- Address: La Macarena, Meta, Colombia
Can you name all 7 wonders of the world? You never doubted why the choice fell on these objects? At different times and times different lists were offered: the wonders of the ancient world and modern, man-made and natural, beauty of the underwater world. What is there to say, many countries also have their own symbolic seven. Surprisingly, the most beautiful river in the world - Canyo-Kristales has not yet entered the modern and large-scale list of miracles. But those happy tourists who have already visited its shores, are sure that this is just a matter of time.
Description Canyo Crystal
The famous riverbed originates in the mountains of Macarena in the territory of the homonymous national park and belongs to the basin of the Atlantic Ocean. The Canyo-Cristales River is the right tributary of the Losada River in Colombia , which further flows into the Guayabero River.
On the map, the mouth of the Cagno Cristales River you will find east of the Andes in central Colombia in the department of Meta. Translated from Spanish, the name of the river is Cagno Cristales - means "crystal (crystal) river", and in Colombia, the locals call it a river of five colors.
Tourists from all over the world come to the banks of the Caño Cristales River to make her fantastic photos. The Crystal River is considered the main attraction of the Macarena National Park. Its length is about 100 km, and the average width is about 20 m.
Why is the river colorful?
Canyo-Kristales can be called mysterious and bright. Thanks to a natural coincidence, even a professional artist is difficult to count all the shades of her colors.
In the dry season, the river becomes very shallow and often dries up. But in the rainy season, it fills and rushes down the channel. He begins to play with all his colors Canyo-Kristales in the earliest spring.
The thing is that the river rocks in the riverbed are covered with seaweed, as well as brown and green mosses. At the beginning of the rainy season, underwater vegetation receives a tidal wave of moisture and begins to actively grow and fill. This gives the water green, yellow, blue, red and other colors of the rainbow. It does not last long. The rainbow moment needs to be caught: when the water level rises, algae cease to receive the required maximum of sunlight, and the Crystal River in Colombia loses its colors.
What else is interesting Canyo-Kristales River?
The Canyo-Crystal River flows among rocks and caves, and the landscape of its bottom consists of many small round basins, reminiscent of huge tracks that alternate with rapids and small waterfalls . Together with the bright coloring, the five-color river in Colombia looks so unusual that it's worth a look at.
The water in the river is clean, saturated with oxygen, and practically devoid of any salts and minerals. If there is no silt in Canyo Kristales only very small fish swim, so swimming here is safe and even beneficial for health. The water is mountain and rain, but it is not suitable for drinking.
How to see the Cagno-Crystal River?
In the city of La Macarena you fly by plane from Villavicencio . Further to the territory of the reserve, Macarena, you can only get on a horse (here a very difficult rocky terrain) or walk. Part of the way can be overcome by canoeing. Local guides are ready to show you the most colorful and unusual places, as well as shallow waters, where the algae "bloom" the longest.
Take care of the appropriate shoes. The rainy season lasts from June to November. In winter and spring, tourists are not allowed to enter the protected territory: the Canyo-Kristales Peka is under the protection of UNESCO and is a natural heritage.