The River of Seven Colors

La Macarena is a little Colombian pueblo in the southernmost part of El Meta. A remote outpost in the vast plains of the Orinoquía, it is best known as a base for visiting Caño Cristales, the so-called Most Beautiful River in the World, the Liquid Rainbow, the River of Seven Colors.

Understand

The town

There isn't a whole lot to say about the town. The municipality, which includes an enormous amount of countryside, has less than 4,000 inhabitants, and only a fraction of them are in the town itself. It serves as the regional center for the surrounding campesinos, who mostly raise cattle. Because the campesinos come into town for goods on the weekends, Sunday cannot be the local day of rest—so they arbitrarily chose Wednesday. You'll notice this right away when you see that 90% of the businesses are shuttered!

While the region was inhabited by indigenous Guayaberos since prehistoric times, an actual settlement in the area dates back to the 1950s, when colonos arrived from Caquetá, founding the town initially under the name El Refugio. From 1999-2002, the town and surroundings became part of El Caguán DMZ, the zone of the country granted to the FARC as sole authority during peace talks. The locals who volunteer opinions, at least, speak of that time as being quite scary, and for that matter, the time before and afterwards when the national military didn't have full control of the area.

The serranía

The Serranía de la Macarena is quite possibly the single most biodiverse spot on earth measured per hectare, and for this reason was Colombia's first natural reserve (and is now a national park). It is the only mountain region (more of a plateau, really) south of Colombia's Andino region, and is the highest point in Los Llanos. Covered with natural environments ranging from scrub grasslands to dense jungle to borderline Andean—owing to its varying altitudes, the temperatures here span 12-25°C, but are constant year round due to the proximity to the equator! It is home to anteaters, jaguars, cougars, deer, eight species of monkeys, 550 species of birds, 1,200 species of insects, and 100 species of reptiles, in addition to about 50 identified species of orchids and thousands of other identified plant species.

La Macarena's church, on the main square

Alas, the all too familiar problem of slash and burn agriculture plagues the park. The Colonos (which is a word that quite closely approximates "pioneers" in the sense of United States history) who are doing the shifting cultivation are mainly poor people trying to eke a better life as efficiently as they can in Los Llanos. The conflict with guerrillas and narcotraffickers (who have grown coca in the remote and inaccessible sections of the park) keeps the national military from effectively policing the park to stop the destruction, and indeed the government's own efforts at coca eradication via fumigation contribute to the ecological degradation.

For adventurous ecotourists, though, the Serranía de la Macarena holds one of the world's most unusual and beautiful natural wonders: Caño Cristales. This river flows through the southern section of the park, and is readily accessible with a guide from La Macarena.

Climate

Expect temperatures year-round of lows averaging 21–23°C and highs 26-32°C.

The Macarenia clavígera "blossoms" only in the months July through October, though you can probably see them in November too. For a spectacular play of colours, you also need sunny weather, which is most probable from September to February.

Prepare

Bring some two liters of water per person, long light pants that are water-resistant, a long-sleeved light shirt, a hat (but you can easily buy good ones for COP$10,000 in town), a bathing suit and shoes that can get wet. Don't worry too much about them as "crossing the river" really just entails stepping in some puddles.

You usually won't need a raincoat during the months when the river blooms. But ask your guide at the start of the day if you'll need one, since the torrential rains are spectacular when they get going.

Don't bother bringing sunblock or insect repellent, as they are banned in the park to protect the aquatic plants! You'll want those long sleeves and pants to ward off sun burn.

Bring malaria medications, as the world's most deadly disease is a real risk in rural, lowland Colombia. The airline will probably ask proof that you have been vaccinated against yellow fever more than 10 days before the day of travel.

If you arrange things on your own, the number of visitors of Cano Cristales per day is limited and you must obtain a permit prior to visiting it. You can apply for a permit by filling a form and sending it to the following e-mail addresses: reservasmacarena@parquesnacionales.gov.co and regionalmacarena@cormacarena.gov.co. It takes up to 3 days to receive the permit. However, as you are not allowed to go there on your own but only with a guide or agency, it is more practical to contact them and they will request the permit for you. A good starting point is Doris from Cristales Macarena. There are reports about good tours, reliable service and good prices (think COP$190,000 for one day and know that prices do vary). When booking, mention which places you want to see to get the most out of your visit. If you come on a typical package tour of 3-days, you can go to Cano Cristales only on one day, the other days you would visit Cristalitos and Cano Piedra or something else.

