Caño Cristales: Colombia's Incredible Rainbow River

If you are lucky enough, you might just be at the right place at the right time to bear witness to something that can only occur when all the elements involved are in perfect balance. Such is the wonder and magnificence of the Cano Cristales at a certain time of the year, because that’s when the Rainbow River comes to life.Explorer Andres Hurtado named it thus in the 1980s, when he brought the attention of the world to this wonder of nature. For most of the year, this waterway looks like most other rivers, the crystal clear waters tumbling over rocks covered with nondescript green and grey plants and algae, but for a short period of time each year, a most amazing transformation occurs.In the few days between the wet and dry seasons, the water level drops enough for the sun to warm the moss and algae on the river's bottom, and this warmth leads to an explosion of blooms, as the flora bursts into incredibly colourful life. The many varieties of algae and moss bloom in a dazzling display of colors, from fuschia red, through yellow, green, bright blue, black, all accentuated by dramatic waterfalls and lazy watering holes.