In Peru, the rainbow mountain is full of eyes

Vinicunca, a seven-colored mountain that looks like a big barley sugar. Also called Rainbow Mountain, Vinicunca Mountain, Peru, offers amazing colors … and 100% natural!

It is reminiscent of a giant sugar cane or a bottle of colored sand. The Vinicunca Mountain, near Cuzco, Peru, is a true natural wonder. But to admire it, one must be in good physical condition and not be afraid to walk.

A recently discovered mountain

Two years ago, Vinicunca Mountain was known only to shepherds and trekkers. Since 2016, tourists, lovers of grandiose landscapes and unspoiled nature, begin to discover, on foot or horseback.

This mountain rises to 5,200 m of altitude, in full heart of the Peruvian Andes. Vinicunca offers a unique and sublime landscape to all those who do not fear to walk for several hours and are already sufficiently used to the altitude.

A geological curiosity: where do these incredible colors come from?

The Vinicunca mountain is also known as the rainbow mountain or the seven-colored mountain. It owes its name and its particularity to the accumulation of layers of sediments, beaten by the winds, for millions of years.

So we have yellow with sulfur, green with copper sulphate or red with iron oxide and different colors thanks to natural mixtures. The result is worthy of a great painter.

The rainbow mountain in Peru is attracting more and more tourists

Hiking on the Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain

A landscape that deserves: how to get to Vinicunca?

Sorry, gentlemen, but the seven-colored mountain is not accessible by road (it would be too simple). To admire it, you have to walk or ride. It is therefore necessary to have a good physical condition because the lack of oxygen is quickly felt on the Peruvian heights.

It is also recommended to stay a few days in Cuzco before starting the hike to acclimatize smoothly. The show is worth it.

Now, the destination is known and local agencies have multiplied. You have to be careful to choose your guide. The expedition can be done on a day with departure at 3 o’clock in the morning or, more calmly, with a night in a refuge. After 4 to 6 hours of walking, surrounded by llamas, we enjoy an exceptional show with views of the colorful mountain and the Red Valley.

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