The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (aka St. Paul Underground River) and its surroundings form the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. The park is located about 50 kilometers north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. The river flows underground before emerging into the South China Sea. It is the world’s longest navigable underground river. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is one of the 28 finalists for the “New Seven Wonders of Nature” competition. The site contains a full mountain-to-the-sea ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia. It was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4, 1999.
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2. Rio Tinto, Spain
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The Rio Tinto, originating in the Sierra Morena mountains of Andalusia, Spain, has an unusual blood red hue due to its high iron content. The site along the river has been mined for copper, silver, gold and other metals for over 5 000 years. However strangely beautiful it may be, this river is actually an environmental disaster due to its heavy metal contamination. This river has gained recent scientific interest due to the presence of extremophile aerobic bacteria that dwell in the water. The rocks on the river bed contain iron and sulfide minerals on which the bacteria feed. Scientists compares the extreme chemistry of the river to the liquid water found on Mars.
3. The Caristales River, Columbia, South America
The Caristales, which is located near the town of La Macarena in Colombia, is world famous for its colourful display and have been called the most beautiful river in the world. During Columbia’s wet season the river flows fast preventing the mosses and algae on the surface from receiving the necessary sun to flourish. During the dry season there is not enough water to support the variety of life in the river. However, there is a brief time span, between the wet and dry season, when the water level and consistency is just right, that the algae and moss in the river bloom in a dazzling display of colours. Blotches of amarillo, blue, green, black and red – and a thousand shades in between – coat the river. The part of the river where the coloration occur is quite isolated and only accessible by plane.
4. The Yarlung Tsangpo River, Tibet, China
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The Magnificent Yarlung Zangbo River, known as the roof of the world, is the highest major river in the world, with an average elevation of about 4000 meters. The Yarlung Tsangpo River originates from a glacier on the northern side of the middle Himalayas, over 5,300 meters above sea level. It runs across the south of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from west to east, through India and Bengal, and finally flows into the Bay of Bengal. Since the 1990s the Yarlung Zangbo River has been the destination for a number of people that engage in exploration and whitewater kayaking. The river has been called the “Everest of Rivers” because of the extreme conditions of the river.
5. Horseshoe Bend, Arizona, USA
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Arizona’s Horseshoe Bend, a meander of the Colorado River is situated slightly downstream from Lake Powell within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. From the steep cliff above, some 305 metres higher up, it makes a breathtaking sight.
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