Vinicunca, mountain of colors

Cusco is surrounded by so much natural beauty, that we will see more about this very visited tourist attraction, because its mantle of colors resemble the rainbow and yes we are referring to the Mountain of 7 colors or Vinicunca (5,036 m).

Before we go on with all the information, You've probably wondered why it's called 7-Color Mountain, its different layers come from different minerals and that's why they give it the shade of those colors that make reference to the rainbow.

Among the colors we can find are:

• Pink or fuchsia, is the mixture of red clay, fangolite or fando and sand.
• White, come from the sand in this case would be quartz and limestone.
• Morado, is a mixture of clay and calcium carbonate and silicates.
• Red, comes from argillites and clays.
• Green, comes from clays that were mixed with iron and magnesium and copper oxide.
• Yellow, mustard or golden, come from limonites, calcareous sandstones of sulfide minerals that have the sulfur combination.

Well, we already knew about the colors, now we will talk about what we can see in Vinicunca, how to get there, what time is the best time to go, see the level of difficulty and at what altitude it is, we will give you some recommendations and how to visit this beautiful place with a tourist agency.

What to see and do in Cusco's Montaña de Colores?

• Enjoy nature, as its colors resemble the rainbow.
• Observe the incredible snow-capped mountain front and its lakes.
• Interacting with local residents.
• Disconnect from the city and breathe peace.

How to get to the Colored Mountain?

You must leave from the city of Cusco, the only way to get to this place is by car, after two hours of travel we arrived at Cusipata town, here you must pay your entrance ticket to the mountain of 7 colors.

But do not think you've arrived, no, from this point you must continue the journey until you reach the community of Phulawasipata, from this point begins the hike has few climbs, almost all the way flat the last arrival to the mountain you must climb and finally reach this beautiful site.

The entire trek is 5 km, usually done on foot, but you can do it on horseback up to a certain point and then walk up to see the Seven Colors Mountain.

Best time to take a tour to the 7-color mountain

The best time to visit the Mountain of 7 colors is from June to September, because these months there is no presence of rain and quietly you can make a full day excursion, but this does not mean that the other months do not dress, if you can go, but keep in mind that there is if it can rain, cloudy days.

Difficulty level of the Colored Mountain Trekking

Actually the hike is quiet, because much of the road is flat and when we are arriving at the mountain we will begin to ascend and reach Vinicunca. The whole journey will take us about 2 hours depending on how fit you are.

Health and altitude to visit Vinicunca

Well, to travel this attraction you must first acclimatize in the city of Cusco and then just go, and because this is important, because Vinicuna is at an altitude of over 5000 m and we will be at an altitude where the wind runs and sometimes it is cold.

So this will depend on how your body resists, but do not worry because there are pills that help you in these cases. If you are going to go to this altitude we recommend you to take coca candy, pills and water.

Alternatives to get to Vinicunca

To get to Vinicunca we have two options that you can take, which I will mention below:

• By Cusipata: This is the most used route by all visitors, because the same route makes us arrive in 1 hour to 1 hour and a half, from there we go to Phulawasipata and from there we start the hike to the mountain that takes the same time.
• Por Pitumarca: Perhaps this is the longest route, because this time you will not get off in Cusipata but you will go to the district of Checacupe and to this place the travel time is 2 hours, once in this place you must go in a bus to Pitumarca (the trip is 1 hour). Once arrived we start with the hike to reach the Seven Colors Mountain, approximately it will take you about 2 hours.

Recommendations for visiting the mountain of colors

As you are visiting a high altitude attraction, you should take into account the following:

• Carry your identification document or passport.
• Carry cash, remember that in these areas they do not handle a bank account so you will not be able to pay with a credit card.
• Warm clothes, trekking shoes, sun block, hat, water, snacks, poncho.
• Camera with extra battery.
• Additional medication for altitude sickness in case you need it.

Visit the Mountain of Colors with Terandes.com

Our tourism agency Terandes.com has the guarantee and professional guides, we encourage you to explore this beautiful natural attraction that nature offers us, if you want to travel with us and not miss this place contact us or write to our website ventas@terandes.com.