The river
shown in the photographs is the Caristales, which is located near the town of
La Macarena in Colombia , South America .
The river,
world famous for its colourful display, has been called:"the river that
ran away to paradise," "the most beautiful river in the world"
and "the river of five colours".
During
Colombia 's wet season, the water flows fast and deep, obscuring the bottom of
the river and denying the mosses and algae that call the river home the sun
that they need. During the dry season there is not enough water to support the
dazzling array of life in the river. But during a brief span between the wet
and dry seasons, when the water level is just right, the many varieties of
algae and moss bloom in a dazzling display of colours. Blotches of amarillo ,
blue, green, black and red - and a thousand shades in between - coat the river.
The part
of the river where the colourful blooms occur is quite isolated and is not
accessible by road. Adventurous tourists can now fly into La Macarena and then
make their way to to the river site on foot as part of guided tours. The site
was effectively closed to tourists for several years because of guerrilla
activity in the region along with concerns about the impact of unregulated
tourist traffic. However, the site was re-opened to visitors in 2009.
So far,
some 1,000 people have visited Caristales, including around 100 foreign
tourists.
The tours
will follow four clearly marked and authorized paths and one is no longer
permitted to stay overnight or cook, as this was ruining the area previously.
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