Palcoyo: the Rainbow Mountain Tour alternative of Cusco

Rainbow Mountain Tour

While Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain boils with thousands of tourists every day, only 20 kilometers to the south is not one, but three mountains of colors resting in complete solitude. Of ocher and red colors, with green, blue and white stripes, the dazzling Cordillera de Colores Palcoyo is visited by a few travelers a day. Reaching it only requires a gentle 1-hour walk without any unevenness, transforming it into a less demanding alternative to the long trek to Vinicunca, Rainbow Mountain Tour,located at a distance of 2 hours from the imperial city of Cusco  ..

From Cusco you must travel by vehicle for about 3 hours to the southeast in the direction of the District of Combapata. Before reaching the village, turn left, just where the Checacupe bridge is, a suspension bridge made by the Quechuas to favor the connection of the Inca Empire. Then follow the dirt road for approximately 1 hour until you reach a parking lot,Rainbow Mountain Tour.

From the parking you can already see the colorful mountains, but if you want a better view, at a slow pace you can reach the viewpoint of the Palcoyo mountain range in 45 minutes. In Denomades we have a tour to Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain that includes pickup at the hotel, shared transportation, guide in Spanish, lunch, entrance ticket and drop off in the center of Cusco. Note that the tour is available from April to November, because during the high plateau winter the hills are covered with snow and the rains make access difficult.

As in Rainbow Mountain Vinicunca, an extraordinary geological process aligned the different strata of the earth in multicolour layers creating a unique effect. From the viewpoint of Palcoyo you can see the 3 colorful mountains in all their magnitude and lonely immensity. In the same place there is a curious forest of stones, which as its name suggests, is about peaks of rock from the height of trees that look like a true geological labyrinth.

The physical effort and the time it takes to get to Palcoyo is much less than to get to Vinicunca, the latter also receives a large influx of tourists that detracts from the natural landscape. With this we do not mean that the trekking to the Rainbow Mountain Vinicunca is not worth it, is more, if what you are looking for is a physical challenge, perhaps visiting Vinicunca has more sense for you. The grace of the Cordillera de Colores Palcoyo is that it is an excellent alternative for those who can not or do not want to wear themselves physically to observe the same landscape that they would observe in Vinicunca.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO VISIT PALCOYO

Being located at 4,900 meters, the risk to suffer from puna is always present. Anyway, because the walk is without slope and last one hour, most travelers (regardless of age) will not have problems. The recommendation is always to spend at least two days in Cusco before traveling to Palcoyo to acclimate the body. If you want more information on this topic, read our article on how to avoid altitude sickness. As for the cold, it is very important that you wear warm clothing due to the subzero temperatures in Palcoyo. A windbreak is also recommended.

for more information about the citadel of Machupicchu (more information).