Detailed Guide to Caño Cristales, the Rainbow River of Colombia

Ever wanted to visit a Rainbow River?

Colombia has one!

Also called the “liquid rainbow,” the river of 5 colors, the river of 7 colors, the river Eden left behind, or the crystal river of Colombia (probably the best literal translation to be honest), the Caño Cristales river is a true natural wonder.

You may have seen Caño Cristales in Encanto. The film’s dramatic climax takes place at Colombia’s colorful river. You might have asked yourself while watching, “Is the rainbow river in Colombia real?”

The answer is yes, it is! The real place is just as spectacular, and it proves that mother nature is really the most amazing artist.

Caño Cristales, Colombia is one of the country’s most amazing natural places and arguably its most unique adventure travel destination. It’s located in the remote, rugged, and sparsely developed south central region of Colombia near the tiny town of La Macarena in Meta province.

Visiting La Macarena and seeing the Rainbow River of Colombia in person was a true privilege and something we were happy to cross off our bucket list after our visit in November 2021.

If you’d like to see Colombia’s Caño Cristales yourself, read on. Based on our experience, I’ll give you the lowdown on how to plan your own visit to Caño Cristales, Colombia, including an overview on planning a trip as well as a detailed account of things to see along Colombia’s Caño Cristales.

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Caño Cristales, Colombia Travel Guide – Contents

• Just What is the Rainbow River of Colombia?
• Why Should You Visit Colombia’s Caño Cristales?
• Planning a Trip to Caño Cristales Overview
• How to Book a Trip with Partners BnB Colombia to Caño Cristales
• Practical Tips for Planning Your Trip to Caño Cristales and La Macarena
• Detailed Guide to Caño Cristales
  • Going with a Caño Cristales Tour Package vs Going on Your Own
  • How to Get to Caño Cristales and La Macarena
  • Where to Stay near Caño Cristales
  • What to Pack and Take
  • Best Things to See at Caño Cristales
  • Trails in the Park
  • Other Things to See Nearby
  • FAQ on Caños Cristales

Get started planning your trip to Caño Cristales now!

A Caño Cristales Tour Package is the safest and most convenient way to travel to this remote destination. I’ll be discussing their offerings in more detail below, but if you already know you want to visit Caño Cristales, be aware that spots often fill up well in advance.

You can get a head start on reserving your spot on a tour with our partners at BnB Colombia. They offer both group and private tours with quality, fully bilingual guides, one of the few agencies offering English speaking guides, and I know they’ve put a lot of effort into offering the best experience possible. If you’d like to learn more about their offerings, fill out the form here and they’ll get back to you with all the details.

Just What is this Rainbow River of Colombia?

Caño Cristales really does deserve all those fancy nicknames mentioned above.

It’s a really remarkable place, unlike anything else I’ve ever seen.

Caño Cristales in English translates as the crystal river or crystal stream/creek. Caño is often used in Colombia to describe smaller rivers or streams. The proper Caño Cristales pronunciation is to roll the long n like you do in the word niño. Other than that its more straightforward.

Despite its name, it’s not famous for its crystal waters but for the colorful plants that grow there. The macarenia clavigera is an aquatic plant that only grows in this region of Colombia.

It does not grow anywhere else in the world!

That’s right, this colorful river in Colombia is a phenomenon that can only be found in Colombia. The plant even gets its name from the nearby town of La Macarena.

The plant’s unique biology causes it to bloom in the water in different colors, giving Caño Cristales its “rainbow river” or “liquid rainbow” effect.

The plants bloom from roughly June to November. The rest of the year, the plants lie dormant and colorless.

The colors of the plants in Caño Cristales vary depending on how much sunlight the plants get throughout the year.

The plants that get the most sunlight bloom a bright red, maroon color, some almost appearing almost magenta purple in the sunshine.

Meanwhile, plants that don’t get as much can bloom in more pinkish hues. A few even appear white.

Finally, the plants that grow in shaded areas bloom in various hues of green.

Minerals in the rocks along the river bottom give sections a yellow color as well. Some sections of the river round areas of yellow look like neat looking eyes.

Caño Cristales is often called the River of Five Colors for this reason. Colors you can see in the river include:

• Red
• Pink
• White
• Green
• Yellow

You’ll also sometimes see Caño Cristales called the River of 7 Colors as some people say you can see orange and blue plants. We didn’t see any that really looked like orange or blue, although some sections of the river do take on a blueish hue in the sunlight, and you could definitely say there are many shades of red.

Regardless of its 5, 7, or more colors, the “liquid rainbow” moniker is well deserved, and you’ll be too busy being in awe of its beauty to count the colors anyway.

Is it Worth it to Visit Caño Cristales?

I think if you have an interest in seeing, have the time, and have the budget, absolutely it is worth it to visit Caño Cristales. It’s a really special place, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

However, if you have more limited time and/or a more limited budget in Colombia, it might be difficult due to the area’s isolation and the need to contract guides. San José del Guaviare makes for a slightly less costly and easier to reach destination that also has a lot of great hiking and a smaller, colorful river where the same plants grow.

I actually highly recommend Guaviare (read why I think it’s the best kept secret in Colombia here), but if you want to see Caño Cristales, you should absolutely do it and know it’s 100% worth it.

Caño Cristales had long been a place that I had heard of and seen in travel and nature documentaries like Magia Salvaje.

As we started making plans to relocate from Colombia to the US, it was one of the places I knew I wanted to visit before we left. We planned our trip in November 2021, and we were not the least disappointed.

Not only is the Rainbow River of Caño Cristales absolutely beautiful, but the entire area makes you feel immersed in unspoiled nature.

In fact, we saw more wildlife here than we did on either of our visits to Leticia in the Amazon (we saw even more in Guaviare and Casanare, both also highly recommended!).

I feel confident in saying it will remain one of the most memorable trips we ever do.

So, in short, why visit Caño Cristales?

Because it is stunningly beautiful. National Geographic named it one of the 10 most colorful scenes in the world.

It’s also quite the adventurous destination, up there with the desert of Punta Gallinas, the mystical looking Cerros de Mavecure, and whale watching in Nuquí. One of the most unique places in world, it would make a nice addition to any trip in Colombia or backpacking South America.

If you like nature, hiking, seeing wildlife, adventure, or just want to see a beautiful natural phenomenon that can’t be seen anywhere else in the world, you will love a trip to Caño Cristales.

Convinced?

Then read on as here I will share everything you need to know about planning your own trip to La Macarena, Colombia and seeing the beautiful Rainbow River of Colombia known as Caño Cristales.

I’m going to first go over the basics in an overview section that covers the most important information you need to know to plan a trip to Caño Cristales. Then, I’ll have a more detailed breakdown that includes a rundown of what we saw on our trip plus a couple things I wish we had seen.

How to Visit Caño Cristales in Colombia – An Overview

Ok, lets talk about planning your own trip to Colombia’s colorful river of Caño Cristales.

