2025 Purmamarca Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in July)

#AbsolutelyFreeTrip In the province of Jujuy in Argentina, there is a town surrounded by colorful mountains. These color changes are apparently due to the influence of minerals contained in the strata. The province of Jujuy is also home to the famous Hill of Fourteen Colors, Hornocal. Both are completely different, so I recommend both.

#cityplaybook Depart Jujuy early and make your first stop at Purmamarca to see the Cerro de los Siete Colores at sunrise. Then continue toward Salta, detouring to visit San Salvador de Jujuy briefly before cruising south. Midday, stop in La Caldera for coffee and a lake view. Reach Salta by afternoon and explore its key sites: the Cathedral, MAAM Museum, and Cerro San Bernardo viewpoint. End your day with empanadas and folkloric music in a cozy tavern.

#cityplaybook Start the day in Salta city and head to Purmamarca before the tourists arrive—grab a coffee and enjoy the Cerro de los Siete Colores in peace. Then climb the serpentine Cuesta de Lipán and reach the dazzling Salinas Grandes by late morning—snap your surreal salt flat photos! On the way back, stop at a mirador for empanadas and coca tea. End the day with a golden-hour drive and a relaxed night in Tilcara, soaking in Andean vibes and maybe some live music.

Purmamarca is a small town in the province of Jujuy in northern Argentina. Rising in the background is the Seven Colored Hill (Cerro de los Siete Colores). The hill, which is made up of overlapping layers of red, pink, orange, green, and purple, is so vivid that it is hard to believe it is a natural color, and it looks like a painting. The hill is right in front of the town, and you can look up at it from anywhere. With this hill behind it, the entire townscape of Purmamarca feels like a piece of art. ⸻ 📍Location Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina Fly from the capital Buenos Aires to Jujuy (about 2 hours), then drive from Jujuy for about 1.5 hours You can also access it by bus from Salta (about 3-4 hours) 🕰️Recommended time to visit Sunrise to morning (the colors look most vivid depending on the angle of the sunlight) In the evening, the light is backlit, so it is not suitable for viewing 💸Estimated cost ・Viewing the hill itself is free (you can see it from inside the town) ・Trekking along the "Path of Los Colores" around the back side of the hill costs about 300 pesos (about 1 3-hour course) ・Accommodation in the town is about 5,000 to 10,000 pesos per night (varies depending on the tourist season) ⸻ 🌟Points ・The altitude is about 2,300m, so if you are worried about altitude sickness, make sure to take fluids and move slowly ・It is a small town, so you can stay comfortably for 1-2 nights ・The colorful textiles and folk crafts sold at the local market are also attractive ・The hills change color with the sunrise, and you will never get tired of looking at their beauty ⸻ #Purmamarca #Seven-Colored Hills #CerroDeLosSieteColores #NorthernArgentina #Jujuy #StunningSceneryTour #AroundTheWorld

The Puna Plateau, at an altitude of 4000 meters, is similar in elevation to Tibet, and its topography and geomorphology are strikingly alike. The sky is a deep, pure blue, untainted by any hint of impurity. The ground is covered with low-growing herbaceous plants, home to the vicuña, an animal unique to South America. Where there is no grass, there are vast white salt flats, referred to as lakes, yet they contain no water; they are the result of millions of years of solar distillation. The area receives very little rainfall, and the rate of evaporation is extremely high, leading to a severe lack of water on the surface. Therefore, cacti, which are adept at absorbing and retaining moisture, grow wildly across the hills and plains.