Get in

You will want at the very minimum two full days to visit Caño Cristales, although a third day can be more comfortable, albeit more expensive. Accordingly, plan a trip for four to five days, with your flights on the first and last days (unless you arrange a private charter, which can give you a bit more flexibility to depart late on a tour day). This also will give you at least a little cushion in case the flight gets postponed due to weather or general Satena incompetence.

By plane

There is only one practical and safe way to get to La Macarena, and it's by plane.

• 1 La Macarena Airport (LMC  ^IATA). Satena Airlines is the one regular commercial operator, with three flights from Bogotá per week on Sunday Wednesday and Friday and two flights a week from Medellin.  

• Villavicencio Airport (VVC ^IATA). Another option would be to take a bus from Bogota to Villavicencio and then fly to La Macarena. There are several private operators who fly from Villavicencio's airport, most often chartered through a tour company, but they'll be happy to do a private charter for you if you contact them. You can even just go to the airport and talk to them, but you may then be setting yourself up to overnight in Villavo. They are considerably more expensive than Satena, but they are more convenient, and you don't have to adapt to Satena's schedule. There are a very small number of hostels in Bogotá who will set you up with a private flight and all other arrangements. Confirmed ones are Hostal Martinik in La Candelaria and Hostal La Pinta in Chapinero Central.  

When you arrive at the La Macarena airport, which looks a bit more like a backyard, you can make your official arrangements for a guide to take you into the park at the tourist desk. Most of them speak only Spanish, but some tour agencies also propose English speaking guides.

The vast majority of people book a complete tour from Bogotá. Caño Cristales is one of the few places which is not only easier to organise but also cheaper when booking a tour instead of traveling alone! Tour prices for 3 full days are around COP$1,200,000-1,400,000 (including flight, accommodation, food, all activities, by October 2016). The only way getting there cheaper than with a tour would be traveling by land (see below).

Overland Jeeps leave every Sunday at 7AM from Vistahermosa, taking 12 hours on a very bad road which is impassable in the rainy season. From San Vicente del Caguán it's an easy 4-hour trip; several shared pickups leavv every day.

Get around

The town is tiny, despite being a "regional center," and you can walk to any local hotel from the airport in less than five minutes. To get out to Serranía de la Macarena and Caño Cristales, you will need to go with a guide (it's mandatory, in no small part because they want to protect the river, but also to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't wander off the beaten path). With your guide, you will cross the river by boat, and then take a jeep, bicycle, motorcycle, or even horse for most of the way to Caño Cristales.

Being a Colombian town, the street layout is an orderly, numbered grid, but the town is so small, you probably won't ever bother to learn the numbers. The "port" is a little hidden (down the little road at the far side of the park), but your guide will take you there anyway.

See

The waterfalls "Los Cuarzos"

In town? Not much. There is usually a cool military plane or two over at the airport. The one park is a nice place to sit in the shade by the church. When you sign up for a guide to Caño Cristales, you'll also get a short tour of the pueblo, mostly just to get you oriented and to point out a couple favorite restaurants (or hotels, if you don't have one).

Serranía de la Macarena

Now we get to the fun stuff. This National Park is arguably the single most biodiverse spot on earth counting species per hectare. Endemic flora and fauna galore, and your guide should be a good source of knowledge along the way. The landscape is savanna with plenty of brush and small trees. But the main attraction is of course Caño Cristales.

• 1 Caño Cristales. Is it the River of Seven Colors? Or a more prosaic five? Guides toe the party line du jour of five: black, green, white, yellow, and bold ruby red. The plants (yes, plants, not algae) supply the red or green depending on the time of year, and the rocks and sand fill the whole spectrum. More investigative/imaginative/trifling travelers will find six or seven, though. The walk along/through the river is simply spectacular. With all the interesting rock formations, natural pools, rapids, and waterfalls, it would be a truly beautiful river even without the crazy red plants.  

