دانشجويان و دانش‌آموختگان زمين‌شناسي

This is the Cano Cristales River, which is located close to the town of La Macarena in Columbia, South America. The river, world famous because of its amazing display of color.

Caño Cristales has been called the “river of five colors”, “the river that ran away to paradise, as well as “the most beautiful river in the world. You can see that it is in fact a unique biological wonder. For the majority of the year, the Caño Cristales is indistinguishable from any other river, with a bed of rocks covered in dull green mosses and a cool dark blue current. However for a brief period every year the river blossoms into a rainbow of colors.

During Colombia’s wet season, the water flows fast and deep, obscuring the bottom of the river and denying the mosses and algae that live in the river the sun which they need. And throughout the dry season there is inadequate water to support the dazzling variety of life in the river. However during a brief span between the wet and dry seasons, when the water level is just right, the numerous varieties of algae and moss blossom into a dazzling display of colors. Blotches of amarillo, blue, green, black, and red–and a multitude of shades in between–coat the river.

Many of the more adventurous Colombian tourist agencies will fly travelers to the nearby town of La Macarena. The river, which is approximately 20 meters wide and runs for 100 kilometers, is rather remote. There are no roads leading to the river, therefore the Caño Cristales can only be accessed by horse.