- A.h. Arahuay LL - 1, Cusco, Perú.
- machupicchuperutravel@hotmail.com
Three hours from the city of Cusco you will find a colorful and wonderful place, where nature did one of its most beautiful works. In this land blessed by the Incas, the Mountain of 7 Colors or Vinicunca, as it is also known, is the ideal place to visit. A paradise for lovers of trekking and responsible tourism.
This mountain is one of the most visited destinations by travelers from all over Peru and the world, thanks to its captivating landscape. In addition, its surprising walking circuit focuses on the imposing and beautiful snow-capped Ausangate. This has caused more than two thousand people to pass through there daily, making its care essential, since it is a very fragile ecosystem, in which the presence of endangered wildlife predominates, such as the Andean condor, vicuñas, Andean cats and more. If you have made the decision to take this tour, rest assured that you will not regret it, but first, write down these details so that you can make the most of your trip.
The mountain of 7 colors is located 1 hour walk from the community of Llacto, in the district of Cusipata, province of Quispicanchi, department of Cusco.
Taking the city of Cusco as a reference, from there it is time to take transportation to the town of Cusipata, passing through Oropesa, Andahuaylillas and Quiquijana on the route. If you dare to get around by public transportation, you can take the bus in Huayruropata, very close to the Closed Coliseum in the city of Cusco (price S/ 8.00).
Although there is not much distance in kilometers, the journey will take you 1 hour and 15 minutes, with Cusipata being your first stop. Take advantage of this town to eat something, do some shopping or go to the bathroom since, from then on, you will not find good services. Right there you can grab a van (in front of the municipality of Cusipata) to the Llacto camp. On the route you will come across a gate where you will pay S/ 10.00 to enter the Montaña de 7 Colores.
Once you arrive at Llacto, you will begin the 1 hour and 30 minute walk until you reach the Mountain of 7 Colors.
Here is the map or route that you must follow to reach the mountain of 7 colors.
In the morning from 4:00 to 4:30 a.m., we will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco to make the trip to the Mountain of 7 Colors, located in the southern part of the Cusco region, from the beginning we will travel during 3 hours approx. By tourist transport, we will first pass through the town of Quiquijana, and then continue through Cusipata, and then we will arrive at Chillihuani, where we will have breakfast, then we will continue traveling until we reach Llacto, where we will begin our 1-hour walk to the highest point. At the top of the Mountain of 7 Colors, during this journey we will have the opportunity to see the different varieties of South American camelids, beautiful landscapes and birds. Upon arrival at the Mountain of 7 Colors, we will have free time to take photographs of this enigmatic place. Afterwards, we will continue with our return walk to the starting point, then we will go by tourist transport to Chillihuani, where we will stop for lunch, then we will return to Cusco, where we will arrive at 6:00 p.m. approx.
At the request of the community of Pitumarca, the Cultural Landscape office of the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of Cusco prepared a study to obtain technical information about these mountains and offer it to tourists.
The report revealed that the colors of the mountains are due to their mineralogical composition: the pink color is due to red clay, mudstones (mud) and arilites (sand). The whitish, due to the white quartz sandstone. The brown, brown and purple ones, due to limonites and marls, rich in calcium carbonate.
Red is composed of claystones (iron) and clays belonging to the upper Tertiary. The green is due to the compound of phyllites and clays rich in ferromagnesia. The earthy brown is a product of fanglomerate composed of rock with manganese belonging to the Quaternary era. And the mustard yellow color due to the calcareous sandstones rich in sulfide minerals.
The entrance to the Mountain of 7 Colors has a price of S/ 10.00 for national tourists and S/ 20.00 for foreign tourists.
Horse rental on the route has a cost of S/ 80.00 or USD 25.00 round trip, if you wish you can also rent it only one way and you would pay half.
In Cusco, the rainy season is cloudy, the dry season is partly cloudy, and it is cool all year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature generally varies from 0°C to 19°C and rarely drops below -2°C or rises above 22°C.
Based on the tourism score, the best times of year to visit Cusco for hot weather activities are from mid-April to the end of October.
| Month | T Max | T Min. | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18.5ºC | 6ºC | With rain |
| February | 18ºC | 6ºC | With rain |
| March | 18.5ºC | 6ºC | With rain |
| April | 19ºC | 4ºC | Dry |
| May | 19ºC | 2ºC | Dry |
| June | 18.5ºC | 0ºC | Dry |
| July | 18ºC | 0ºC | Dry |
| August | 19ºC | 1ºC | Dry |
| September | 19ºC | 3ºC | Dry |
| October | 20ºC | 5ºC | Dry |
| November | 20ºC | 5ºC | With rain |
| December | 18ºC | 6ºC | With rain |
The temperature in the Mountain of 7 Colors ranges between 5°C to 18°C.
The Mountain of 7 colors is located at 5200 meters above sea level.
The difficulty of the hike to the mountain of 7 colors is medium. You have to walk 3 km for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. According to physical condition.
