Peru’s magic lies in its impressive Andean landscapes, and one of its great wonders is Vinicunca, better known as Rainbow Mountain Peru, a name given to the rocky giant for its stripes of different colors.
Rainbow Mountain, Peru, is a destination that attracts tourists worldwide for its breathtaking scenery and the beauty of its stripes, which are explained by the variety of minerals dating back millions of years, when the landscape was covered with seawater.
If you plan to visit Peru and have Vinicunca on your itinerary, here is all the information you need to know before you set out on your trip to this unique destination.
Rainbow Mountain Peru
We know you are always looking for new adventures and unique destinations on your trip to Cusco. Today, we introduce you to the 7 Colors Mountain. This marvel opens in the middle of the high Andean landscape and shines with its unique colors, in an unexpected contrast with the intense blue sky of the Peruvian highlands.
Over time, the sediments formed layers (with different grain sizes) that resemble the strips, which attract many tourists today.
The movement of the tectonic plates in the area raised these sediments into mountains.
Then they acquired their striking colors due to the oxidation of their minerals, exerted by the area’s humidity, and their erosion, explains César Muñoz, member of the Geological Society of Peru (SGP), to BBC Mundo.
Muñoz and the Cultural Landscape Office study each strip’s composition in detail according to its color.
According to Haydee Pacheco, from the Pitumarca district municipality, the inhabitants of Pitumarca say there was snow some 70 years ago.
Pacheco explains that the mountain gained popularity thanks to tourists who walked past the site on their way to Ausangate, a sacred mountain for the Cusco people.
Colombian magazine Semana attributes the phenomenon’s success to Instagram and Facebook users.
A July 2017 article says that “the images displayed (on the social network) are leading to people boarding a plane to replicate the photo.”
As you read this article, were you thinking about how many “likes” you would receive for a portrait with a solid rainbow behind it?
It is the second-most-visited tourist destination in Cusco after Machu Picchu. As its name suggests, it is a majestic mountain covered in colorful stripes you would never expect to find there. Visiting 7 Colors Mountain will allow you to enjoy breathtaking scenery, hike through unique beauty, meet local people, and learn a little about the fauna and flora. The 7 Colors Mountain, or Vinicunca, is a must-stop during your visit to the Imperial City.
Rainbow Mountain Peru Tours and Treks
The inhabitants of Vinicunca and nearby communities know it as Cerro Colorado, but the rest of the world knows it as Rainbow Mountain, Peru. This natural jewel is located 100 kilometers from Cusco, 5200 meters above sea level, making it a physically demanding adventure for visitors. Vinicunca is situated between the Cusipata and Pitumarca districts in the Quispicanchis and Canchis, respectively, in the department of Cusco.
First, like many others in the Peruvian Andes, you should know that this destination is located at high altitudes. The mountain rises to an impressive 5200 meters above sea level. For this reason, you must prepare yourself for dizziness caused by altitude sickness; therefore, you must do the tours as calmly as possible.
The climate can vary with the time of year, but it is pretty cold and feels even colder due to the winds. The warmest season is from April to August, with sunny days, dry weather, and no rain, while in the other months the temperature can drop to 0 °C, and precipitation is common.
Rainbow Mountain Peru by Kondor Path Tours
We recommend an early start. The hike to Rainbow Mountain Peru takes several hours and is physically demanding due to its high altitude.
If you leave the city of Cusco, head towards the South Valley for about 2 hours until you reach Cusipata. From there, you must go to the community of Phulawasipata, where you can begin the ascent on foot. This community is located more than 4,000 meters above sea level, so it is recommended that you take it easy and walk at a slow, steady pace. Remember that you will climb more than 5000 meters to reach your destination.
Rainbow Mountain Peru by Kondor Path Tours
The hike takes about 1:30 to 2 hours. Along the way, you can see local animals such as llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas, and enjoy the high Andean landscape of Ichu. You can also interact with local people and learn more about their customs and traditions.
You will finally reach your destination; all your effort will be worth it. You will return to the city with rainbow energy.
The 7 Colors Mountain is a tourist destination of incredible beauty, and no doubt you will be delighted with the visit, but this excursion will make you work hard, so you must be prepared and know what awaits you. So let me introduce you to:
An essential part of the landscape along the hike to Rainbow Mountain in Peru is the fauna and flora visible along the way. Among them are some animals, such as the Llama, the Vicuña, and the Alpaca, which, although related, are very different. Along the way, you can also see an Ichu plant that grows in the Puna of Peru.
Andean Cat: This majestic animal is historically considered a protective spirit of the Apus, or mountains. It lives in the high Andean areas and is rarely seen in frigid regions. If you are fortunate and attentive to the landscape around you, you may be able to see an Andean cat on your way.
Andean Peruvian llamas are the tallest American camelids with long, leaf-shaped ears. Their coat is thinner and less uniform than that of their camelid cousins, which means their wool, widely used in the textile industry in the highlands of Peru, is not the finest or most expensive in souvenir stores. Llamas are a load-carrying aid and can support up to a quarter of their weight. In Inca times, they were used to transport various products and merchandise.
