WORLD SCOPE: CAÑO CRISTALES (Colombia)

• "The Liquid Rainbow"

• "The River of Five Colors"

• "The Most Beautiful River in the World"

Here’s a breakdown:

📍 Location

• Found in Serranía de la Macarena National Park, in Meta, Colombia.

• It stretches for about 100 km (62 miles), but the colourful part is only a few sections where conditions are right.

  
  

  

  
  

  🌈 Why is it so colourful?

• The riverbed is covered in a unique aquatic plant: Macarenia clavigera, which turns bright red during the wet season.

• Mixed with:

  • Green from mosses and other algae

  • Blue/black from water depth & shadows

  • Yellow & orange from sand and minerals

• Together, it creates the appearance of a liquid rainbow.

  
  

  

  
  

🕐 When does it happen?

• The colors appear between June and November.

• Outside this period, the river looks ordinary (brown/green).

• The magic happens when water levels are just right — not too high (plant gets submerged) and not too low (plant dries out).

  
  

🌿 Ecology

• The river is very pure and clear — no nutrients like most rivers, so fish populations are limited.

• This clarity makes the plants glow like they’re illuminated.

  
  

  

  
  

🚫 Conservation

• For years it was hard to visit due to Colombia’s conflict zones.

• Now, eco-tourism is allowed but tightly regulated to protect the fragile ecosystem.

• Swimming is restricted to certain areas, and no sunscreen or insect repellent is allowed (to avoid polluting the water).

  
  

  

  
  

  ✨ Fun fact

Locals believe Caño Cristales is a “gateway between heaven and earth”, because of its dreamlike colors and remote setting.