Caño Cristales (Caño Cristales — Crystal River), or the River of Five Colors, as it is called by locals, originates in the south of the Macarena mountain range, in Colombia, and flows east to its confluence with the Guayabero River.
There are five colors found in Canio Cristales: yellow, blue, green, black and red. All of them are a product of the vital activity of numerous algae, and depending on the time of year, the color saturation either weakens or increases.
The water in the river is so clean that the bottom can be seen even at a decent depth, but there are no fish here because of the unique characteristics of the riverbed. In summer, the sun dries a plant called Macarenia Clavijera, and the river turns a rich red color.
Yellow, black, turquoise and green colors also appear due to various algae. Since the riot of color occurs during the hot season, the river is open to tourists from June to November. You will see it once and believe that the possibilities of nature to create miracles are truly limitless.
It is enough to go to the shore of Canio Cristales to understand that you have come to a unique place. The Cano Cristales River is known as the most beautiful river in the world. To get to it, you need to fly by plane from Villavicencio to Macarena, then sail by boat and, finally, walk along trails that have not been explored so far to this natural wonder.
The crystal flows in the jungle, its length does not reach even 100 kilometers, and its width is 20 meters, which is why it cannot be called large, especially in comparison with the Amazon. Cano Cristales is a rainbow fireworks display, dominated by shades of red, yellow, blue and green.
Long strands of purple, scarlet, pink, and where there is less sun, greenish algae called clavija macarinence, which grow only here, cover the bottom with a bright soft carpet, writhing under the pressure of water. The Canyon Cristales National Nature Park is located around the river.
In deeper places, the irregularities of the bottom form natural depressions: deep, colorful, round wells — “moyas”. Swimming in these backwaters is like being born again. Extraordinary universal peace, lightness and zero thoughts in my head. The complete absence of man, only the sun, the jungle, the sky, green, moss-covered warm stones, a falcon frozen somewhere high in the hot air, searching for prey, and this crystal-colored cool water penetrating into every cell of the body.
Recent studies conducted by local naturalists have shown that the water in the river is so pure that it is practically distilled. River water lacks salts and minerals, so it is unsuitable for drinking. And, in general, there are no fish in it.
Since rain and mountain, oxygenated water and rocky bottom do not contain silt and do not bring sedimentary materials with them, there is practically no other underwater vegetation. The fish simply have nothing to eat. Only unpretentious small fish are found in the river.
You can also take a walk at the stepped cascade called “stairs”, where hidden caves hide behind a sparkling wall of water, and bats nest in the rocks. The bizarre flat blocks of stone seem to have been thrown in disarray on the shore by someone’s giant hand.
Dark, damp caves, the abode of witches and Colombian mohan watermen hiding untold treasures from people — all this is Caño Cristales. No wonder rivers, lakes, caves were for the Indians, who lived here long before the Spaniards, a symbol of the “lower world” — the world of moisture, night, the feminine principle, the mother’s womb, the mystery associated with birth.
In winter and spring, it is impossible to get to the banks of the “crystal river” – the status of a UNESCO natural heritage site obliges to take extreme security measures and protect its basin.
The age of the Macarena mountain range is 1 million 200 thousand years. It is the western extension of the so-called Guyanese Shield of Venezuela, a mountain range that crosses Guyana and Brazil and is considered the oldest on the planet. There are other rivers with red algae in Macarena, for example, the Sete Machos is painted in this color in winter. These algae stick tightly to the rocks where the river flow is fastest.
The Macarena mountain region is considered by scientists of the world to be the “seed of biodiversity”. It has existed since the formation of the Andes, and it is from here, according to experts, that the spread of species in this territory began.
English 
Russian 
German 
Polish