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You are here: Home1 / The River of Five Colors: Caño Cristales

The river of five colors: Caño Cristales

COL-53 / 3-day Trip

Nature & Culture of Colombia 1
OVERVIEW

Caño Cristales,  the “River of Five Colors” is referred to as the most beautiful river in the world due to its striking colors. From the end of July through November, the riverbed is variously colored yellow, green, blue, black, and especially red, the last due to the predomerance of Macarenia clavigera (Podostemaceae) on the bottom of the river.

This trip is a very comfortable way of enjoying this amazing natural wonder. Short hikes on easy paths in a beautiful and varied setting are puncuated by great photo opportunities of the colorful river and swims in natural ponds of crystalline water. After full-on nature experiences during the day, the evenings/night offer the comfort of staying in the charming and picturesque village Macarena – painted in all the colors of the river. Here you will get to meet with the locals, experience an authentic “llanera” concert and perhaps dance the local “Jorobo” with the locals.

If you choose a trip to Caño Cristales, you should be aware that you are supporting a strong local society that truly believes in sustainable tourism. It has managed to turn ecotourism into the main income for more than 300 local families, after many years of war and hardships with the guerillas presence. The area is nowadays totally safe and very well protected by the authorities.


Day 1 Arrival to La Macarena
Day 2 Caño Cristales
Day 3 Departure

IMPORTANT: There are no flight guarantees from Bogotá on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. We will check availability upon request. Due to the strict control of the park authorities, the visits mentioned below are only guidelines. The exact visits and the order will be determined upon arrival to Macarena.

ITINERARY
Day 1

Arrival to La Macarena
Early morning transfer to meeting point in the airport in Bogotá (usually around 5 AM). Transfer to the chartered flight and fly to La Macarena town (sometimes with a stop in Villavicencio). Upon arrival to Macarena there will be an information briefing by the park authorities in order to get familiarized with the fragile and special ecosystem of Caño Cristales. Afternoon visit to either Cristalinos, El Mirador or Caño Piedra (depending on the schedule from the National Park). There you will have a box-lunch provided by the local staff. Return to the town of La Macarena at about 3:30 PM.
Included meals: Box-lunch, Dinner

Day 2

Caño Cristales
Today you will have a full day visit to different spots along the Caño Cristales. The tour starts with a short 20 minute boat ride on the Guayabero River, where we will have our first contact with the local nature. If lucky, we will spot caimans, iguanas, river turtles and parrots along the riverside. After that we will take a 4-wheel drive transport for another 20 minutes that will take us to a place called Manantial de Cajuche. From this point we will start our hike into the natural park.

The hike should last about 4 hours, but everything depends on the group’s rhythm and how long time it is used during the breaks for swimming. As this is a new place for tourism, it is important to prepare the clients for a quite relaxing and flexible time schedule! During this day and according to the assignment of the Park authorities, we will visit 3-5 of the places listed below during the hike. Some of the other places not visited this day, might be visited one of the other days.

  • La piscina del turista (The tourist swimming pool), excellent place for taking a dip in to the lovely waters of La Macarena.
  • La Silla de Tinigua (Tinigua’s Chair)
  • Tres Espejos (Three Mirrors)
  • Pozo Cuadrado (Square pool)
  • Las Escaleras (The Ladder)
  • Karol Cristal swimming pool
  • Caño Escondido
  • Cascada de la Virgen (The Virgins fall)
  • Cascada de Piedra Negra (Black stones fall)
  • Los Ochos. (The eight)
  • Acuaducto Romano (Roman Aqueduct)
  • El tapete Rojo (the red rug)

After the activities, we will return to Macarena village. Here there will be a folkloric show in order to enjoy and learn more about the local traditions of the area. Also there will be a local cuisine tasting and dance with music for a relaxing evening.

Included meals: breakfast, box lunch, dinner

Day 3

Departure
In the morning there will be a visit to either Cristalinos, El Mirador or Caño Piedra (depends on the schedule from the national Park), for a opportunity to enjoy the amazing settings and natural wonders. Return to Macarena for a last lunch, before we head back to Bogotá. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel in Bogotá.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
There are no flights guaranteed on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Bogotá. We will check availability upon request. Due to the strict control of the park authorities, the visits mentioned above are only guidelines. The exact visits and the order will be defined upon arrival to Macarena.

PRICING
COL-53 – Prices for 2016.

Price per person in shared double room715
Price per person in single room765

INCLUDED

  • Flight:  Bogotá – Macarena – Bogotá
  • Shared services in group
  • Spanish-speaking Guide (will meet you in Macarena)
  • Shared transfers during the trip from Macarena

NOT INCLUDED

  • International flights
  • Transfer from hotel to airport in Bogotá and vice versa
  • Meals not mentioned in the program
  • Tips
  • Private English speaking Guide. On request
  • Water (can be bought in the town)
  • Personal expenses

HOTEL LIST

Local basic hotels in La Macarena town (no website).

MAP
Tags: Colombia, Nature & Culture, River

BOOK TRIP

COLOMBIA TRIPS


ROUNDTRIPS

  • COL RCC SNSM CiudadPerdida JCG 529 crop 1748615545
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    COL-49 / 12 days / T2

  • COL RAO EjeCafetero MZL FRomelia FinRom 59
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    COL-46 / 12 days

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    COL-45 / 16 days

  • Colombia’s Highlights 3
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    COL-43 / 10 days


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  • COL RCC Baru HotelLasIslas 1 Aerea todo el hotel crop 1649855127
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    PER-40 / 14-day trip


ADD-ONS (+)

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    COL-06 / 6 days / T2

  • Amazonas (+)
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    COL-65 / 4 days

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    Communitarian Tourism in ColombiaJune 11, 2025 - 8:38 am

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    COL-94 / 3 days

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    COL-92 / 4 days

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    COL-57 / 4 days

  • COL RAO JardinAlrededores SM 001
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    COL-93 / 4 days

  • Ancient Colombia 1
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    COL-91b / 4 days

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    Southern ColombiaApril 10, 2025 - 10:37 am

    COL-91a / 8 days

  • CARIBBEAN BEACHES 2
    Caribbean BeachesApril 11, 2022 - 5:38 am

    4 or more days

  • Nature & Culture of Colombia 1
    The river of five colors: Caño CristalesJuly 9, 2018 - 3:37 pm

    COL-53 / 3 days

  • Hidden Treasures
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    COL-60 / 4 days

  • Whale Watching - Pacific - Nuqui
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    COL-54 / 4 days
    COL-61 / 4 or 5 days

  • Lost City Trek 1
    Lost City Trek – Indigenous Culture in the Sierra NevadaMay 26, 2015 - 3:57 pm

    COL-80a-LT / 6 days / T2


    BOOK THIS TRIP


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