Photography and gawking will keep you pretty busy during the hike, but some of the most memorable parts of the trip will be the swims in the natural pools, which are breathtakingly beautiful, and have the perfect temperature—cool enough to be refreshing, but warm enough to be comfortable for as long as you like. Most are at the bottom of waterfalls, and the water is almost clean enough to drink (but don't do that). When in the river, you can gently touch the plants, but be careful with them—they will eventually be the town's own gold mine when the tourists really start arriving in numbers, and they are fragile and unique.

Other attractions

If you are doing the Satena Airlines gig, you'll have a bunch of extra time on your hands. Because of the security situation, you'll always want to check with locals before heading out somewhere other than Caño Cristales, but hey, you have to talk to locals about trips anyway, since you'll need to get a lift!

• 2 Caño de Piedras. A reasonably short moto-taxi ride out of town, this river has a really popular natural pool with the townsfolk, who more or less all go here on Wednesdays. A nice river to swim in, have a picnic and hang out without spending a hundred dollars. This can be combined with seeing the sunset on the way back. If you are traveling alone try to find some other people to share the mototaxi and save money. If you go to Caño Cristales you don't really need to see Caño de Piedras in addition.  
• 3 Jardín Botánico (botanic garden). This is a private place in a near village (La Esperanza, 18 km from Down Town) for the recovery and the conservation of native plants and animals. The Garden is a 350 hectares (860 acres) farm, with 150 hectares recognized as a Civil Society Natural Reservation. It is possible to travel around the garden in horses or in some paths by foot. There is a Garden office in the town where some services are offered (tourism guidance, transportation, basic information about the region).  
• Finca Cristalitos. Although Caño Cristales is the main attraction in town, this is not the only river with colours. Cristalitos is a Cristales afluent, smaller but equally beautiful. Unlike Cristales, there is a camping site and a little farm where to buy local food. By contacting Jardín Botánico it is possible to book a night or to plan a visit there. Cristalitos is higher up on the mountain and therefore includes a nice view over the region. 
• Madrevieja del Carmen. Madreviejas are a kind of paleo-rivers or a paleochannel: a remnant of an inactive river or stream channel that has been either filled or buried by younger sediment. In this case, the Madrevieja del Carmen is an older branch of Guayabero River, surrounded by archaeological remnants and inhabited by endangered Amazonian species of birds, mammals, insects and trees. It is in a farm that is embraced in agroecological experiments, restoration of native forest and aimed to educate peasants in new forms of production. The Madrevieja is 17 km from downtown and it is possible to get there by car, moto or by boat. By contacting Jardín Botánico it is possible to book a night or to plan a visit there. 
• El Raudal. This is a rapid from the Guayabero River, formed among the walls of ancient rocks. After Cristales, this is the most visited place in the region and is administrated by the local community that lives there. The place is a kind of open-air archaeological museum with ancient petrogliphs visible during summer time. To travel there, you can contact ECOAMEN , the communal tourist organization. 

Do

The Clavigera Macarena up close

In town, there are the many pool halls, but otherwise this is one sleepy town. Card games, books, or maybe a couple bottles of guaro are a must for the down time!

There's a traditional Llanero music/dance show every evening at 7pm with dinner (optional, ~20000 COP) to welcome the newly arrived tourists. It is usually held at Hotel San Nicolas (around the corner, opposite the airport) and lasts 2hrs. The other alternate location is at El Caporal (opposite the park, next to Punto Verde) but it lasts for only about 30 minutes here.

Buy

There is a ton of touristy stuff for sale in the shops that eat up about a third of real estate on the main streets, with the most useful item being a hat with neck cover in the back to keep you from burning. If you somehow have trouble finding these, check Miscelanea Traslevina, Variedades Rey, and Wilyani, which are all next to each other on Calle 5, opposite Hotel La Cascada.

Costs

Seeing Caño Cristales isn't cheap. For the guide and transport each day plan on COP$250,000–350,000 for a solo traveler, depending on the agency and your negotiation skills. It costs a bit less if you are sharing costs, as part of a group (maximum size 7). If you are a solo traveler feeling sneaky, and if your guide is cool, you can slip around the back way on a moto-taxi and ferry yourselves across along with the motorcycle in a canoe (but you can't let the military see you riding three to a bike); this will save some COP$50,000 compared to the standard boat plus jeep option.

The ATM in La Macarena is in the road that leads back into town opposite of the park. However, Banco Agrario charges hefty fees (around COP$10,500 ) and it may not be restocked regularly. It also can fail because of the frequent power outages. So you'd better not rely on it. The ATM by Bancolombia which is shown in GoogleMaps does not exist.