In this section, I’m going to go over the most important information. I’m going to go into more detail about specific sites of interest and recounting our experience in the sections below if you want more details and to see more photos.

First off, let’s talk about when to go.

As mentioned above, the liquid rainbow is only in effect during the rainy season, from June to November. Some years that may stretch into the first couple weeks of December.

However, to be on the safe side, it’s best to plan your trip between late June and early November. As you can see from our photos, during our visit the first week of November, the colors were still in full effect.

It’s worth pointing out that not only is the liquid rainbow effect not active during the offseason, but the park is actually closed as well to give the area a break from human visitors. There are a handful of other things to see near La Macarena that can be done in the offseason, but let’s be honest, if you’re going to come all this way, it’s to see the rainbow river.

After we went in 2021, the season ended and the park closed on November 22 (the date changes every year and depends on rainfall and the plants themselves), so I would be nervous if I was planning a trip late in November as you’ll be subject to mother nature’s whims.

It’s also worth pointing out that this area is quite remote and isolated.

To be honest, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the hotel we stayed at in La Macarena. It even had a pool. But the Ritz Carlton it was not. The room itself was very basic but it was clean and comfortable enough. You’re not coming here for luxury, you’re coming here to see a remarkable natural phenomenon and have an adventure.

And, an adventure it is!

You’ll be spending most of your days hiking over rocky terrain in a tropical environment. You’ll take small boats up the river to the park. You’ll be staying in a small town with just a handful of small restaurants and tiendas.

Be sure to come prepared for all that.

All this might cause you to ask yourself is Caño Cristales safe?

Yes. Caño Cristales is quite safe.

There is a military presence in the park and many people visit every year. Like most of small town Colombia, there is little petty crime, and tourists should feel safe visiting La Macarena and doing guided excursions to Caño Cristales and other nearby sites of interest.

Now, if you saw Caño Cristales in Encanto, you saw a very non-nuanced version of Caño Cristales history. La Macarena and the surrounding area was one of the areas heavily affected by Colombia’s internal conflict. In fact, the river was long under the control of rebel group FARC and there was little to no tourism in the area.

However, since the Colombian peace deal the area has been opened up and is safe.

Now, I wouldn’t recommend wondering off in the jungle on your own or getting into any bar fights, but barring a change in conditions, you should not fear for your safety in La Macarena and Caño Cristales.

Finally, let’s talk about the practicalities of planning a trip to Caño Cristales.

I highly recommend booking a Caño Cristales tour package. For the vast majority of travelers, this will ensure your visit is safe and well organized to take full advantage of limited time.

To be clear, you must hire a locally licensed guide to enter the national park. So, you’re going to be paying for a Caño Cristales tour one way or another.

I’ll discuss the merits of going with a tour to Caño Cristales in more detail below, but except for those that are not only highly adventurous, but also have time to spare and strong Spanish, doing a tour package is the way to go.

Most tour packages are 3-5 days. I encourage you to do at least 4 days if you can.

We did a 4 day trip, and while we would have liked to have done even more days, I think it was a good sweet spot. I think we would have been disappointed with only 3 days.

That’s because 3 day tours will only have one full day to see Caño Cristales itself, while the 4 and 5 day packages should include two days hiking the crystal river.

5 day tours will sometimes include a third day hiking Caño Cristales, and sometimes they will include a visit to another site nearby, usually the very pretty Laguna del Silencio.

So, doing at least 4 days will let you go on multiple trails and see more sections of the river. It’s completely worth it. For example, we were super happy we got to see the lesser known Pailones section of green plants on our second day.

Caño Cristales Tours with Our Partners BnB Colombia

I’m happy to say we have partnered with BnB Colombia Tours to help people plan trips to Caño Cristales as well as Cartagena and other places in Colombia.

BnB is the only agency I know of that has managed to find reliable and high quality English speaking guides for Caño Cristales.

They offer shared and private tours ranging from 3-5 days.

They can also help you get plane tickets to La Macarena and provide 24/7 support while you are traveling.

If you would like to learn more about their offerings for Caño Cristales, fill out this form.

Someone from BnB will get back to you to start planning. They’ll even give you a discount for being a Cartagena Explorer reader!

Some Practical Tips and Considerations for Caño Cristales

Before I go into some more detail on Caño Cristales and our experience below, here are a few practical tips to keep in mind:

• As noted above, the area is quite isolated and infrastructure is limited. Don’t expect luxury.
• Single use plastics are not allowed into the park, so bring along a good water bottle or pick one up from a tienda in town.
• Speaking of water, tap water in La Macarena is not drinkable. Most tour packages will include drinking water, allowing you to fill up bottles at your hotel or from an office every day.
• Tour groups, daily limits on the number of people allowed in the park, and flights to La Macarena often fill up a month or more in advance, so it’s best to plan your trip in advance.
• According to Google Maps, there are two ATMs in La Macarena, but I would advise taking cash. The ATMs may run out of money or break down, both pretty common in rural Colombia.
• Sunscreen, bug spray, and other chemical produces are not allowed in the park as they can damage the plants that give the river its beautiful color. The park service also advises visitors not to wear deodorant, use hair spray, or apply other chemical cosmetic products. They do randomly check bags, and I noticed they took cigarettes away from another couple too.
• It’s worth keeping in mind this was a conflict area. My experience with this is some guides and locals will talk about it and some would prefer not to, so just keep in mind it can be a delicate topic if you curious about learning more about the history of Caño Cristales and what’s changed or not since the peace accords.
• Cell phone and internet service is spotty in most of La Macarena (in fact, we sometimes got better service at high points hiking out in the wild than in town). Our hotel did have WiFi, but it was down for most of the time we were there. So, you’re best to go with the intention of disconnecting for a few days.
• While there are small corner stores where you can get most basic needs, if you have any special snacks you like I would recommend bringing them.
• There are also a few pharmacies, but if you take any medications, I would also strongly recommend you bring them.

Now you know pretty much all you need to know about visiting Caño Cristales and La Macarena.

If you’d like to learn more details, read on.

I’m also going to include lots more photos so feel free to scroll and skim too!

In Depth Guide to Caño Cristales and La Macarena

Here, I’m going to go into more details on why a tour package is a good idea, about how to get to Caño Cristales, ideas for what to pack, suggestions for places to stay in La Macarena, the different trails in the park, and our experience.

So read on to learn even more details about the Rainbow River of Caño Cristales.

Caño Cristales Tours vs Going on Your Own

Look, I get it, the idea of booking tours worries some people that the experience won’t be authentic, will be cheesy, or will be overpriced.

However, for I’d say 95%+ of travelers, booking a package to tour Caño Cristales is what I recommend.

And I say that as someone who generally does not book tour packages.

For much of Colombia, even rural and small town Colombia, simply showing up figuring it out on the ground works well. Public transportation is fairly cheap and easy to get around on if you know a bit of Spanish and tour packages aren’t necessary if you prefer being DIYer like Susana and me.

