Where is cano cristales river

Recommended blog posts. World Wetlands Day: The beauty of biodiversity. Magical Kalandula Falls. Spain, a country of reservoirs. Pamukkale, the impressive Turkish thermal springs "cotton castle". According to park guide Walther Ramos, geologists have come from around the world to study the mysteries of the park. After the Colombian military established a presence in the area in the mids, a trickle of brave tourists began arriving.

Planes land in small ranching community of La Macarena on the banks of the muddy Guayabero River. From there, narrow motorboats ferry passengers a few kilometres upriver, past monkeys perched in the trees and caimans sunning on the banks, to the cusp of the national park, where a fleet of rugged transport trucks awaits. NOTE: It is forbidden to use sunscreen or mosquito spray when you swim in the river to avoid pollution.

Thanks to excellent conservation laws in the area, this is why the water remains so clean and so clear that you can see every single plant and every stone on the ground. Take a hat with you, because the sun is burning! Even during raining season. There are a few hotels and only one hostel in La Macarena, seven of which you can find and book on Booking.

Our Pick! Prior to the pandemic, thousands of tourists flocked to see the spectacle every year, which had raised concerns amongst scientists that the river may be threatened by overtourism. Flavia Santoro, head of ProColombia, the country's tourism board, says that measures had to be taken to protect the area -- so large was the influx of visitors. The agency "severely restricted development" of tourism infrastructure in La Macarena, the nearest small town to the national park, as well as capping the number of tourists allowed in at per day.

There were so many tourists visiting the region that in spite of the cap environmental authorities closed the destination in December to protect the river. The closure was then extended due to the pandemic. The effect, biologists say, has been been beneficial for the region.

Faber Ramos, a park ranger and eco-tourism coordinator in the Colombian national park system's Orinoco region, says the pandemic has had a "positive effect" on the river's health and that there was now a greater presence of fauna. Colombia had been experiencing a solid yearly growth in tourists visiting the country, following the signing of the peace agreement with FARC guerrillas in , which officially ended more than 50 years of civil war.

Balancing visitors and the fragile environment. The growth was hugely beneficial for the tourism industry and small towns that suddenly found themselves catering to tourists' demands for local guides, accommodation and food, but proved problematic for environments that had lain almost untouched for half a century. There are many endemic species and species of restricted distribution. Deforestation is one of Colombia's most pressing problems, with more than 40 soccer fields worth of trees logged every day, and the area of La Macarena is no exception.