Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers Mar 5, 2021

Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers

If you like your landscapes on the surreal side, then this weird and wonderful river in the Andalusia region of southwestern Spain should be to your liking. The Rio Tinto (Red River) gets its name from the reddish hue of its water, caused by high levels of iron and sulfur, which make it very acidic. This unusual chemical makeup may or may not be a result of the area"s long history of mining, which dates back at least 5,000 years. Ancient residents like the Tartessians and Romans dug here for copper, silver, and gold, as well as the mineral pyrite, commonly referred to as "fool"s gold." Legend has it that the Rio Tinto was the site of the fabled mines of King Solomon.

© David Santiago Garcia/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Mar 5, 2018Seattle Central Library, Seattle, Washington
Mar 5, 2019Stompin’ with the Big Chief
Mar 5, 2020The desert blooms
Mar 5, 2022Mont-Saint-Michel
Mar 5, 2023Cherry blossom season in Tokyo
Mar 5, 2024Bangkok, Thailand
Mar 5, 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 6, 2025Desert bighorn sheep in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Sep 5, 2019A lush, green escape
May 24, 2023Old Fortress, Corfu, Greece
Nov 24, 2021Chocolate Hills
Jan 30, 2025La Brecha de Rolando (Rolands Breach), Spain
Jan 8, 2020Take the stairs
Feb 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California
Sep 1, 2022Wildlife crossing, Wierden, Netherlands
Feb 2, 2024Groundhog Day
Dec 19, 2019Winter at Valley Forge
Sep 23, 2021Last stop before leaving the solar system
Feb 11, 2023Milky Way over Zabriskie Point, California
Nov 30, 2018In the Highlands for Saint Andrew s Day
Nov 11, 2022Veterans Day
Nov 23, 2025Fibonacci Day
Jul 5, 2018Does it swim in slow motion too?
Apr 25, 2025World Penguin Day
Nov 17, 2021Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Jul 18, 2018Celebrate Mandela Day
Aug 18, 2024Huntington Beach Pier, California, at sunset
Aug 2, 2025Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
May 12, 2022International Nurses Day
Feb 20, 2018Buddha in the roots of a tree, Ayutthaya, Thailand
Feb 13, 2019Life goes on at the Beatles Ashram
Apr 17, 2022Easter
Oct 20, 2020Reflecting on fall
Sep 20, 2023Aqueduct, Arkadia Park, Poland
Aug 18, 2020Women s suffrage at 100
Feb 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Mar 28, 2020The meeting point of the winds