This just isn’t the case in La Macarena.

First of all, to enter the park and see Caño Cristales, you are required to have a guide.

That guide must be registered to take visitors into the park and work with a local agency. These agencies have to register all their customers with the park service, even including which trail they will hike for each day they enter the park. All of this is to prevent overcrowding to help conserve the area and to ensure safety.

So, even if you don’t book a tour package, you’ll be hiring a guide through one of the handful of local agencies once you’re there. That means, you’ll lose at least one day to securing a guide once on the ground.

However, there’s no guarantee they have space or that the number of registered visitors for the park aren’t already over the limit. You’ll also be at the mercy of whatever spots on different trails are available.

On the other hand, a tour package will usually include not only the guide but also ensure you have activities on your first and last day, allowing you to maximize your time. They also often include things like a welcome dinner.

Usually, Caño Cristalitos (a smaller river with the liquid rainbow) is included in the afternoon of day one, and sunrise and a visit to the watering hole of Caño Piedra is included on the last day. While we weren’t amazed by Caño Piedra, Caño Cristalitos is definitely worth it.

Tours to Caño Cristales will also usually include your accommodations. I’ve mentioned a few places below, but there aren’t a ton of hotels that have reliable websites or are listed on booking sites. Finally, your food and drinking water is also usually included.

Some agencies may include flights, may offer you the option to book flights with them, or simply help make sure you get flights. This is especially helpful since some of the flight companies are small, chartered flights that can be tough to book on your own.

If you have time to spare, say more than 5 days, strong Spanish, and are comfortable navigating and negotiating in Colombia, then you could try to play it by ear upon arrival without a tour. The truth is, most likely you’ll be able to get by, especially if you’re not there on a weekend or holiday. However, you’re at least taking a chance you’ll miss out.

Once again, you’re welcome to check out BnB Colombia’s offerings.

Susana and I actually went with the agency Awake (we had not partnered with BnB yet) who arranged it with the local agency Macarenia Travel. We were pleased with them, although it’s worth keeping in mind, they arrange shared tours in Spanish only. So if you’re interested in private or having an English speaking guide, it’s best to book with BnB.

I do think there is some merit to booking a 4 or 5 day package but staying a couple more days to see some other things like the Laguna del Silencio or Caño Canoas, for which you could hire a guide on the ground more easily as they don’t have the strict rules about entry as the Caño Cristales river itself.

How to Get to Caño Cristales and La Macarena

Just like we don’t often book tour packages, we also often take the bus rather than fly between cities in Colombia.

However, once again, I recommend flying to La Macarena for 95%+ of travelers.

Flights can be booked from Bogotá, and there are even a few limited options from Medellín and Villavicencio. Satena and EasyFly are the two main airlines that fly to La Macarena.

There are also some charter flights, which travel agencies can help you book. We flew on Sarpa, for example.

Traveling over Land to La Macarena

It is possible to reach La Macarena overland.

However, it is a long, bumpy, uncomfortable trip that involves multiple changeovers and informal means of transportation.

You can’t just get a bus ticket from Bogotá. Instead, you’ll be taking buses, then smaller 4x4s over unpaved roads and trochas, dirt and rocky pathways dug through the jungle.

That is why I don’t recommend it.

I have no doubt it’s a fun adventure and is probably perfectly safe and doable if you speak Spanish. However, I think it borders on more hassle and time consuming than it’s worth for the money you save.

If you do want to try to go over land, you can do it from two places.

When we were in San José del Guaviare, one of our guides Santiago told told us it was possible to travel to La Macarena over land from there. We didn’t get the full details as we had already booked our flight from Bogotá to La Macarena, but it sounds like it wouldn’t be too hard to set up if you asked around. If we had known this before hand, we probably would have tried it.

It is an 8 hour bus ride from Bogotá to Guaviare and then it is about 4 hours more to La Macarena in 4×4 colectivos, according to Santiago.

I’d recommend going this way if you want to travel to La Macarena over land. That’s mostly because Guaviare is absolutely worth visiting in its own right. It actually has its own example of a river where the macarenias grow.

You can read about our visit there and why I think it’s Colombia’s best kept secret for nature and adventure travel in my blog post on Guaviare.

The other option is to travel to La Florencia and then to San Vicente del Caguán by bus. From there, you’ll need to travel through the trochas to La Macarena in 4x4s.

Florencia is located in Western Colombia, so if you happen to already be in that area, perhaps visiting the Tatacoa Desert or San Agustín, it is a shorter trip than from Bogotá.

We actually met a Polish girl in Guaviare who had gone to La Macarena from San Agustín and then from La Macarena to Guaviare over land. She said the trip wasn’t the most comfortable, packed in with lots of people and even some goats over very, very bumpy roads but was an interesting experience.

In other words getting to La Macarena over land is doable, but will take time and is a bit of an adventure of its own.

You can read about some more routes over land to La Macarena in this article in Spanish at Las2Orillas.

Where to Stay in La Macarena

If you take my advice above and book a tour package, you can probably skip this part as your Caño Cristales tour will most likely include your lodging.

Generally, those will be in decent, but basic hotels in La Macarena. Some tours to Caño Cristales may offer you options for nicer accommodations or accommodations outside of town.

If not, there are a number of decent hotels in La Macarena, and most of them are pretty reasonably priced and, honestly, nicer than what I expected.

However, there are only a few that can be booked ahead of time online. In fact, on Booking, there are only 3 hotels you can book in or near La Macarena at the time of my most recent update of this article.

Two of those are in town, they are the Hotel Ecologico Makalombia, which has neat little glamping bungalows and Hostal Caño Nevera, located along the river on the edge of town with simple but comfortable looking rooms.

Finally, you can also book a room at La Manigua Lodge, located upriver near the trail head to Caño Cristalitos. Although pricier, they are highly regarded and would be a great option for being more immersed in nature. They have great little bungalows with views of the forest.

The fact there are so few options you can book yourself online ahead of time is perhaps another good reason to do a package. I imagine you could also try to reach out to other hotels directly to reserve in advance as well.

We stayed at Hotel Casa Real, located just off the main plaza next to the cathedral.

The room was nice and there was even a good sized pool. We looked into changing our flight and staying a night or two longer, and their nightly rate was very reasonable as well.

We ate most of our meals at the nearby Punto Verde Hotel, which also looked nice and seemed to be a popular option.

What to Pack for Caño Cristales

You are going to want good, comfortable clothes for hiking, that you don’t mind getting dirty, muddy, or wet and that also give you good protection from the sun. Quick dry stuff is perfect for the tropical climate of Serranía de La Macarena and Caño Cristales.

Good hiking shoes or boots are also all but a must given the rocky terrain. Bonus points if they are waterproof.

Remember you are not allowed to enter the park with sunscreen or bug spray as they can damage the ecosystem, so long sleeves and long pants are good to protect from both the sun and bug bites.

Below you can find some suggested things to give you ideas for what to take to Caño Cristales.

