A small village in northern Argentina's Jujuy Province, surrounded by the multicolored Hill of Seven Colors and adobe homes from the 17th century.
Purmamarca sits at the foot of the Cerro de los Siete Colores in Argentina's Jujuy Province. In this small village, you'll find alpaca wool ponchos and handwoven rugs in the plaza market, walk past 17th-century adobe buildings, and spot pink flamingos at the nearby Salinas Grandes salt flats. The 3-kilometer Paseo de los Colorados trail circles the mountain, where mineral deposits create stripes of red, purple, and orange across the rock face.
Getting to Purmamarca
Purmamarca lies 65 kilometers from San Salvador de Jujuy and 22 kilometers from Tilcara. Buses run along Route 9 from Salta (3 hours) and San Salvador de Jujuy (1 hour). For a faster option, take a shared taxi from Terminal Viejo in San Salvador de Jujuy's town center.
Walking the Paseo de los Colorados
Start the 3-kilometer Paseo de los Colorados loop trail near the town cemetery. The path takes about 40 minutes to complete, climbing gradually to show different views of the multicolored mountain. Visit between 8-10 AM when sunlight illuminates the mineral layers - bands of white limestone, red clay, and brown sandstone formed under ancient seas.
Plaza Market and Crafts
Local artisans set up stalls daily in the main plaza, selling hand-knitted alpaca scarves, woven rugs, carved wooden masks, and pan flutes. Look for items with the maker's signature or workshop stamp to identify authentic local pieces. You'll also find pre-Hispanic-inspired jewelry and hand-painted ceramics.
Adobe Architecture
The village's buildings use adobe construction with 40-centimeter-thick walls that keep interiors cool. At the Iglesia de Santa Rosa de Lima (built 1648), you can see the original stone foundations and lime-plastered walls. Next to the church grows a 600-year-old carob tree where General Belgrano's army camped during Argentina's independence campaign.
Day Trips from Purmamarca
Drive 1.5 hours west to reach Salinas Grandes, a 212-square-kilometer salt flat where you can walk on crystalline salt paths and photograph the geometric salt extraction pools. The Quebrada de Humahuaca valley runs for 155 kilometers along the RÃo Grande, containing pre-Incan ruins at Pucará de Tilcara and naturally striped mountains at SerranÃa de Hornocal.
Music and Festivals
Pan flute players and guitar duos perform at restaurants during lunch and dinner hours. On August 30, the Santa Rosa de Lima festival fills the streets with processions and pan flute ensembles. During February's carnival, locals parade in devil masks and folk costumes - book accommodation several months ahead for this period.
