Cano Cristales is a mysterious river in nature. You will see the waves of seven colors with the touch of beautiful cotton on its chest. It is as if nature has decorated this river in its various forms.

The Cano Cristales  River
“Caño Cristales” by Pedro Szekely is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Many tourists from home and abroad flock every year to enjoy the beauty of this place. Let’s discuss the secret behind the diverse beauty of the Cano Cristales River.

5 Interesting Facts about The Cano Cristales River

It is a wonder of nature, without any doubt. It is simple to have many facts about this wonder. Many people have the curiosity to know about this place in Colombia.

1. An Exceptional Wonder

A beautiful place in the world is this majestic wonder of nature. You will see a mixture of seven magnificent colors in this place. The colors have similarities to the colors of the rainbow.

So many people call it the ‘River of Five Colors, and many people call it The Liquid Rainbow. But the official name is ‘Cano Cristales’ or Rio Cano Cristales. Many people say that it came to earth from heaven!

This wonder of nature is the only colored river in our world available so far. It is full of mystery but does not always remain so colorful. It takes this form at a particular time of the year.

At that time, the surrounding nature becomes colorful, playing with exuberance. You will see full of biodiversity and the immense beauty of nature in it.

It will seem as if the creator is sitting beside it. Almighty God uses his skillful touch to decorate this great wonder of our beloved planet Earth.

2. Geographical Location

This majestic watercourse of Colombia meanders through a mountain pass. Its location is the state of Serena de la Macarena on the border of Colombia and Venezuela.

The water of many flowing springs of the two countries formed this wonder of our beloved nature. It is about 100 kilometers long and 20 meters wide. There are various aquatic plants available in its water.

But the unique feature of it is the absence of animals, fish, or reptiles. Due to the low amount of sand particles, its water remains clear, as if you can see your reflection.

And that’s why each color of this wonder becomes visible. The hills surrounding this wonder form a safe habitat for various species of birds. It also creates habitats for amphibians, reptiles, and other mammals.

Traveling on the Cano Cristales river is not very easy as access to it is impassable. So far, no accessible roads have become visible to get close to this wonder of nature.

But, all the adventurous explorers from different countries reach there. They ignore various obstacles to see this wonder of nature.

They enjoy the heavenly beauty of this majestic place with their eyes full of heart and soul. Now it is possible to reach this place by air and on horseback from the neighboring town of La Macarena.

3. When does the festival of colors start?

During most of the year, it maintains its normal state. And its behavior is like that of the other five flowing streams. The gray bottom of the stream took its formation from hard sedimentary rock.

The flowing stream of sparkling water does not seem to show much of a distinct feature.

But it regains ferocity when the dry season ends and the monsoon season begins. Like all other watercourses, it regains its youth by receiving monsoon water.

And what doesn’t happen in other watercourses happens in this watercourse. Its strange colorful winged fair butterflies play in the monsoon water. This wonder shows magic from July to November.

An explosion of color begins under the crystal waters of this great wonder of nature. During this period, plants, mosses, corals, and herbaceous grow by receiving monsoon water.

As a result, a combination of colors becomes visible in the water. Macarenia clavigera, an exotic shrub, grows here after receiving monsoon water.

These crimson bushy vines sway with the current. You will see many red bushes in areas where the current level is high. And that is why the color of the water of this majestic stream looks red.

The vegetation of this wonder can take on colors ranging from magenta and bright red to deep purple. It can take at different times of the day in various parts, depending on the variation in sunlight.

Due to the black rocks, the blue color is prominent in some parts of this majestic watercourse. There is also green in many places of this great wonder of nature.

And in the part where sunlight does not reach, the blue color of this wonder becomes more pronounced. It becomes due to the blue water and black rocks.

There is yellow sand in the places below the watercourse where the vine cannot grow. It gives the water a yellow color. In this way, the red color of the stream in some places is a strange mixture of green, blue, and yellow.

It creates a charming water stream in many areas. The best time to see this colorful play of the Cano Cristales River is a few weeks from September to November.

4. Other Attractions Around The Cano Cristales River

The Cano Cristales River is not only attractive to tourists because of its varied colors. The nature surrounding it is also an attraction for tourists.

In the hills surrounding the river, there are many springs. And the rocky mountains and lush greenery surround the river from two sides.

You can go down to swim in the warm and cool water. And see how many caves are behind the mountains!

It all draws the attention of all adventurous tourists here, like hypnosis. These indescribable beauties of nature have increased its aesthetics.

River
Mario CarvajalCC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Also surrounding the river are some 16 million hectares of mountains and plains. It is about one-fourth of the plains of Colombia. Everyone knows it as Los Llanos plain.

It is big among all the tropical green plains in the world. It is home to everything from birds of prey to giant snakes like anacondas.

The environment here is the habitat for various endangered species. Only 255 square kilometers of Los Llanos are open to tourists.

5. Special arrangements for adventurous tourists

The Cano Cristales River and the surrounding mountains are part of a national park. Visitors flock to this region of Colombia every year to see the river and its surrounding nature.

But the political situation in Colombia became heated. The Colombian authority kept the area off-limits to tourists for some time. They did it due to the fear of guerilla attacks.

After 2009, the authority opened it to tourists. But, they do not allow not more than 200 tourists a day to visit this area. The government wants to protect the area from climate and environmental degradation.

The protected area here is open for tourists from mid-May to December. As a result, various tourism organizations have developed around the river.

These organizations help tourists to enjoy the river and nature around it. There are special arrangements along the river for the overnight stay of tourists.

There is also a satisfactory arrangement of picnics with everyone in the forest. Visit the Cano Crystals River to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of nature. Otherwise, your life may remain incomplete!

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