If you need to pick up any outdoor gear in country, Decathlon stores are great. There are several in Bogotá and their Quechua brand is a solid, budget outdoor option. After we were ill equipped for Guaviare, we actually went there and stocked up ourselves before our trip to Caño Cristales a week later.

General Travel Gear to Take to Caño Cristales

• Susana and I both have the Osprey Porter 46 backpack. It’s just small enough to fit in most overhead compartments and can hold quite a bit. For something a bit smaller and more comfortable for carrying long periods, check out the Farpoint 40, or for something larger for an extended backpacking trip, the Farpoint 70.
• A good daypack is also a necessity. I love my Roam Backpack. It easily folds up and can be taken in a larger bag and carried as a day pack. I was able to carry my camera bag, a jacket, bathing suit, water, towel, and snacks into the park in it. Taking along a rain cover for it or any other backpack you take is also a good idea.
• While we were able to pick up a couple cheap water bottles in town, if you want something larger and nicer, Takeya’s bottles are great (I actually own one of these and forgot to pack it!). A Camelback could also be a good option for hiking all day. While clean water was available at our hotel for free, if you want something with a filter, a Grayl water filter bottle or Lifestraw can come in handy in much of Colombia, as can a Steripen.
• You will also want a good travel towel for drying off after dips in the waterfalls and swimming holes of the Rio Caño Cristales. Susana likes to use hers as coverup from the sun too. A Rainleaf microfiber is a great choice.
• In at least one of those swimming holes, we were able to see fish and even some of the macarenia clavigeras in the crystal clear water, so brining along some small goggles will let you see them.
• A good portable first aid kit would come in handy if you suffer any cuts or scrapes hiking in Caño Cristales.
• Having some Pepto Bismol is never a bad idea when traveling in rural areas either.
• Susana got a bit lightheaded one day, and luckily a guide had some hydration powder to add to her water bottle. Taking along some hydration packets is a good idea just in case you need them since you’ll be hiking all day without access to additional water than what you carry in.
• Finally, no visit to Caño Cristales, Colombia is complete without some great photos to remember it! Most of the photos on this page were taken by me with the FujiFilm X-S10 with the XF-16-80 lens. This was a great first time “real” camera for me.

Clothes to Pack for Her

• Colombia’s outdoor shirts are perfect for hiking the rio de 7 colores of Caño Cristales.
• Quick dry long pants or hiking pants are a good idea as well, since they will protect your legs from any underbrush and bugs while hiking.
• For something more casual, long sleeve athletic shirts work well too.
• A good pair of hiking boots are absolutely worth the investment before traveling to the rio de colores.
• A comfortable swimsuit that wears underneath your hiking clothes is also a necessity to enjoy the waterfalls and swimming holes. Also, a pair of easy to carry water shoes isn’t a horrible idea for the rocky waterfalls and watering holes where you can swim. Susana was happy she had hers during our trip.
• A lightweight rain jacket that is easy to carry is also a must given the tropical climate of Caño Cristales and La Macarena. If it does rain, you’ll be glad you had it. A packable poncho is a good, cheaper alternative.
• Finally, you will want to take along a good hat for the sun. An athletic cap or a bucket hat work well.

Clothes to Pack for Him

• Colombia’s outdoor shirts make for a good option for the guys too.
• Athletic long sleeve shirts also work well. I wore shirts like that most days during our visit to La Macarena and Caño Cristales.
• Comfortable, light weight long pants that aren’t too hot but protect from underbrush and bug bites are also good. I picked up some of these Wrangler outdoor pants at Target while in the states, and loved having them in Caño Cristales. In fact, I’ve got several more pairs of different styles and colors of that line and love them all.
• Hiking boots are good to have for mud and slippery rocks along the trail. I was really happy I bought some after slipping and sliding around in old sneakers when we were in Guaviare before our trip to Caño Cristales.
• A rain jacket is a must to have along for the rainbow river of Caño Cristales for the guys as well. This Marmot lightweight rain jacket is easy to carry on the trail. A travel poncho again makes for a good, cheaper option.
• The guys should take along a good hat for the sun too. A cap with a neck protector also works well (I got burned really bad on my neck during this trip!).

Sites of Interest Along the Rainbow River of Caño Cristales

One of the things I found most interesting about our visit to Caño Cristales is just how many sections of the river you can see the colorful liquid rainbow effect.

This is what really sets it apart from the river where you can see it in Guaviare, which is really just one section, compared to the dozens along Caño Cristales.

Besides the colorful flowers blooming, there are some other sites of interest, most notably several great waterfalls and swimming holes.

Here, I’ll run through the main sites of interest we saw during our visit to Caño Cristales, roughly in the order I thought they were most impressive (just to be clear, just about everything was impressive).

It’s worth pointing out that most Caño Cristales tours will include at least the main sites that comprise the first few places listed below.

However, the exact routes and sites visited will vary depending on the group’s overall fitness level and also the number of people going on each trail. I’l cover in more detail the main trails and what you’ll see on them below, but this is another reason why I think doing a tour of 4 or more days where you get two days in the park is worth it.

El Tapete

This area of the river was probably my overall favorite.

El Tapete translates to “the carpet” in English. It’s an apt name because the Macarenia clavigera grows so thick, and the river itself is relatively calm here

That gives the impression the river itself is a multicolored carpet.

This section of Caño Cristales is really, really pretty.

We also had really good sunlight as we hiked along this section, which made the liquid rainbow effect so much stronger.

The little yellow sections of rocks and minerals add a neat effect to the appearance.

Walking along it, it’s hard to take your eyes off of it, and I found myself stopping constantly to stare and/or take photos.

There is one little section near the start of El Tapete with a rock sticking up surrounded by the yellow and red of river. If you wanted proof that mother nature makes the best art, I couldn’t think of anything better.

It’s one of the neatest views along the river, and is probably one of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken!

Cascada la Virgen

The Cascada la Virgen, or the Virgen Waterfall, probably in reference to the Virgin Mary, is another really neat sight along Caño Cristales, maybe one of the neatest.

While the waterfall isn’t particularly tall (there are some taller falls below), the macarenia clavigeras grow all through it, meaning it has that gorgeous liquid rainbow effect.

The effect of the colors at the foot of the falls is really gorgeous, especially with the hole with a yellow hue that looks like a giant eye.

It’s otherworldly looking, and is the first really awe inspiring sight along the river.

Don’t worry, though, it’s far from the last.

We actually stopped and had a snack here and unfortunately had a bit of cloud cover so I can imagine on a really sunny day, it’s even more impressive.

While the sun didn’t want to cooperate much and come out and really make this area shine during our break and rest here, luckily it did come out for some other sections.

This is a great spot though for a break as there are some rocks you can sit on and marvel at the falls while taking a break.

Los Ocho aka Los Hoyos Waterfalls

This is another of the most iconic places along the Caño Cristales river.

