Caño Cristales

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Geological Significance · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Swimming · Waterfall

The trail itself is easy. The hard part is getting there. Flying into La Macarena, you first pay two fees, one to the military officials and the second to local officials. Before going to your hotel, you have to watch a video on rules of the park. You can't visit the park without a tour which involves a canoe and rugged jeep trip.

From the entrance to the park you head along the road for about 3/4 of a mile.

From there, you cut left and the next three miles visit waterfalls and tributaries that have the same characteristics of the Caño Cristales river; sculpted rock and colorful waters. Once you arrive at the dramatic horseshoe waterfall of Salto del Aguila, you take a sharp right to hike along the river.

From here there a lots of waterfalls and places to swim (no sunblock is allowed as to not hurt some of the endemic species). This goes on for another two miles until you pop onto the road at the bridge and head back to the entrance.

The area is rich in biodiversity featuring 8 species of primates, 10 amphibians, 43 reptiles, around 420 species of birds.

That said the real star of the river is Macarenia clavigera which adds the iconic red-pink colors during the rainy season June to November.