Purmamarca: Colors, Trails and Culture

Purmamarca is known for Cerro de los Siete Colores. Its rock layers display different shades; the mountain is also described as a stone rainbow. The colors reflect the sedimentary origin of its rocks. This makes Cerro a landscape feature with two closely connected aspects: the visible changes in color and the geological explanation behind them. If you choose Purmamarca for its landscape, you can therefore appreciate both its appearance and the context in which it formed.

Colors and trails through the landscape

One specific route through the landscape is Paseo de los Colorados. The trail is 3 km long and runs behind Cerro de los Siete Colores through the riverbed of Río de Tumbaya. Paseo is winding and considered easy to walk. The colors of the rock layers and the winding path through the riverbed thus offer different ways to experience the landscape.

Chapel, art and cabildo

Capilla de Santa Rosa de Lima is considered the only monumental building in the settlement of Purmamarca. The present-day chapel has characteristic features of Hispanic American churches in the Sevillian Mudéjar tradition. A depiction of the Virgen de Cocharcas is on its side walls, followed by ten Cuzco paintings depicting the life of Saint Rose. The chapel’s architecture and artwork offer different points of reference for understanding it: alongside its architectural style, religious subjects and a series of paintings stand out. Another historical detail is Purmamarca’s cabildo, built around 1850. The chapel brings together architectural and pictorial details; the cabildo adds an approximate date to this picture of the town.

Annual festivals in Purmamarca

The Encuentro de Copleros de Purmamarca takes place every year in the central square. Also held annually, in February, is the Concurso de Queso de Cabra de Purmamarca, held in Plaza 9 de Julio. It is one of the region’s most important cultural and gastronomic festivals. For planning your trip, the competition’s February date is a specific point of reference; the Encuentro is an annual tradition held in the central square. If you would like to plan your trip around one of the festivals, check the specific event date in advance.

Road orientation and regional starting point

National Route 52 passes through Purmamarca. The town lies west of National Route 9, about 3 km away. These roads place Purmamarca within the regional transport network. The town is also a starting point for exploring the Quebrada de Humahuaca, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. Purmamarca thus offers both a clear point of reference in the road network and a starting point for exploring the Quebrada.

Discover more destinations: Hornillos, La Quiaca, Tilcara, Calilegua, Maimará, San Salvador De Jujuy, Humahuaca, Huacalera

For the overarching travel overview: Jujuy.