
The spot was closed until 2009 for a long time due to terrorist influence and the possibility of an impending harm to the natural environment caused by the tourists. Other sites worth of beholding in the vicinity of Caño Cristales are waterfalls Angostura I in the Guayabero and Caño Cafre rivers.
If exploring unusual wanders of the world is for you, then Lake McDonald is a MUST see!