Maimará: Colorful Hills, Walking Tours, and Andean Culture

Maimará is located in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape since 2003. The town lies on Ruta Nacional N° 9 and has two access points: the southern one is just past the Museo Posta de Hornillos, and the northern one is opposite the cemetery. If you are considering Maimará as a destination for a hotel stay, its landscapes, walking tours, and local experiences offer practical starting points for planning.

Landscape Between the Paleta del Pintor and the Río Grande

The Paleta del Pintor is Maimará’s main attraction: it consists of multicolored hills. Traces and tracks of various dinosaur and bird species from the Upper Cretaceous have also been found at the Paleta. This connects the striking landscape with a glimpse into its paleontological history, without taking the focus away from the hills.

Another geological feature is the Puente Natural, a fluvial formation in the Quebrada del Cementerio gorge beside the Río Grande.

Walking Tours for Different Time Budgets

The walking route to the Puente Natural begins at the Oficina de Informes Turísticos de Maimará. It follows a path laid out in the riverbed through the Quebrada del Cementerio and has a gentle climb. The route is six kilometers long, takes four hours, and is rated easy.

The “Miradores y Fiestas Andinas” walking tour starts at the main square and leads to several viewpoints. Along the way, it covers Pachamama, Carnaval, and Todosantos, as well as the route taken by the Sikuri bands to the Virgen de Punta Corral. The philosopher Rodolfo Kush is also among the tour’s topics. The route is 2.5 kilometers long, takes two hours, and is rated easy.

“Maimará: Pueblo agricultor” leads from the Oficina de Información Turística via Plaza San Martín and Plazoleta del Agricultor to the Quintas. There you can see vegetables, horticultural crops, and flowers. This walk is listed as taking two hours and covering 1.65 kilometers; its difficulty and level of exertion are low. The two two-hour routes have different focuses: viewpoints and Andean traditions on one hand, and cultivated farmland on the other. The walk to the Puente Natural takes longer, at four hours.

Another walking route also begins at the Oficina de Informes Turísticos, crosses the bridge over the Río Grande, and follows a bridle or trekking trail up Cerro General San Martín. A panoramic view accompanies the route from start to finish. This is another way to explore the surrounding area on foot, distinct from the walk to the Puente Natural.

Agriculture, Handicrafts, and Regional Cuisine

Turismo Rural Maimará includes visits with farming families, their animals, and their fields. The offerings also include bicycle tours, guided walks, and handicraft and cooking workshops. These experiences bring together different aspects of rural life rather than focusing on a single walking route.

At Textil Alborada, you can learn step by step how to embroider a souvenir or an item of clothing. The experience lasts two hours, and you can take the piece you embroidered home with you. Inti Pacha combines a visit to an organic garden with a workshop where artisan bread is made using regional products. You can take the bread home; the experience also includes a tasting of homemade breads and sweets. This experience is also designed to last two hours.

The “Cicloturismo rural” route starts in Maimará’s central square, follows the old railway line among other paths, and ends at Bodega Jesús Vilte. There, you can buy and taste wine; the route takes three hours. For local cuisine, Maimará’s tourism portal lists places where you can sample specialties. Many ingredients come from the vegetable-growing areas on both banks of the Río Grande, at the foot of the Paleta del Pintor. Several recipes have been passed down through generations.

Qullana offers the chance to take part in a local, handcrafted cosmetics-making process using medicinal plants from the region. Visitors make their own product. Along with the textile and culinary experiences, this offers another perspective on craftwork and regional products.

Traditions and Special Places to Visit

Every year, pilgrims and Sikuri bands from Maimará take the path over the Paleta del Pintor to reach the sanctuary of the Virgen de Punta Corral. The Carnaval de Maimará is also one of the town’s traditional celebrations. These connections add religious and cultural themes to the landscape routes.

The colorful, picturesque hilltop cemetery lies on a small hill and may be entered respectfully. Along with the viewpoints, regional cuisine, and different walking tours, it shows Maimará from several angles: as a place with a distinctive landscape, an agricultural way of life, and living traditions.

Discover more destinations: San Salvador De Jujuy, Purmamarca, Huacalera, San Javier, Tilcara, Hornillos, La Quiaca, Calilegua.

For the regional travel overview: Jujuy.