Alpaca: They are smaller than a llama, about half its size. They have very symmetrical, pear-shaped ears and a magnificent, more uniformly colored coat. They are most often seen gathered in herds in almost all Andean landscapes. Their wool is highly valued worldwide for its excellent quality and softness, and is used to make high-quality scarves, coats, sweaters, and blankets.
Vicuña: Unlike alpacas and llamas, which are more domestic, vicuñas are wild. This is why they can be seen grazing on a hill, under a sunny blue sky, in the middle of nature. Vicuñas are shy creatures, challenging to photograph, and an endangered species, so the state protects them against indiscriminate hunting.
Its wool can only be sheared every 3 years, so a garment woven from its fiber can be costly. It is said that, like alpaca fiber, vicuña wool was reserved only for rulers and royalty during Inca times.
Ichu is the grass of the South American Andean highlands. It measures 40-80 cm and is used as fodder for livestock, mainly South American camelids. Due to its abundance in high Andean areas and its resistance and impermeability, communities use this plant to manufacture roofs or handmade bricks.
Although it has always been part of the route to the great Ausangate snow-capped Rainbow Mountain, Peru was not a tourist site. It was known only to local people and to hikers who searched for the snow-capped mountain and knew it well before it became a popular destination.
But how is it that it has only recently become part of the tourist circuit, given the mountain’s uniqueness and Cusco’s well-known status as a destination? The hill was covered with ice and snow for a long time, but over the past few decades, it has been revealing itself as the thaw progresses. In 2016, Rainbow Mountain officially became a must-see tourist destination.
The mountain’s colors are due to the minerals in the soil that make it up. Various sediments, including marine debris, have accumulated on Earth over time. Over time, rain, wind, and sun have transformed these minerals, generating an oxidation process on the surface that paints the mountain as a beautiful rainbow.
Although it feels like magic, Rainbow Mountain Peru has a scientific explanation, where each color has a formula; for example, pink is produced from a mixture of red clay, mudstones, and claystone (sand). Beige is obtained from quartz sandstone, which is rich in calcium carbonate. The red color comprises claystone (iron) and clays from past eras.
The green appears thanks to phyllites and clays rich in ferromagnesian minerals. The brown tone is the product of a fluvial conglomerate composed of magnesium-bearing rock. And the mustard yellow color is due to calcareous sandstones rich in sulfide minerals—undoubtedly a kind of science for all those interested in visiting Rainbow Mountain, Peru, or Rainbow Mountain.
Any time is the best time to visit Cusco and live an experience like Rainbow Mountain Peru. But of course, the weather has its whims, and if you are going to make an expedition of this type with a long walk at such an altitude, you need all the help you can get, especially if it is from nature.
Therefore, the dry season between April and October is recommended for this experience. Still, if you decide to travel in the rainy months, you will see a green and lively landscape, and you will only need a good poncho for the rain.
You should be prepared for anything when you go on an adventure like this, so remember to take it with you.
The Rainbow Mountain in Peru used to receive a few hundred people daily, but in 2016 it received up to 2,000 people daily.
In August 2017, the website Business Insider, a global travel expert, placed Rainbow Mountain, Peru, on its list of the places you must see before you die.
In 2015, a mining exploration company applied to the Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico for permission to excavate 400 hectares where the mountain and the communities of Cusipata and Pitumarca were located. The permission was granted in 2018. The protests generated by such action prompted the company to relinquish the concession a few months later that same year.
The term Auquenid comes from Auchenia, a genus now in disuse created by Carl Peter Thunberg to classify the camelids of the American continent: alpaca, guanaco, llama, and vicuña, which had been classified as Camelus together with the camelids of the Old World.
The National Coat of Arms of Peru features a Vicuña among its treasures. This symbolizes the country’s animal wealth.
Now that you know more about this incredible destination, be prepared so that nothing will stop you once you start your adventure. Once you’ve reached the top of the mountain, you’ll be ready to explore all of Cusco. Enter The Full Experience, then choose all the experiences you want for your trip to Cusco. We make your trip a safe, exciting, and memorable adventure.
Vinucunca is located three hours from Cusco, close to Pitumarca. So, if you are in Cusco, you should take the Longitudinal de la Sierra del Sur Peruano (PE-3s) road to the village of Checacupe and then take the fork to Pitumarca.
To make this tour, you must take a bus from the terminal near the Coliseum of Cusco to Pitumarca. Once in the village, take a cab to Pampachiri for about 25 USD round-trip. This trip takes approximately one hour.
Once at your destination, you must pay the entrance fee to begin the hike, which can take 2.5 hours, depending on your physical condition.
Another option to get to Vinicunca is to hire an agency that covers all transportation and entrance fees.
See how to get there, what you can do, and what to see in Cusco
As you might have guessed by now, hiking is the main activity at this destination. For this reason, it is vital that you evaluate yourself, consider your physical condition, and take the time to tour once you are there, so as not to overexert yourself.
On the hike, you will discover a breathtaking landscape; therefore, you should not skimp on the number of photos to take, including selfies.
Something important to keep in mind is that the trip can be more enjoyable with a guide. In this case, you should remember that prices may vary depending on services such as food and horseback transportation. If you pay for a private guide, it can cost between 150 and 250 USD; if you hire a group guide, the price will be considerably lower, ranging between 40 and 50 USD.
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