Ok, when you think about rivers, you think, muddy brown, crystal clear or somewhere in between (is that even possible?). You do not think about a river "VOA that is five different colors. But that is exactly what Cali° Cristales in the Serra aia de la Macarena province of Meta is.
The Columbian River Cafio Cristales (in English, 'Crystal Spout') is a tributary of the Guayabero River. For most of the year, it looks like just another river you might see, albeit a very pretty one with a bed of rocks covered in dull green mosses (I'm sure Anne Shirley would have approved).
But for a very brief time during the year (from the end of July through November, to be specific), when the water level is just right, there is an explosion of colors that have won the river the names "River of Five Colors" and "Liquid Rainbow".
The river puts on a dazzling spectacle when Macarenia clavigera- a unique species of plant that lines the river floor turns a brilliant red. The red of the plant is offset by splotches of yellow and green sand, blue water, and a thousand shades in between. The river is even called the most beautiful river in the world thanks to this phenomena.
This is only possible during the short span between the wet and dry seasons. The water flows too fast and deep during Colombia's wet season, obscuring the bottom of the river and denying the Macarenia clavigera the sun that it needs to turn red. During the dry season there is not enough water to support the dazzling array of life in the river.
The best time to visit is from late July to early December. In order to get to the river, you need to travel to the municipality of La Macarena, Meta, in Meta Department. You can either get a daily DC-3 cargo aircraft coming from Villavicencio or get a direct flight from Bogota that departs every Monday, Thursday and Saturday, to get there.
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