{"id":26980,"date":"2023-12-16T07:29:59","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T07:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belalcazar.org\/?p=26980"},"modified":"2023-12-16T07:29:59","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T07:29:59","slug":"the-worlds-most-beautiful-river-with-all-the-colours-of-the-rainbow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belalcazar.org\/world-news\/the-worlds-most-beautiful-river-with-all-the-colours-of-the-rainbow\/","title":{"rendered":"The world\u2019s most beautiful river with all the colours of the rainbow"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The UK may be getting greyer by the day as winter draws in – but vibrant colours and beautiful sights await in an incredible South American river. Ca\u00f1o Cristales in Colombia has been named the \u201criver of five colours\u201d or \u201cliquid rainbow\u201d as an unusual weed creates vivid tones all the way along it.<\/p>\n

However, the river for a long time barely saw any tourists due to the very real danger of a terrifying guerilla group. Caught in a certain light, the river can show bright greens, yellows, reds, and purples. The best time to see the river is reportedly in the full sunlight, capturing all the huge variety of tones while being able to see right to the bottom of the river.<\/p>\n

READ MORE <\/strong> The beautiful UK seaside town so posh it’s nicknamed Chelsea-on-Sea<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lasting for about 100km, the stretch is also a spectacular sight for the circular pits which have formed along the riverbed. Pebbles or chunks of harder rocks have fallen into small cavities in the bed, and are then rotated by the water current and carve out a wide space.<\/p>\n

These pits are known as giant\u2019s kettles, and overall create a pockmarked effect along the bottom of the riverbed.<\/p>\n

While it may look fantastical, the river\u2019s colour is all down to a weed that is understood to be unique to Ca\u00f1o Cristales. Named macarenia clavigera, it clings to the rocks on the riverbed of the fast-flowing stream.<\/p>\n

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While it is usually red, it can show a number of different colours depending on factors such as sunlight. The colors are believed to be at their peak vibrancy between July and November.<\/p>\n

For many years the river was barely touched by tourists and was even on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office\u2019s (FCO) warning list to avoid for \u201call-but-essential travel\u201d. It was within the territory of the dangerous Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), making it highly inadvisable to visit.<\/p>\n

While the danger has not completely been removed, the river is substantially safer to visit now. The FCO has taken it off the warning list and now advises visiting with a guide – and tourism has since picked up.<\/p>\n