Caño Cristales Hiking Excursion via Boat & 4WD, La Macarena

A few hours south of Bogotá lies the Serranía de la Macarena mountain range, home to the eponymous national park founded in 1971. It's an area of incredible biodiversity, as it's a convergence point for three different regions of Colombia: the Amazon, the Andes, and the Orinoco River lands. This results in a tropical climate and various ecosystems, including dry forest, rainforest, and savanna. It's also home to the "River of Five Colors," a 62-mile (100 km) section of the Caño Cristales river, known for its abundance of red algae that turns the running river water into a kaleidoscope of colors.

Excursions to view this unique phenomenon run from the village of La Macarena. Transportation is by motorboat on the Río Guayabero, which feeds Caño Cristales, followed by a 25-minute bumpy 4WD transfer, and then finally a moderate overland hike on a designated trail to the destination. Know that this natural occurrence is at its best during the months of July through October, and it's mandatory to visit with a licensed guide. The benefit to this is that on the trail to Caño Cristales, guides point out all the exotic flora and fauna in the area, like howler monkeys, macaws, and freshwater turtles.