Caño Cristales — The Five-Colored River

The La Macarena National and Ecological ReservePark, located in the heart of Colombia, is home to one of the most beautiful rivers in the world: the Caño Cristales. Due to the civil war, this river of five colors was cut off from the outside world for nearly 60 years. However, it shelters a unique fauna and flora. Its red, pink and green colors are explained by an aquatic plant that is found only in this part of the world. It grows directly on the rock in a crystal clear water, very poor in nutrients. Thanks to it, the river is populated by fish, turtles, snakes, iguanas and even dwarf caimans. 41 species of mammals inhabit the banks, from squirrel monkeys to felines, tapirs, peccaries, tamanduas, as well as many birds. All of them depend on this river which is now threatened by the decrease of rainfall and the deforestation for the benefit of the cattle. An oil company has even tried to drill in the area to exploit the hydrocarbons but the local population has vehemently opposed it.