Have you ever heard about Vinicunca, hike to the Seven Colors Mountain and Palcoyo, This natural attraction located in Cusco is growing in popularity every day. There is an equally wonderful attraction to the Mountain of Seven Colors, it was recently discovered and is called Palccoyo Mountain.
What to see in the Seven Colors Mountain of Palccoyo? Learn more about this new attraction in the Andes of Peru.
The Mountain of the Seven Colors of Palccoyo is a group of peaks dyed in colors similar to Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain), due to a process of mineralization over millions of years.
The Seven Colors Mountain of Palccoyo is a great option if you are not in shape for long hikes but want to appreciate incredible scenery.
Unlike Vinicunca, the Seven Colors Mountain of Palccoyo is a little known attraction and still has few visitors per day.
The way to get there is much easier because it includes a hike of only 1 hour. From the top you can see the Ausangate snow-capped mountain like nowhere else. In addition, there is a forest of stones and a unique landscape around.
The Mountain of the Seven Colors of Palccoyo is located south of Cusco, a short distance from the snow-capped Ausangate, in the Cordillera of the Andes of Peru. It is located in the town of Checacupe, province of Canchis.
Palccoyo is located at 4,900 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.), 300 meters lower than the 7 Colors Mountain Vinicunca (5,200 m.a.s.l.).
The Cerro Colorado de Palccoyo is located almost 100 kilometers from the city of Cusco. To get there, you must follow the following route:
The best way to get to the Seven Colors Mountain of Palccoyo is with a tour through a tourist agency. The most usual services are those that last 1 full day and can be hired in Andean Peru Treks.
The tours include a 1 hour hike to the Seven Colors Mountain of Palccoyo. There are also other tours that include direct transportation to Cerro Colorado.
The tour to Cerro Colorado de Palccoyo costs approximately 70 dollars (USD). The prices are according to the attention provided by each travel agency and also their recognized service.
Visiting Cerro Colorado is also possible without a tour. To do so, you only have to travel on your own to the town of Checacupe. From there you can buy the entrance tickets directly. The visit without a tour is without a tour guide.
To visit Cerro Colorado on your own, you must purchase an entrance ticket in the town of Palccoyo. The price for foreign tourists is 4 US dollars. National tourists pay 5 soles (2 dollars).
Tours to Cerro Colorado vary according to the tour agency. In general, the tours include the following:
For a visit to the Mountain of the Seven Colors of Palccoyo it is advisable to bring the appropriate utensils to combat the heat during the day and the cold at sunset:
The mountain of Palccoyo has a cold climate due to its proximity to the snow-capped Ausangate. The temperature can drop below 0ºC. Due to the weather in some months of the year, the roads are dangerous because of snow or concurrent rain.
Besides being a natural attraction of incomparable beauty, the Seven Colors Mountain is the natural habitat of several types of animals such as llamas, alpacas, vizcachas, condors and more.
On the road that connects the Cerro Colorado there is a forest of stones formed naturally millions of years ago. From there you can closely appreciate the beauty of the Ausangate snow-capped mountain, the largest in Cusco.
Due to the cold weather, visits to the Seven Colors Mountain of Palccoyo are only in the mornings and part of the afternoons. The opening hours are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The best time to visit the Seven Colored Mountain of Palccoyo is during the dry season (April to October). In these months of the year, the weather is much better because of the short rainfall and more pleasant to visit the mountains.
