Because of the multiples colours seen beneath the clear waters, the Cao Cristales river in La Macarena’ Columbia has been nicknamed 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.
According to the BBC, the river can also appear bright blue, hot pink, orange, or deep crimson at times.
However, it is not sorcery that causes this river to appear so colorful. It’s the macarenia clavigera plant, which is a type of water plant that isn’t algae or moss, according to Algae World News. The appropriate water level and weather conditions can make a significant impact in the colors visibility on the water surface.
What Time of Year Is the Best to Visit Cao Cristales?
The months of July through November are the ideal months to visit Cao Cristales. The aquatic vegetation bloom around this time, giving the river its color.
The colors are not visible the rest of the year as the plant regenerates and absorbs the sunshine that gives it, its color before flowering and becoming the Rainbow River of Colombia again the following year.
How to locate the River
To reach the river, passengers must first fly into Villavicencio, Colombia, and then take another flight to La Macarena, according to Atlas Obscura. There, visitors can take a flight to Serrania de la Macarena, a rather remote mountain range where they can hike.
Aside from being visually appealing, the plant is also extremely sensitive to its surroundings. When the weather is bright and sunny, the colors are best reflected. According to the travel website Rove, the waters must be high enough for the plants to survive but not so high that you can’t see the river bottom; otherwise, they would die and become brown.
The rainbow river offers fantastic photo opportunities, but there are also places where you may go swimming. To safeguard the fussy flora, just 200 individuals are permitted to swim per day.
Beautiful