See red! The bizarre river in Peru that changes the color of BLOOD every winter
It looks like Mother Nature has rolled out a red carpet.
As its name suggests, Peru’s spectacular Red River is a startling scarlet color, appearing as a streak of red running through the Vilcanota Mountains in Canchis Province for several months of the year.
It’s become something of a hit on social media, with one TikTok video — which has been viewed more than half a million times — describes the river as something that “doesn’t feel real.” In the comments, TikTok user ‘Owlhousefan_Lumity’ noticed that the water looked like “blood” while user ‘rock star’ compared it to flowing wine.
What causes this bizarre phenomenon? The Red River owes its crimson color to the region’s red sandstone, which is filled with iron oxide.
When it rains, this mineral-rich rock washes into the riverbed, turning the water red or pink. This makes Peru’s rainy season, from November to April, the best time to visit the banks as more rain runs off, local tour operator Kalpa travel reveals.
Peru’s spectacular Red River is a startling scarlet for several months of the year
The waterway appears in the Vilcanota Mountains in the Canchis Province of Peru. Image courtesy Kalpa travel
On the other hand, it can appear in ‘the unappealing color of mud brown’ during the dry season, tour company AB expeditions say.
The water of the river is red only for the first five kilometers from its source at the valley of the Arcoiris Palcoyo mountain.
Eventually the river combines with other streams and small rivers, becomes more diluted and loses its brilliant color, tour operator Machu Picchu explains.
The water of the river is red only during the first stretch of 5 km, from its source near the valley of Mount Arcoiris Palcoyo
The Red River gets its color from the region’s red sandstone, which is filled with iron oxide
Peru’s rainy season, from November to April, is the best time to witness the bizarre phenomenon
Known locally as Palquella Pucamayu, the river’s name comes from Quechua, the main language of the Inca Empire and an official language in Peru. Image courtesy Richard Brazz
Independent travelers can get to the riverbank by bus and taxi. Image courtesy Native to Cusco
These numerous small tributaries eventually flow into the Vilcamayo River, which crosses the Sacred Valley of Cusco and passes through the famous citadel of Machu Picchu. website.
It continues: ‘Further on this river is known as the Urubamba River before passing through the middle of the infamous Pongo de Mainique Gorge as it enters the jungle and finally flows into the mighty Amazon River.’
Known locally as Palquella Pucamayu, the river’s name comes from Quechua, the main language of the Inca Empire and an official language in Peru. Native to Cusco reveals.
Many tour operators take travelers to the river as part of a day trip to visit nearby Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain (above)
The first half of the name ‘Palquella’ means ‘little branch’ while ‘Pucamayu’ means ‘red river’.
Many tour operators take travelers to the river—located about three hours southeast of the city of Cusco—as part of a day trip to visit nearby Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain, a much-photographed multi-colored mountain peak that rises 18,000 feet (5,200 meters) above the sea. level.
Alternatively, independent travelers can travel to the river bank by bus and then taxi.
Lake Natron in Tanzania, which gets its ruby hue from bacteria in the water, is another example of a red body of water
Above is Blood Falls, a curious red waterfall discovered in 1911 in the McMurdo Dry Valleys region of Antarctica
Travel organization AB Expeditions notes that this is the case not the only reddish river in the region – it says there is another lesser known river that experiences the same phenomenon during the rainy season near the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain in Combapata district.
While these rivers are unusual, there are other red bodies of water around the world to marvel at.
A famous example is Lake Natron in Tanzania, which gets its ruby hue from bacteria in the water. Another is Blood Falls, a curious red waterfall discovered in 1911 in the McMurdo Dry Valleys region of Antarctica.