There is no money wire transfer service.

The small town is very safe, so it's not a problem to have a lot of cash on hand as long as you take the most basic anywhere-in-the-world precautions against theft. All that said, restocking on cash before you come, is the way to go. The Villavicencio airport does not have an ATM either (however, you can charter a taxi to the park to the east to hit up the ATM in the parking lot and return, negotiating a reasonable rate in advance).

If you run out of cash, talk to the police, who can take you onto the military base, which does have another ATM (pray it works).

Eat

There are plenty of restaurants in town, mostly pretty cheap and of OK quality, along with a notably large number of panaderías. For the expeditions, you'll probably want to bring a lunch, which could be just some arepas from a panadería, or a more satisfying meal prepared by a restaurant and wrapped in banana leaves (your guide can help you get that set up).

This town uses exclusively the skunky variety of Colombian cheeses that gringos don't tend to like. Blame the folks in the blue house going down the little road to the port—they're the ones making it.

One of many natural swimming pools, under La Escalera

• 1 El Café de Lithos (behind the police station). Tu-Su 4-10:30PM. It is a very special place where loud music is forbidden and all people is welcome. Locals use to interact with tourists (same low prices for everyone) and share food that you can't find in any other place in town: causa peruana, waffles, desserts, vegan and vegetarian food. Also, a variety of coffees, teas and infusions. You should try gyarapo frappe and citric lemonade, two of their signatures beverages. 
• La Casa del Pan, Calle 5, 7-66. There are plenty of panaderías in town, but this is one of the friendliest, and pretty conveniently located. And they won't randomly try to gouge you on soda prices! COP$500-2,500. 
• 2 Pan Unicrema, Carrera 7, 7-08. Well hidden in a town where things are hard to hide, this is the busiest, or at least has the appearance of the busiest, panadería in town (it's possible the locals just like to hang out here and drink coffee). COP$500-2,500. 
• Punto Verde (On the park just north of the church). Seemingly scornful of customers, this spot eschews any sort of signage (you'll know it because everything is white), and the lady will try to scare you off with tales of how long it will take to prepare the meal. Intrepid traveler, forge ahead! The portions are large and tasty, with more meat on your plate than you'll get anywhere else. The park provides a nice atmosphere at night, too, with Bar Papparazzi providing the background music. COP$7,000-10,000. 
• Restaurante Brisas del Guayabero, Carrera 8, 3-71 (On the park opposite the church). A friendly option with probably the best value in town for a restaurant. Hearty soups and decent meats. Again, it's nice to be on the park at night. COP$6,000-8,000. 
• Restaurante y Heladería Fondo Azul, Calle 5, 6-69. The one ice cream place in town! If only this were located on the park, it would be a gold mine, but now that you know where it is, go get your fingers sticky. COP$3,500-8,000. 
• Restaurante el Llanero, Calle 7, 7-18. Pretty well hidden from tourists on Calle 7 is the pueblo's friendliest restaurant by far, run by a lovely lady who likes to chat with travelers. Even the patrons seem more friendly here. Food is hearty, simple, and tasty. COP$7,000-11,000. 
• Restaurante la Turista, Calle 5, 7-55. It's not clear whether the name is a cynical ploy or just an ironic misnomer, but this place always has the same locals hanging out. While locals hanging out is usually a good sign, this restaurant suffers a bit from the fact that they overcharge tourists (go figure). The food is above average, though. COP$8,000-12,000. 
• Mona's Empanadas (in front of the football field). As dusk sets in, temporary food stalls sprout out in the area next to the football ground. One of the more popular stands is Mona's - freshly rolled and fried hot empanadas for just 500COP a piece. Be prepared to patiently wait if it's crowded, which always seems to be the case. Try the piña salsa and the salsa blanca (tartare). COP$500/empañada. 

Drink

Take your pick—there's an open-air, dimly lit spot with Aguila and Poker on every other corner. There are several pool halls, with the big ones on the main road by Calles 6 and 7. They are always busy, but not too busy to prevent you from nabbing a table after a couple beers.