Our guide referred to this as Los Ocho, or “the eight” in English. However, it’s also often called Los Hoyos, or “the holes” in English.

Honestly, I’ve seen both referenced online too, so either name seems appropriate, and both certainly make sense.

Regardless of what you want to call it, this area of Caño Cristales is really neat looking.

It’s a series of waterfalls that are circular or conical shaped.

It’s really remarkable the formations water can carve, and this is one of the neatest I’ve ever seen. It’s like a labyrinth, and the water rushes over lots of Macarenia clavigeras before falling down into the formation.

The little plants look like they are hanging on for dear life!

It’s important to note to be very careful here. There was a death a number of years back when a child fell in. So, while you can get pretty close to the falls, it’s best to not actually wade in the water itself or get too close.

Our first day, we stopped here quickly with our guide Javier, walking a short way down the near bank. Seeing the falls from both above and below are really neat.

We had actually debated only doing one day the park and visiting the Laguna del Silencio the following day. Honestly, there’s two reasons I’m really glad we decided not to do this.

One is the gorgeous views we got of Los Hoyos/Los Ocho from the far bank (I’ll share the second below).

It is prettier and there are some better angles for pictures, especially once you get down past the falls themselves.

It’s just really neat seeing the water rush down through the holes with the colorful plants above, below, and even inside the holes.

El Coliseo

Once you pass by Los Ocho, you’ll pass through a narrow section of the river cutting through the high rocky banks on either side.

There is a spot where the river is so narrow, you can step back over to the other bank before heading down further to get even neater views.

I guess you could consider this sort of part of Los Ocho. However, it has its own name and is called El Coliseo, or the colosseum in English.

Seeing the water moving swiftly over the macarenias with splatters of yellow here and there between them is really neat looking. There there are some neat sort of almost blue-green looking eyes or ovals in the river here too when the sun hits it just right.

Even neater though is looking back at Los Ocho from a distance as you head down the rocky incline.

I get why they call it the Coliseo based on this view. It does sort of look like a semi-enclosed arena.

It’s seriously impressive!

Cascada Carol Cristales and Piscina Carol Cristales

After passing along the narrows and descending the high rocky walls of El Coliseo, you’ll pass by a short waterfall known as the Cascada Carol Cristales.

Below it, you get a similar effect to El Coliseo, where there is just gorgeous flourishes of red and yellow after the falls.

This is another of the most iconic views and most photographed views of Caño Cristales.

As you head further down, you eventually come to a section of the river where the water calms down for a bit.

It forms sort of a big pond, and it’s a great watering hole.

This is the Piscina Carol Cristales.

While we didn’t stop here, we did see some people who really looked to be enjoying their swim.

We just marveled at the view back up at El Coliseo and Los Hoyos in the distance from a series of tall rocks that jut out from the far end of the pond.

Los Pailones

I mentioned above there were two reasons why we were so happy we did the additional day hiking along Caño Cristales instead of doing the Laguna del Silencio. The first was seeing the far bank of Los Hoyos/Los Ocho (and by extension getting to properly enjoy the Cascada Carol Cristales).

The second, and the main reason I really think you should strongly consider making sure you have 2 days in the park, is Los Pailones.

The best translation I’ve found for Los Pailones is whirlpools, which honestly I don’t think makes a lot of sense since there weren’t really any whirlpools here.

What distinguishes this part of the river of 7 colors is the dominance of the color green.

This area down river of the Cascada Carol Cristales has more jungle growth and the river is largely shaded. That means the macarenias grow mostly green and really plentifully.

After marveling at Los Ocho, El Coliseo, and Carol Cristales, we headed down a short path past some shallow, rocky areas of the crystal river. Eventually we veered off the river and followed a path to a small house.

There is a family that lives here and has basically been grandfathered in to being allowed to live in the national park.

Also, they are allowed to sell drinks, including beers!

So we enjoyed a beer before heading out through a few fields and entering the more overgrown jungle of this lower part of the river.

We saw several shades of green, and honestly, I’m so happy we did this section.

The green colors are really fascinating, almost eery looking.

Because so many people only do 3 day tours to Caño Cristales and want to (rightfully) visit the more famous sites, this section of the river is lesser known and lesser visited.

I think that’s a shame though because it is really beautiful, even if different from the more iconic images of the river of colors.

Perhaps because it’s not as well known, visited, or photographed, or for whatever other reason, there weren’t lots of names of individual sites here.

The entire trail and section of the river is just simply called Los Pailones.

We passed by several sections, some with short waterfalls where there were lots of green macarenias growing.

They are all really neat, and perhaps because there’s less sun shining on the river, I feel like you can really make out the individual plants waving around in the river more easily than you can on the red sections of Caño Cristales.

We eventually came to section where there were almost no macarenias but a mostly calm and crystal clear section.

On the trail side there was a lower bank. On the far side, there were big jagged rocks.

Here we were able to swim in the crystal clear waters.

The look of the rocks in and around the area was really neat.

Also, if you have a pair of goggles and head over to the little waterfall on the edge of the swimming hole, you can see some macarenais growing. They wave around in the water like some alien life form reaching for you.

It’s a bit surreal but very neat!

To be honest, I got the impression this trail may have gone a bit further based on the information provided on the signs at the trail head, since we spent much less time on the move hiking than on the previous day even though the signs suggest the trails are of similar length.

So, maybe there are some whirlpools farther down. We were happy swimming and having an easier day. We enjoyed a couple more beers at the tienda on the way out, and really the green macarenias we did see were so neat.

So, I highly recommend trying to fit this section in by doing a 4 or more day visit to Caño Cristales.

Piscina del Turista

This is the most well known swimming and watering hole at Caño Cristales. It’s name translates literally to “the tourist pool.”

It’s actually located just a short distance above Los Hoyos.

Similar to the watering hole below El Coliseo, the river spreads out in a calm, deeper section like a big pond here.

While no macarenias grow here, the view of the surrounding scenery is really nice.

We stopped here near the end of our first day, and it really does make for a perfect spot to take a dip and cool off after hiking all day.

Because we were considering not doing the trail the next day, we actually walked down with Javier to see Los Ocho while the other members of our group swam.

Luckily, we did have enough time to get in a short swim to conclude our first day before heading back out.

If you prefer not to swim, you can also enjoy resting on the rocky area next to la Piscina del Turista and just taking in the lovely view too.

Caño Escondido

The Caño Escondido is located not far from the trail heads after hiking in to the park.

It’s likely to be the first main site you see along the river of five colors. It was for us.

Its name translates literally to “hidden creek” in English.

The truth is, the actual creek itself isn’t that neat. It’s just receded up behind some trees.

However, this is the first really good view you get of the macarenias in all their glory.

There is a bridge over the river here where you can get great views, and the rocky bank down below makes for some great photos (there’s a photo above of Susana with some of our group on the bridge).

I remember all of us in our group stopping to take photos and saying how beautiful it was. Our guide Javier finally said, more or less, hey let’s move on to see the more impressive sections.

