La Macarena & Caño Cristales

The town that's home to Caño Cristales, the "River of Five Colors", whose riverbed plants turn red, yellow, green and blue as the wet and dry seasons change; you fly in and visit with a guide on foot.

La Macarena lies in the south of Colombia's Meta Department, where the Andes, the Amazon rainforest and the Orinoco plains meet. The town sits on the Guayabero River and is the only gateway to Sierra de la Macarena National Park and Caño Cristales, the "River of Five Colors". As the wet season gives way to the dry, a unique aquatic plant on the riverbed turns shades of red, pink, yellow and green, creating a spectacular scene against the clear water and black quartzite rock.

Seasons: the site is generally open from June to November each year, with the most intense colors in July–October; it closes from December to May to let the plants regenerate. The climate is hot and humid, around 30°C by day, with frequent afternoon showers.

Where to go: the core is the main Caño Cristales route (the tourist pool, Los Ochos, the quartz falls, Manto de la Virgen falls and more), followed by Caño Cristalitos and its viewpoint, and the rock art at the Raudal de Angosturas rapids on the upper Guayabero, plus rural routes such as Caño Piedra. All sites must be visited with a licensed guide, daily visitor numbers are capped, and you must attend an environmental briefing before entering; plastic bottles are banned, and sunscreen and insect repellent are not allowed in the water.

Getting there: the town has no road link to the outside world; you usually fly in on a small scheduled or charter plane from Villavicencio or Bogotá in about 1 hour, landing at the airstrip in town. Most visitors buy a 3-day, 2-night package including flights, lodging, guide and entry fees. Plan on 3–4 days. Note: check Colombia's safety advisories and the current season's opening notices before you go, and book ahead in peak season.

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