The Guayabero River, the only road to anywhere else

Sleep

There is a bunch of hotels/guesthouses in town, mostly clustered around the park and on calle 5 (the street just off the park with the prominent sign for Hotel la Cascada). There really is no reason to book these in advance, as there almost certainly will be tons of spare capacity, and you can give yourself a little tour of the rooms and find a good price. All lodgings will have a private bath plus TV option (and sometimes A/C) and a shared bath no-TV option. Keep in mind that power sometimes cuts off in the evenings, so that TV and A/C might not be waiting for you! Showers are all cold, and you'll never want anything else.

It is not possible to camp in the National Park, so you will have to stay in town and "commute" each day.

• 1 Casa Hotel Real (Next to the church), ☏ +57 313 292-9925. A nice sunny, breezy option with friendly staff. Sort of in the mid-range of things here. Optional A/C. COP$25,000/35,000. 
• Hotel Macarena (Next to the church). A basic low budget hotel with clean rooms and friendly staff. 25000 COP/20000 COP for rooms with/without a private bathroom. COP$20,000/25,000. (updated Jul 2019)
• 2 Hotel la Cascada, Calle 5, 7-35, ☏ +57 8 560-3132. Despite the very unassuming exterior, this is probably the nicest hotel in town, with an immaculately clean and somewhat cavernous interior, comfy beds, and lots of A/C. The prices are a bit on the high side for the better rooms, though. COP$80,000/120,000. 
• 3 Hospedaje los Cristales, Calle 5, 7-21. A bottom budget option. It's a little loud at night, no A/C—just fans, and the rooms aren't as nice as those at some other hotels, but the family that runs the outfit is nice, and the price is certainly right. COP$10,000/20,000. 
• 4 Hotel San Nicolas, Calle 9, 5-54 (Arriving at the airport in La Macarena, you must walk straight 2 blocks in the hospital direction through the police station, then turn right 1 block and 10 m to the left: the hotel is right in front of the high school), ☏ +57- 32 13 00 08 02, info@sannicolas-hotel.com. Check-in: 13:30, check-out: 11:00. A family-run property with standard private rooms or dormitories. All rooms are spacious and airy, have their own bathroom with a shower and toilet, and are equipped with a TV set. COP$40,000. (updated Aug 2015)

Connect

The Liquid Rainbow

There is free but slow Wi-Fi in the public park in the town's centre. Only a few hotels in town will get you connected and only in Café de Lithos you will find free internet for patrons.

Internet is terribly slow especially in the evening hours. Logging in and getting an ip-address can be challenging during peak hours.

Apart from that there are two internet cafes (despite their name, they don't sell beverages, so BYO), prominently signed "Internet". Both are slow and at COP$2,500/hour expensive. They are open in the afternoon only, power cuts usually occur around dinner time.

The one at Calle 5, 7-70 is a bit faster, and hence more crowded with youngsters, but the computers are infested with malware. The second just opposite the airport at Calle 8, 7-76 is s‑l‑o‑w..., sometimes nearly to the point of being unusable. But the people who run it are easily some of the nicest, friendliest people you'll meet in this occasionally kind of stand-offish town—you'll feel good spending your money there.

Most of the usual mobile network providers have a decent coverage in town. There are a few shops offering minutes and data.

Stay safe

La Macarena is more or less surrounded by legitimately dangerous, scary regions, but the military is in firm control of the town, river, and has all sorts of patrols out around the areas where you will be walking. The real dangers would be slipping on a rock, sun burn, or more seriously malaria. While the risk is quite low of contracting malaria on your trip, the price of skimping on medicine is potentially your life. Doxycicline (doxiciclina) is inexpensive in Bogotá and Villavicencio: just go to any droguería and ask for 30 plus the number of days in La Macarena tablets at a dosage of 100 mg. Aside from that, just be sure to bring a good two liters or so of water each day to avoid heat exhaustion.

Go next

If you are interested in exploring Serranía de la Macarena more and seeing more wildlife, you might have better luck doing so from the north side. The closest town you can get to easily would be San Martín, but it would be best to check with a tour agency in Villavicencio first to double check whether this will be possible at all.

If Caño Cristales seems to be too far off your track but you itch to see colourful rivers, the following might be for you:

• 1 Tranquilandia in Guaviare department
• 2 Quebrada Las Gachas in Santander
• 3 Atabapo River on the border of Colombia and Venezuela