Palccoyo, The New Rainbow Mountain
Guide to one of the secrets of Cusco, Peru
Panoramic view of Palccoyo, Cusco, Peru
Very well known is that in the Andes there is a chain of mountains made of different minerals during its tectonic formation, those minerals give the colors separated as layers that look like waves on the horizon. These colored mountains are a large chain hidden in South America, some can be found in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Due to the number of colors it is named "rainbow mountain", and most famous is Vinicunca, which because of its popularity it's getting overcrowded every day, but the alternative to this, it's Palccoyo, much less visited with much more to see around.
Vinicunca is the most famous rainbow mountain but in recent years, the path to a new destination has been discovered and cleared for tourism, the new rainbow mountain is Palccoyo.
The weather is windy and cold, and its altitude is over the 4900 masl. During the rainy season can be cloudy but warmer than during winter.
Peruvian alpaca
To get there, you have to take a minibus from Cusco, they will pick you up from your accommodation at 7 am. and take you there in 3 hours with a stop in a nice small town, Checacupe.
On the road, it's amazing to see the red river as well as the red road. The red river flows from this mountain with this particular mineral, the iron.
Rainbow mountain
Once you arrive with the minibus, you only have to hike a couple of minutes to see the first colored mountains.
Then, thirty-minutes trekking takes you to the wonderful view of the new rainbow mountain, one of the most colorful panoramic you will see in life, with the Andes Mountains in the background with the fifth-highest peak of Peru, Auzangate (6384 masl.)
The rain mountain with the Auzangate peak in the background
Enjoy the view with some local friends and with beautiful alpacas.
Then, you can hike a little bit more to a rocky forest where you can have an unforgettable 360º.
Rocky forest
Respect the high altitude and make sure you are physically able to climb, don't rush, and take a deep breath every time you need it.
The community of this area is making a nice job to preserve the environment so, please, leave the place clean as it should remain.