Cascada Los Pianos

The Cascada los Pianos, or “Piano Falls” in English, is a series of waterfalls located along Caño Cristales.

This is actually the end point of the Los Pianos trail, with the return trip going a different direction to Los Cuarzos and passing along El Tapete before concluding at the Piscina del Turista.

The falls take their name from the fact that each level of the falls seems to make its own unique sound, like the keys of a piano.

While the macarenias don’t grow as much in the falls themselves like at the Cascada de la Virgen, I would say these are actually the most impressive falls we saw along the river of 5 colors.

There are 4 or 5 levels of the falls that fall in a sort of zig zag pattern down a short cliff.

Each is not all that tall individually, but the upper levels are an impressive site, especially as you hike towards them.

There is a bit of a tough scramble up some rocks to get to the base of the lowest of the upper series of falls. Having some solid, waterproof hiking boots definitely came in handy here.

In the falls, there is a great little swimming hole where you can go for a refreshing dip. Susana really enjoyed it, although I sat out swimming here because I didn’t feel like changing (I hate wearing wet clothes all day!).

You can even stand right up under the falls.

It’s a great break after the hike here, not to mention it makes a great photo.

Speaking of the hike here, honestly, this section of the trail was one of my favorite parts.

I’m not sure if it has an official name, so I’m just calling it the section of the Los Pianos Trail before Los Pianos.

I loved this section of the river.

We got some good sunlight on the way after the cloudiness at the Cascada da la Virgen. I liked how the rocky banks, which were often slightly elevated gave lots of neat views of the river.

There were especially a lot of neat examples of yellow eyes along this section.

After El Tapete, I thought this was the most impressive flat, flowing, part of the river where the macarenias, yellow eyes, and rocks of the crystal river of Colombia really create some fantastic scenery.

Cascada Los Cuarzos

Los Cuarzos, literally translated as “quartz” is another waterfall along the trails of Colombia’s colorful river.

I’m not sure if that name derives from someone actually finding quartz there at some point, the shape of the waterfall, or the crystal clear waters around it.

If I had to guess, I’d say the latter.

We stopped here for lunch the first day, shortly after our stop at Los Pianos.

While you can’t see any macarenais here, the waterfall itself is pretty.

The neat, big rocks surrounding it look cool, and the clear waters are neat even if not as crystal clear as the swimming hole near Los Pailones.

We both did swim a bit here, and you can also walk up behind the waterfall. It is slippery on the rocks behind the falls, so if you did bring along some water shoes, you’ll want to put them on here.

To be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed by the swimming hole itself.

It’s pretty rocky and not a lot of space to actually swim. We did see a few fish though, and this definitely was a good spot to stop, have lunch, and take a break from hiking.

It definitely seems like one of the most popular break and lunch stops.

Other Sites We Didn’t See

We did two days in the park. The places listed above are all sections/sites of the river we saw, and are generally the most commonly visited areas on 3-5 day tours to Colombia’s Rainbow River.

Some tours, most likely those of 5 or more days or those that specially request it may also include an additional trail, the Salto del Aguila Trail, which is the toughest of the three main trails.

This takes you to the waterfall known as Cascada Negra as well as another farther up known as Cascada Salto del Aguila and some rock formations known as Tablas de la Ley.

Unfortunately, I don’t have photos or much info on what to expect at these sites along Caño Cristales since we didn’t visit them.

However, if we ever get a chance to go back, I hope to do this trail and see them!

The Caño Cristales Trails

There are three main trails along Caño Cristales.

They are:

• Sendero Los Pianos
• Sendero Pailones
• Sendero Salto del Aguila

All of the trails are loops, and all start around the same place after approximately a 45 minute hike in to the area. You can see in the photo below an idea of distance for each.

There’s also a great map on page 14 of this pdf from Colombia’s national park service if you want an idea of how they look on a map. Trails 6-10 are along Caño Cristales (be sure to zoom in).

If you do look at that map, there are a couple trails listed as Sendero Caño Escondido and Sendero Caño Intermedio in that document. These are basically smaller loops that hit some of the most famous sites and are the most likely to be used for those with only 3 day tours and/or those that are less physically fit. They will go both at a slower pace over less uneven/hard to hike terrain and will likely spend more time for photos, swimming, and relaxing at places like Piscina del Turista.

The most commonly taken trail on 3 day tours for those that are fitter will be Los Pianos.

As I’ve mentioned we did the Los Pianos trail on our first day in the park, the second day of our trip. The trail took us to Caño Escondido, then Cascada de la Virgen, then the neat rocky section of the river before arriving to Los Pianos.

After Los Pianos, we hiked to and stopped for lunch at Los Cuarzos before hiking along El Tapete and concluding at the Piscina del Turista. Susana and I quickly hiked down to see Los Ocho and El Coliseo, which is what I imagine most 3 day tours that take this trail do.

We did the Pailones trail the next day. For this trail, we started at Los Ocho, hiking down the far bank past El Coliseo and the Carol Cristales waterfall and swimming hole.

Then we headed through some fields before hiking along Caño Cristales again in the forest, seeing the green macarenias and stopping to swim at the watering hole.

As I mentioned above, I don’t believe we did this full trail as we we did less hiking that day and we hiked back out the way we came, while the map in that pdf suggest there is a loop out back near the main entrance.

It’s worth pointing out that all the trails have some overlap. Basically all of them will include Piscina del Turista, Los Ocho, and El Coliseo, sort of the “center” of the park where the trails branch out. So if you spend multiple days in the park, you’re pretty much guaranteed to repeat a few spots.

Los Pianos and Salto del Aguila will both include Caño Escondido, Cascada de la Virgen, and El Tapete. Salto del Aguila will go to, well, Salto del Aguila instead of Los Pianos. I’m not 100% sure if it goes by Los Cuarzos or not.

I am also not entirely sure which sites are or are not included on the shorter trails. Both definitely look to include the Caño Escondido, Piscina del Turista, los Ocho, and El Coliseo. I also imagine that the longer one (intermedio) includes la Virgen and Tapete, but am not 100% sure.

I’ve seen other sites online that suggest there are several other trails, and I imagine there are lots of hidden little spots as well. I do get the impression there are varying names for some of them, and I also suspect that over time there may be more trails opened up too.

I thought Los Pianos and Pailones trails were perfect for two days in the park. They were long days but not overly difficult, and we got to see the most famous sites as well as the very neat Pailones section of the crystal river of Colombia.

I’d have a tough debate if we had done 5 days if I would have preferred to do the Salto del Aguila trail or one of Laguna del Silencio or Caño Canoas (more on those below and more on our experience below that).

However, if you have more than 5 days, including more than 2 in the park, or want a more challenging day, you could include Salto del Aguila and do Laguna del Silencio or Caño Canoas on a 6th day.

