River that Ran Away to Paradise

When people think or hear of the country of Columbia there are two things that usually come to mind Drugs and violence. What people fail to realize, is every country has its admirable points and terrible points. This prevents people from seeing the other side of many countries that turn out to be truly unique. Let’s explore one of those beautiful sides of Columbia I recently experienced in this exotic South American country.

While traveling in Columbia recently, I had a unique experience with a friend of mine. We had heard of a river that flows rainbows. This immediately peeked our interest, and we decided to go see for ourselves. This is a well hidden highly secret location, and many around the world have never even heard of the “arco iris río” or the river that flows rainbows. It is a truly remarkable site to see, please take a look at the magnificent and beautiful pictures of this amazing location.

The river in Columbia that is referred to as the Rainbow River by locals is the Caristales River. It is actually located near the town of, La Macarena in central Columbia. It has also been called the “River that Ran Away to Paradise” or “The River of Five Colors”. No matter what you call it, it is one of nature’s most prized possessions. It truly shows how god’s beauty can enhance this ugly world of ours.

This river flows differently in each of Columbia’s two seasons the wet and the dry. In Columbia’s wet season is when the water flows, and it is hard to see the beautiful colors. During the dry season, the river flows slower, and it brings out the vibrant colors of the rocks below. The dry season, can also cause the river to run low on water, so with lack of water nothing can be seen. The best time to go is between April and June right between the wet and dry season coming on. This brief span allows the water level to be just right and the many varieties of algae and moss bloom iridescently with a dazzling display of color. You will see Amarillo, blues, greens and vibrant reds as well as a million colors in between coating the river.

The best part of this river where the blooming of a million colors occurs is quite isolated and not assessable by road. So if, you don’t like to hike in the wilderness you will probably never see this. But, Adventures tourist can now fly in to the town of La Macerna and make their way to this special place by foot with a local tour guide. The site has been closed for years because of the guerrillas that roamed that part of the country since they have moved on it is now open to the public. It is still well guarded so no cooking or overnight stays are permitted and it is strictly enforced. Since, it reopened only about 1000 people have been up there including about 100 foreigners.

The tours follow strict guidelines and a predefined path into the area. But do not let that detour your sense of adventure and ability to see this one of a kind place on this rock we call planet earth. Enjoy the spectacular colors, and remember to leave it just as you found it for others to see after your travels. This way others can experience the pristine and unique beauty of the rainbow river.