How to get to Vinicunca or Rainbow Mountain?

How to get to Vinicunca or Rainbow Mountain? Vinincunca or Vinicunca is a beautiful colorful mountain known as Rainbow Mountain or Rainbow Mountain. It is currently one of the most popular tourist attractions in Cusco, and through this blog, we will learn how to get to Vinicunca.

LOCATION OF THE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN

Vinicunca, or Mountain of colors, is located a 1-hour walk from the Community of Llacto in the district of Cusipata in the province of Quispicanchi in Cusco at 5 200 meters above sea level.

HOW DOES THE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN ORIGINATE?

Vinicunca, or Rainbow Mountain, has been open to the public since 2016. According to research, the Mountain’s appearance is due to a complex geological history of marine, lacustrine, and fluvial sediments. At some point, these sediments were transported by the water that covered the area 65 to 2 million years ago.

As time went by, it seemed that the sediments were forming layers of different sizes, which currently can be seen as stripes that are usually attractive to the eye of every visitor.

Regarding the color that each of these strips, according to research, was acquiring colors because of the oxidation of minerals, which is why in Vinicunca can be seen strips of different colors, which by the tourist theme, were the same people of the area that began to call the attraction as the Rainbow Mountain and so it is through social networks this beautiful place was known and visited by people from different parts of the world.

COMPOSITION OF THE COLORS IN THE STRIPES OF THE VINICUNCA OR RAINBOW MOUNTAIN:

• Pink or fuchsia: a mixture of red clay, fangolites (mud), and sand.
• Whitish: sandstone (quartz sand) and limestone.
• Purple or lavender: marl (mixture of clay and calcium carbonate) and silicates.
• Red: argillites and clays.
• Green: clays rich in ferromagnesian (combination of iron and magnesium) and copper oxide.
• Yellowish brown, mustard, or golden: limonites, calcareous sandstones rich in sulfide minerals (combined with sulfur).

HOW TO GET TO VINICUNCA?

To get to Vinicunca, there are two options, one on your own and the other to travel with the service of a tourist agency.

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HOW TO GET TO VINICUNCA OR RAINBOW MOUNTAIN ON YOUR OWN?

Travel to Rainbow Mountain on your own; there are two routes:

1ST ROUTE: PITUMARCA

Pitumarca is one of the routes that will take you to the Mountain of seven colors; for this, you will leave from Cusco, taking public transportation from Huayruropata (near the Coliseo Cerrado del Cusco). The ticket will cost you S/5.00, and you will go to Checacupe. You will pass Andahuayllillas and Quiquijana, and finally, you will arrive at Cusipata.

It should be noted that this route is quite demanding, for which it is necessary to be physically prepared.

The ATVs are a good option for some people who reach Seven Colors Mountain by the Pitumaca route. The rent of the ATVs is approximately 100 dollars; the rent is optional and will depend on the company that rents them.

2ND ROUTE: CUSIPATA

This route is less demanding for visitors to the Mountain of Seven Colors, as, in the Pitumarca route, you will leave Cusco, heading to Cusipata until you reach Phuluwasipata, where you will start the hike; the cost of passage here will also be S / 5.00.

Remember that to get to Rainbow Mountain. You will ascend approximately 100 kilometers from the city of Cusco, and to get to the Mountain, you will climb 5,200 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.). The Cusipata route is an option for visitors who feel they cannot continue the hike.

If you consider that the hike in the Cusipata Route is quite tiring, we remind you that you can rent horses, which will help you to be able to transport yourself; you decide if you rent only for the ascent, descent or both, the idea is that you have a comfortable hike. The cost of renting a horse is approximately 30 dollars.

These are the two different ways to get to Vinicunca, the incredible Mountain of seven colors, on your own. You choose when to travel, at what time, which route to take, when to buy the entrance tickets, and the cost. In short, you will have the opportunity to put together your itinerary.

Preferably, if you go on your own, it is better to arrive with someone who knows how to avoid trip-related incidents.

HOW TO GET TO VINICUNCA OR RAINBOW MOUNTAIN BY AGENCY?

One of the significant advantages of traveling with a tourist agency is that you will not have to worry about the purchase of tickets, the cost of the keys, and others because the agency guarantees you an excellent adventure without worries and the best at comfortable prices.

The only thing you should do is make sure that the agency you choose must have the respective operating license have a certificate issued by the Regional Management of Foreign Trade, Tourism, and Handicrafts Cusco (GERCETUR), to ensure their safety.

Traveling on your own is almost always economical and full of adventures. However, it is better to have the service of an authorized tourist agency.