I would say for some practical advice in planning your trip to the Caño Cristales river to keep in mind that most tour agencies will present you with a “sample” itinerary. Due to the fact that the number of people and groups on each trail is limited each day as well as differing fitness levels, at least in the case of group tours, and different arrival and departure times of flights, these itineraries are usually not followed exactly.

I would advise just being clear with whoever you’re booking with that if you are comfortable hiking all day, you would prefer to do a longer trail or trails. I would also advise asking your guide on the ground what your actual itinerary is the first day. If they have you doing a shorter trail, just ask nicely if they can adjust.

Of course, the vice versa of all of the above advice applies as well!

Other Things to See Near Caño Cristales and La Macarena

The Rainbow River of Colombia itself is the main attraction and almost certainly the reason you would travel to La Macarena.

However, there are some other things to see nearby, at least two of which are common inclusions on tour packages to Caño Cristales. There’s at least one other that I’d say may be worth spending an extra night to see if you are a bit more on the adventurous side.

Caño Cristalitos

Caño Cristalitos is a smaller river where the Macarenia clavigera also grows.

It’s a bit further upriver from the landing where the main park and Caño Cristales itself is located. The trail for Caño Cristalitos is about a half hour or so by boat from La Macarena.

It begins right next to La Manigua Lodge.

We did this our first day.

After arriving and dropping our luggage off, we had lunch and met our guide Javier and the rest of the tour group. After lunch, we headed down to the dock and set off for Caño Cristalitos.

That’s a common approach on package tours.

Caño Cristalitos can be done in a few hours and doesn’t require the same permission and entrance fee as the main park, where you’ll want to have a full day.

Some packages may also have this on the last day the morning before flying out as well. While I’m sure there are exceptions, all Caño Cristales tour packages I’ve seen include the visit to Caño Cristalitos.

That’s a good thing, because it is definitely worth seeing.

Once disembarking, we stopped by Manigua, where one person in our group was staying before heading out on the trail.

After a short walk through the forest, we passed by a pretty waterfall before heading upwards into the highlands above the Guayabero River.

I have to say, this was by far the hardest hike we did during this trip!

The incline isn’t all that horrible but the trail is pretty much always constantly up. The night before our trip, some friends had wanted us to go out with them in Bogotá to a Halloween party. Honestly, we both said while panting on the way up to Caño Cristalitos we were so glad we weren’t hungover!

It’s well worth it though!

When you get to the top, take a moment to get your breath, because there is a breathtaking view of the Guayabero winding through the forest below with green stretching everywhere.

It’s simply spectacular.

Along with the view of at the top of the Ruadal del Guayabero in Guaviare, it’s one of the most impressive views of a river I’ve ever seen.

Once at the top of the plateau, it’s a short walk to Caño Cristalitos where we got our first glimpses of the Macarenia clavigera and their pretty colors.

The river is especially shallow and swift here. It’s really neat being able to walk and hop along the rocks in the middle of the river with the macarenias growing all around.

It’s a nice introduction to Caño Cristales as well. It’s impressive but not nearly as impressive as what you get on the main rainbow river itself.

That makes it the perfect first day activity and sneak preview of what’s to come.

A bit down river, there is a nice little watering hole with a couple small waterfalls, perfect for cooling down and doing a bit of relaxing after the tough hike in.

All together, it took about 3 hours to hike in, take in the views, go for a swim, and hike out. Factoring in travel time up and down the river, you’ll probably want to have 4-5 hours to do this.

On the way out, we came to a small house where a group of monkeys were hanging out just along the creek. There were also several toucans here who actually let us get pretty close to them.

Obviously, Caño Cristalitos pales in comparison to Caño Cristales itself, but the view from the mirador alone makes this worth it, and it’s a great first day activity.

I will say, I also appreciated doing this the first day as it was the hardest hike.

Laguna del Silencio

The Laguna del Silencio is located in the Serranía de la Macarena east of Caño Cristales.

The main attraction of this lake is the chance to see wildlife, especially birds, and take in the reflective water of the lake and the trees that surround it. It looks really gorgeous.

It is a relatively new sight to be opened up to tourism, one only made possible due to the peace agreement.

As I’ve mentioned before, we didn’t go here.

We debated doing it instead of the second day in the park and the Los Pailones trail. I’m pretty happy we did that, because we loved Pailones.

However, I was a bit sad we didn’t see the laguna.

The Laguna del Silencio is the most common third full day activity included in 5 day tour packages. It is reached by a combination of boat then horseback riding.

It is also possible to do this on your own if you do some asking around. You’ll have to arrange the boat from the port in La Macarena, the horses to meet you at the boat landing, and a canoe tour on the laguna.

We looked into doing this on our own but didn’t think we would have enough time before our flight. It did appear to be fairly doable on your own if you can speak decent Spanish, and I think you could do it cheaper than what the agency quoted us.

If we had known that our flight wouldn’t leave until 3 instead of its original time of 12 the day we left, we would probably have tried to do this our final day.

Anyways, it didn’t work out that way, but it gives us a good reason to come back!

Caño Canoas (not officially open)

Another even better reason for us to come back is to visit Caño Canoas.

There are a series of waterfalls here, stretching for over 200 meters wide and of 70 meters high.

It is located farther up in the Serranía de la Macarena and is one of the more undiscovered places in Colombia. Photos of it kind of remind me of a much smaller version of the Igauzu Falls in Argentina.

My understanding is that technically Caño Canoas has not been fully opened to tourism, at least in the sense that the park has not sanctioned organized visits. My understanding is this has to do with the fact that if it rains either there or upriver, the water can rise and make it difficult or even impossible to hike out. The trail is also not fully developed or marked like the officially open ones.

However, my understanding is you can also hire guides in La Macarena that will take you. Clearly people are going there as there are more and more photos popping up on Instagram of the gorgeous falls.

Honestly, I feel like it looks like it belongs in a Jurassic Park or Indiana Jones movie.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot more info on Caño Canoas since we didn’t do it, and it’s such a recently semi-opened place there isn’t much info online either.

Hopefully, we get to go back one day and see it and I can update with some firmer info!

We were unable to adjust our return flight to Bogotá to get any extra time, but we really would have liked to have done both the laguna and this. For what it’s worth, Santiago in Guaviare told us it was pretty easy to set it up if you ask around.

For those with extra time (5 days or more) in La Macarena who are adventurous, have a good handle of Spanish, and want a unique experience, this would be a great place to include during your visit to La Macarena.

If you do want to do it, I’d recommend asking around. The actual guide you have for the park would be a good starting point.

Caño Piedra

Caño Piedra is a small creek with a few areas where you can swim.

Because it’s open to the public, it’s a popular swimming hole and hangout for locals.

This is what we did the morning of our last day. We got up early to see sunrise over the grasslands outside of La Macarena, and then our motorcycle Tuk-Tuk driver took us here.

It’s OK, but pales in comparison to the sights of Caño Cristales we enjoyed the other days.

Maybe I’m not giving it enough credit.

