Rio Tinto River, Spain

Pictures of fantastic landscapes can be made in Spain. One of the most amazing natural attractions of the country is the Rio Tinto river. Unlike many other unique natural features that had been created by very nature, the river owes its current look to active human activity. For many years, minerals were mined on the banks of the river. So, water frequently gets a huge amount of bacteria and heavy metals that activate the processes of oxidation.

As a result of complex chemical processes that occur in the river, the water turns red. Its rich color attracts to these places a tremendous amount of tourists. Travelers from all over the world come here to take a picture of the Blood River. Scientists are attracted to these lands with a surprising similarity to Martian landscapes. The river is located in the southwestern part of the country. Its length is about 100 km. The first time, minerals in the upper side of the river has been extracted more than 3 000 years ago. Large deposits of copper and iron had been found there.

Of course, because of the high acidity of water, it has being prohibited to swim there for many years. All life forms are completely extinct in the water. For example, there is no fish in the river. One of the main inhabitants of red water is bacteria that can adapt to the most incredible environments. A really unexpected discovery happened at the river a few years ago. Scientists found a rare mineral jarosite that is the closest relative of the minerals that have been discovered on Mars. Next - Waiotapu Valley