cerro de los siete colores purmamarca

Argentina is full of spectacular land formations and different scenery throughout. If you like the topography of places like Arizona, you’ll love it in Northern Argentina! One of the most beautiful sites in Northern Argentina is El Cerro de los Siete Colores.

This site is similar vibes to places like Rainbow Mountain in Peru. You could sit down and gaze at this landscape for hours. Luckily, there’s a short hike that gives you the opportunity to view every angle possible of the Hill of Seven Colors.

In this guide, I’ll go over how to visit El Cerro de los Siete Colores and if it’s worth it.

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el cerro de los siete colores purmamarca

Where is El Cerro de los Siete Colores Located?

Northern Argentina is made up of six regions in total, but we only visited Jujuy and Salta. We decided on these two because we crossed the border from Bolivia into Jujuy, which is where this hike is located.

This area is like a combination of Peru & Arizona, and I’m all here for it.

The town you’ll want to head to in order to see the Hill of Seven Colors is Purmamarca in Jujuy. We decided to base ourselves in Humahuaca but many people love staying in either Purmamarca or Tilcara.

If you stay in Purmamarca, you’ll also be close to the famous Salinas Grandes!

There are plenty of amazing things to do in Jujuy, Argentina and this is one of them!

How to Get to Purmamarca, Argentina

If you’re like us and coming from Humahuaca, head to the bus station. Ask around or go to one of the booths and ask for Purmamarca.

We got on a bus, and someone came around and punched us a ticket to where we were headed. The cost was around $1,000 pesos, but it’s changing daily.

If you’re coming from Salta, go to their bus station and do the same thing. There will be booths offering service here. Two possible companies are Balut and Tramat.

After we hiked El Cerro de los Siete Colores, we took a bus to Tilcara, where we hiked to La Garganta del Diablo Waterfall.

How to Get to the Start of El Cerro de los Siete Colores

Once you arrive at Purmamarca at the bus station, take a right and follow the street into town. The city center is a magical place full of things to buy and look at.

From here, you’ll want to head west to Calle, Florida. To your right, you’ll see many people on top of a hill. This is a mirador called Cerro El Porito.

Follow the road this is on, and you’ll end up going full circle around the Hill of Seven Colors. This road will take you back to the city center.

Things to Know Before Hiking El Cerro de los Siete Colores

When doing this hike, everything is pretty much self-explanatory. Follow the crowd and you can’t get lost. Take your time to enjoy the colors but here are some other things to know.

Things to Bring

Keep in mind that this area of Argentina is a desert. If you come here during the summer, expect hot days with a lot of sun. It can get cold in the morning but usually warms up in the afternoon.

Here are some things to bring that I never leave without:

Cerro El Porito (A mirador)

If you don’t want to hike outside the town but simply want a good view, check out the Cerro El Porito! This is a great spot for photos as you’ll have a clear view of the Hill of Seven Colors.

If you follow my directions above about how to start the hike, this viewpoint will be at the beginning. It does cost money to enter but it’s cheap.

I believe it cost around 100 pesos when we were there but prices can change daily.

el cerro de los siete colors purmamarca

How Long Does the Hike Take?

This is a short hike and should only take around an hour max! Though, you can surely take your time and really take in the colors of the hills.

There isn’t much elevation gain and most of the trail is also a road, so it’s hard to get lost.

Hiking Details for El Cerro de los Siete Colores

  • Distance: This hike is a 1.9-mile loop hike.
  • Duration: On average, it will take people 1 hour to go around and see the different colored hills.
  • Difficulty: I’d rank this hike as easy to because it’s mostly a flat trail around the outskirts of the town.
  • Incline: The elevation for this hike is around 341 feet or 104 meters.
  • Hiking Guide: A guide is not needed for this hike and is easily accessible by the public

For more reviews on this hike you can check it out on Alltrails.

Want to Hike More?

If you’re like me and love to hike, you might want to check out this other trail. It’s another loop hike but offers different views of El Cerro de los Siete Colores.

If you’re at the bus station, simply walk across the highway (opposite of the city center) until you see an opening in the fence. Signs will surround this.

This is also on Maps.me if you ever get lost. The start of the trail is near a pink house.

Alternate 360 Viewpoint

About 10 minutes or so into our hike, we came across a tall structure where people hiked to the top. I’m not sure if this is an actual trail but there were a lot of people over at it.

I didn’t go to the top but I did fly my drone around it. It seemed like the perfect spot if you’re looking for a good 360 viewpoint! Check out the picture below to know what to look for! It will be on your right if following the same route as me.

el cerro de los siete colores purmamarca

Is Visiting El Cerro de los Siete Colores Worth It?

The town of Purmamarca alone is worth visiting, even if you don’t want to hike! The Hill of Seven Colors is the cherry on top in my opinion.

I loved the vibe of this town. It’s super popular and I can see why! The hike was totally worth it, in my opinion, because of how easy it was, and you could really immerse yourself in the landscape.

el cerro de los siete colores purmamarca
el cerro de los siete colores purmamarca

Final Thoughts About El Cerro de los Siete Colores

The town of Purmamarca, combined with the Hill of Seven Colors, was a great way to spend a day. The hike had good views but also didn’t require a lot of strenuous climbing. If I were ever to come back to this region, I can see myself staying in this town. It was that amazing!