When you think of images of geographical features that represent Colombia, one of the first places that comes to mind is likely to be Caño Cristales, a colourful river that appeared in the movie Encanto, inspired the women’s national football team’s shirts, and is depicted on the 2,000-peso banknote. I had the opportunity to visit it this year, and I’m happy to report that it is indeed truly incredible. If you are considering visiting Caño Cristales, you may find the following information useful.
Location
Caño Cristales is Iocated in the Serranía de la Macarena national park in the southern part of La Meta, one of the most biodiverse areas of Colombia belonging to the Orinoco river watershed. The closest town and the starting point of all trips to the national park is called La Macarena.
How to get there
Since La Macarena is quite far away from major cities, the best way to get there is by plane. During the high season, there are direct flights from Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali with Clic Air and SATENA. While it is possible to get to La Macarena by land from San José Del Guaviare in the east and San Vicente del Caguán in the west, the roads are unpaved and the car journeys are extremely long and uncomfortable. It is highly recommended to pay some extra money and travel by plane.
When to visit
Caño Cristales depends mainly on rainwater, so you need to visit it during the rainy season. In fact, the national park is open just for five or six months per year, usually from mid-June until the end of November.
Security
For a few decades, the area was considered dangerous due to the fact that the port in La Macarena was used for transporting coca. That has changed, and the place is now perfectly safe for tourists since they now represent the main source of income. I felt much more comfortable walking there at night than in big Colombian cities. A peculiar reminder of the old times is that motorcycle riders are not allowed to wear a helmet so that everybody can see who they are.
A unique airport experience
Funnily enough, airport security is non-existent in La Maracena. The airport building doors are always open and literally anybody can walk to the runway. There is no X-ray machine and nobody checks your cabin baggage when you depart. When it’s time to board the plane, an employee calls out the names on the passenger list and you need to raise your hand to identify yourself. It all feels like a throwback to the times when there was no need to be worried about potential threats when travelling by plane.
A guided tour is obligatory
You can’t visit Caño Cristales by yourself. Access to the national park is restricted and the number of visitors per day is capped, so it’s a good idea to book your tour in advance. There are many agencies that can help you with that. I made my tour reservation through Hostal Caño Nevera, where I stayed in La Macarena, and everything went really well.
Your guide will accompany you at all times. At first, you will take a short boat ride to the other side of the Guyabaero river and then a jeep will transport you to the starting point of the hike. There are several routes available, but you can’t choose which one your group will take – that’s decided by the authorities. Following your guide’s instructions is really important since there are some places on the hike where one could get seriously hurt or worse.
Prohibited items
Using sunscreen and repellent is prohibited in order to avoid damaging the Macarenia clavijera plant that gives the river its colours. This means you should wear long sleeves, trousers, and a hat to avoid getting sunburnt. The place is very hot, but fortunately there are some welcome opportunities to take a dip in the river.
In addition, you aren’t allowed to take single-use plastic bags and bottles into the park. Even though nobody checked my backpack when I went there, it’s important to respect the rules and use a refillable water bottle. There are at least two places where you can buy drinks in the national park, anyway.
Yellow fever vaccination is recommended
Again, nobody is going to check any certificates, but it is recommended to get vaccinated at least 10 days before travelling to the region. Although the probability of getting infected is very low, the symptoms of this disease are quite nasty and you don’t want to come down with a severe case of yellow fever in a remote Colombian town.
Don’t expect luxury
Please bear in mind that La Macarena is a developing town, where most of the roads are unpaved. Don’t expect the same infrastructure as in the best parts of Bogotá and Medellín. For example, you may experience frequent power cuts during a storm. This trip is suited to adventurous travellers who can cope with discomfort.
It isn’t cheap
La Macarena depends on tourism, yet it receives virtually no foreign visitors for half of the year. It’s also very difficult to reach the town by land. As a result, everything costs a bit more than in some other popular tourist destinations in Colombia.
There are more places to visit than just Caño Cristales
You need a full day to visit Caño Cristales, but there other amazing places near La Macarena, such as Caño Piedra, el Mirador, and Raudal Angosturas I. I managed to see what I wanted in four days, but you can easily spend a week in the area and visit the very impressive Caño Canoas as well.
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