Purmamarca
In the core of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, you will fall in love with this charming village.
Adobe houses. Red dirt roads. Multicolor mountains. Enjoy a magical display of bright colors which change with the time of the day and the season of the year. Explore this small pre-Hispanic origin village, with a history that dates back to the 16th century, when it was part of the Inca Trail. Tour the Paseo de los Colorados, the Purmamarca Town Hall Building, the craft stores and the gourmet food proposals.
Explore the village and its history, tradition and nature. This experience invites you to admire a place of unparalleled beauty: the Seven Colors Mountain, with its ochre and yellow, orange and green, lavender and purple colors. A rainbow made of rocks, the secret of which is their sedimentary origin. And at the end of the day, a coca tea, cayote empanadillas, llama meat and high-altitude wine. Purmamarca is waiting for you.
Geographic location: Quebrada de Humahuaca, District of Tumbaya, Province of Jujuy.
How to get here: via Ruta Nacional 9. It lies 65 km away from the capital city San Salvador de Jujuy, and 188 km away from the capital city of Salta.
Area: 534 km2
Altitude: 2,324 meters above sea level.
Climate: Semi-arid with a dry season (winter). The prevailing North-to-South orientation of the valleys influences the rainfall distribution. The rain season goes from December to March.
Ideal time of the year: April through November.
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 4 days.
Recommended clothing: in winter (July through September), take warm clothes. In summer (December through March), a light jacket to wear at night will be enough. Also, take comfortable preferably light-colored clothes, repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat or cap and appropriate footwear according to the activity.
What to do: visit the Paseo de los Colorados, Salinas Grandes, Cuesta de Lipan, the craft market in the main square. Attend renowned events, such as the Meeting of Copleros [singers of popular folk music], the Pachamama Fest, the Meeting of Comadres, Carnival, the Cult to Pachamama Patronal Feast.
Tips: try the typical food and drinks: humitas, llama meat charqui, chicha [an alcoholic beverage made from fermented corn]. Enjoy a peña.