It is a pretty little spot. The waters are pretty and the surrounding forest is pretty enough scenery. Our Tuk Tuk driver and guide for the morning did point out some neat trees that have minerals and fibers in them that almost give sections of their bark a look like rust.

After 3 days of more impressive places along Caño Cristales, I guess we were a little spoiled.

Again, if we had known our flight left later, we would have tried to do the Laguna on our own rather than this that last day.

That is, by the way, the most common approach to tour packages to Caño Cristales. Sunrise then Caño Piedra on the last day, then lunch, then flight home.

Overall, it’s not a bad way to spend a couple hours and see a bit of the countryside outside of La Macarena, especially if you’re worn out from hiking in the park or just have a few hours to fill the morning of your flight.

We also stopped by a little house where a lady keeps birds rescued from being pets and had a coffee on the way back to town.

There was a funny little parrot here that insisted on climbing on us plus some pretty macaws that were hanging out in the trees overhead.

In some cases, especially those that arrive later in the day their first day or have a late afternoon departure their last day, tours might go to Caño Piedra day one and Caño Cristalitos the last day.

Given what I said above about how tough a hike Caño Cristalitos was, I’d have a preference for doing it the first day if time permits it, even if Caño Piedra makes for a slightly underwhelming final day.

Sunset Over the River

The first day, we got back from Caño Cristalitos right at sunset time.

The sunset is absolutely gorgeous, with the sky lit up blood orange and red!

Right next to the river port, there is a little floating bar. We snapped a photo here and told ourselves we’d come back for a beer one afternoon, although we either arrived too late to see sunset or just too worn out the other days.

It is a good spot though, and I’d definitely recommend checking it out if you have more energy than we did!

See Petroglyphs at El Raudal de Angosturas

This is another activity we didn’t do.

Located further up river from Caño Cristales, El Raudal de Angostas I is located northwest of La Macarena, far up the Guayabero River in a section of the river that narrows. Here you can see petroglyphs from an ancient indigenous culture.

Very lightly visited, it also allows for a lot of wildlife sighting from what I have read online.

Visit a “City of Stone”

Not far from the Raudal de Angostura, set up higher in the Serranía de la Macarena is a group of rock formations known as Ciudad de Piedra, or city of stone.

Wind and rain have eroded the rocks to give the impression they are buildings, similar to the place of the same name in Guaviare.

For those with lots of time (6+ days), a visit to the raudal and here would definitely be interesting. These are also common activities for tours to La Macarena during the offseason when Caño Cristales is closed.

See all the Wildlife

As I said in the introduction, we saw lots of wildlife on our visit to Caño Cristales.

We saw monkeys, small caimans, and lots of birds on the boat rides up and down the river. We also saw tons and tons of turtles!

In the park, we also saw monkeys, lots of birds, and some cool looking little lizards with neat color patterns.

The coolest thing we saw though was a baby puma!

On our way hiking out of Caño Cristales, we saw what looked like a very large black house cat cross the path about 50 meters in front of us. It took a quick look at us before scampering off into the brush off to the side of the trail.

It happened so quick, I barely had time to register what it was we were seeing, much less snap a photo.

Luckily, either mama puma wasn’t around, or at least, she didn’t see us a threat.

So keep your eyes peeled everywhere!

There is a ton of wildlife to be seen all around the Serranía de la Macarena.

Enjoy a Parrandón Llanero

Our first night, our tour group went to a special dinner and cultural presentation.

It was a Parrandón, or a “bigger” version of a Parranda, or party. There were lots of other agencies there as well, so it seems like this is a common activity the agencies include in their itineraries.

We enjoyed a great plate of the traditional mamona, a tender piece of veal, or beef from a young cow. This is a regional favorite throughout Meta, Casanare, and the llanos.

There was a band and singer that played some traditional llanero music, including some pretty wicked harp playing.

There was also a presentation of the dance known as the joropo, which involves lots of incredibly quick foot movements.

Don’t worry (or if you’re a gringo with bad rhythm like me do worry), you will likely get invited for an impromptu lesson by one of the dancers. Susana and I both were. The girl who invited me to dance definitely put me to shame.

If you come on your own and not with a tour package, you could ask the agency you book your trips to the park with if they offer this, as it was a fun way to see a bit more of the local culture.

Of course, if you make friends with some locals, you may just get invited to a true Parrandón!

FAQs About Caño Cristales

Here are some frequently asked questions about Caño Cristales.

A lot of this information has been covered above, but it’s a good quick reference if you’ve been skimming or just are looking for the answer to a specific question.

Where is Caño Cristales?

Caño Cristales is located in the Serranía de la Macarena, also known as the Sierra de la Macarena, in the rocky highlands above the Guayabero River, near the town of La Macarena in the Department of Meta. It is located almost directly south of Bogotá in the roots of the Andes.

The entire surrounding area is a national park known as Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de la Macarena. The area is almost completely wild and undeveloped except for the nearby small town from which the park gets its name.

Why is Caño Cristales colorful? / What causes the rainbow river of Colombia?

Caño Cristales is colorful due to an aquatic plant that grows in the river called the Macarenia clavigera. This special plant is unique to this region of Colombia and does not grow anywhere else in the world. When the plants bloom, they do so in different colors, mostly in shades of red, pink, white, and green. The color and brightness of each plant depends on the amount sunlight they receive.

When is the best time to visit Caño Cristales?

The best time to visit Caño Cristales is from July to November. This is the season when the aquatic plants bloom and the river has its color.

The rest of the year, you cannot see the colors as the plant lies dormant while it regenerates and absorbs the sunlight that gives it its color before blooming and becoming the rainbow river of Colombia again next year. During this time, the national park is closed, and you cannot visit Caño Cristales. While it’s possible to visit some other sites nearby during this offseason, the river is the main attraction.

Is it safe to visit Caño Cristales?

Yes. Caño Cristales is very safe to visit today and for about the last decade despite a history of conflict in the region. Since the Colombian peace agreement and growth of tourism to the area, the area has only become safer.

Can you swim in the rainbow river of Colombia?

Yes and no. In the sections of Caño Cristales where the plants grow that give the river its colors, you cannot swim since the plants are fragile. However, there are several swimming holes and waterfalls along the river where you can swim. Note that the park prohibits the use of deodorants, sunscreen, hair sprays, and other chemical products so swimmers cannot damage the plants.

Caño Cristales Conclusion

There you have it a complete travel guide to Caño Cristales, aka Colombia’s Rainbow River. It really is a remarkable destination, and if you’re thinking about going, I encourage you to do so!

If you do go, I hope this guide was useful for your planning, and, more importantly, that you enjoy it as much as we did.

Cheers and Happy Exploring!

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If you are thinking about visiting Caño Cristales, I really can’t recommend considering Guaviare too. For another unique landscape in Colombia, consider hiking the Paramo de Ocetá, high up in the Andes. For more wildlife, visit Casanare. Finally, the neat mountain jungles and waterfalls of Minca is also be a great destination for nature lovers.