Purmamarca Jujuy: Travel Guide (4.8★)

Purmamarca’s streets are dirt, its walls are adobe, and nearly every one of them ends at a hill striped like a geology textbook. The Cerro de los Siete Colores rises straight behind the village. Its bands of red, ochre, green, purple and cream come from sediment laid down over millions of years and then tilted on end.

The village is small enough to cross on foot in ten minutes. It’s also one of the most visited stops in northwest Argentina, so expect company.

The hill, the plaza and the church

The plaza sets the layout. Everything else spreads out from it.

The village grid fans out from a central square shaded by an old algarrobo tree. On the square stands the Iglesia de Santa Rosa de Lima, a whitewashed adobe church that dates to the 1600s. Inside, look up: the ceiling is made of cardón, the giant cactus that grows across the Quebrada, laid over beams. Opening times vary, so check at the door.

Around the plaza you’ll find the artisan market, rows of stalls under awnings. Expect to see:

• Llama and sheep wool ponchos, blankets and socks
• Woven belts and bags in Andean patterns
• Ceramics and small carved figures
• Bags of coca leaves and dried herbs

The whole Quebrada de Humahuaca, Purmamarca included, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. It’s listed as a cultural route people have used for about 10,000 years.

Chasing the light on the Seven Colours

The colours depend on the sun. Timing matters more than anything else here.

The hill sits on the west side of the village, so the morning sun lands directly on its face. That’s when the bands are sharpest and the reds look deepest. Once the sun moves behind the ridge in the afternoon, the face falls into shadow and the colours flatten into browns.

For the classic view of the whole hill, climb the small rise of Cerro El Porito, on the edge of the village across from the Seven Colours. The path is short but steep, and at this altitude your breathing will tell you so.

Walking the Paseo de los Colorados

This loop is the best thing to do in Purmamarca on foot. It’s about 3 km long.

The Paseo de los Colorados starts at the edge of the village and runs along a dirt track. It winds between rust-red rock formations, cardón cacti and dry gullies, then brings you back into town. It’s mostly flat, and most people do it in an hour to ninety minutes with photo stops. You can also drive it, but walking lets you get close to the eroded spires.

Bring water and a hat. There’s very little shade, and the sun at this altitude burns quickly even when the air feels cool.

Altitude, coca and pacing yourself

Purmamarca sits at roughly 2,300 m. Pace yourself on day one.

If you’ve come straight up from San Salvador de Jujuy or from sea level, you may get a headache or feel short of breath on the climbs. Walk slowly, drink plenty of water and go easy on alcohol the first evening. The road to the Salinas Grandes climbs much higher still, so spend a night around here before going up if you can.

In this part of Argentina, people chew coca leaves (coqueo) or drink them as mate de coca to cope with the altitude. It’s legal and normal here. You’ll see bags of leaves on sale in the market.

Getting there and moving on

Purmamarca sits just off Ruta Nacional 9, where Ruta 52 turns west towards Chile.

• From San Salvador de Jujuy: about 65 km north. Buses run from the city bus terminal, and the trip takes around an hour and a quarter.
• To Tilcara: about 25 km further north on Ruta 9. It’s an easy hop, and many people base themselves in one village and day-trip to the other.
• To Humahuaca: continue north up the Quebrada.
• To the Salinas Grandes: take Ruta 52 west over the Cuesta de Lipán. This series of switchbacks climbs to a pass above 4,000 m before dropping onto the white salt flats.

The rainy season runs from December to March. Summer storms can cut roads in the Quebrada, so check conditions before driving. The dry months, from April to November, bring clear skies and cold nights.

Shopping the plaza market without the friction

Here’s how the stalls on the square work.

Many of the smaller stalls deal mostly in cash pesos, so carry some. Card and transfer payments are more common in shops and hotels than at the market tables. Gentle haggling is fine if you’re buying several pieces from one seller. Hard bargaining over a single item isn’t the custom. Ask the stallholders where the wool came from. Machine-made imports and local handwoven pieces often sit side by side.

Ask before you photograph people, especially older women in traditional dress. Treat the church as a working parish: keep your voice down and cover your shoulders. Tour vans from Jujuy and Salta tend to arrive mid-morning. Staying overnight means you get the early light and the quiet evening plaza once the day-trippers have gone.

When the village celebrates

Purmamarca’s calendar follows the Andean year as well as the Catholic one.

In August, communities across Jujuy honour the Pachamama (Mother Earth) with offerings buried in the ground. Carnival in February or March is loud and very popular throughout the Quebrada, and accommodation fills up. If you’d rather have quiet streets and the hill to yourself, visit outside these dates.