Visit the Rainbow Mountains
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When you think of a trip through Peru
most people think about Machu Picchu, the impressive Inca empire.
However southeast of Cusco, deep in the Andes, you will find
mountains in the colors of a rainbow: the Rainbow Mountains (Vinicunca). This colored rainbow mountain might
steal your heart forever and the view from the top will take
your breath away. Not only because it is so extremely beautiful, but
also because you have to climb to 5.035 meters for this view.
Until a few years ago, the Rainbow Mountain was almost always covered with snow or ice and you had to hike for 6 days to get there. Due to global warming it is now almost always visible. Rainbow Mountain is a strangely colored
mountain with various colors such as red, yellow and green stripes
that seem painted by the landscape. These colors are the result of
copper, iron and malachite in the soil. It is one of the most popular
destinations on Instagram and Facebook. The Peruvian name means
Montaña de los 7 colors, or the "mountain of 7 colors".
This special mountain has now grown (thanks to
Facebook and instagram) in a very quick period to almost 1500 visitors per day and it is one
of the biggest tourist attractions in Peru.
A trek to a height of 5,035 meters is
quite tough. The weather can change constantly and
together with the high altitude, a visit can even be challenging for
experienced hikers. The thin air causes a shortage of breath,
sometimes altitude sickness and can cause severe headaches. You can
therefore choose to rent a horse for the day. This costs is around 20
us dollars. Many friends and couples share a horse with each other.
On the way, keep your eyes open for alpacas and wild vicunas that are
often seen here.
Despite tourism, the locals still wear
traditional clothing. Many of them are still cattle farmers. Not only
the mountains are beautiful, you will also fall in love with the people.
How to get there
Rainbow Mountain is easy to visit as a
day trip from Cusco. When you visit Cusco you will find many options and offers. Of course they all claim to be better
and cheaper than the others. Depending on whether or not you eat, you
pay around 90 sol for going to the Rainbow Mountain, which comes to around 27 us
dollar for a full-day program.
Where to stay
If you will start the tour from Cuzco and you have some budget you might want to stay at Inkaterra La Casona. A beyond amazing hotel with many sustainable practices.
Staffs are super friendly and the property is just pure magic. On booking.com this hotel gets an average rating of 9.6.
Best time to visit
The best time to plan your hiking
adventure depends on what you prefer. If you are looking for lush,
green landscapes in Peru then leave in May. The wet season will be over,
allowing you to enjoy the spectacular views even more. The dry season
of Peru starts in May and lasts until September which is also the
high season. If you do the tour (hike) to Rainbow Mountain from May to November, the weather at night will be freezing, below 0 degrees celsius. (32 º F). From December to April it will be even colder and it will feel like – 5 or -10 degrees Celsius (41 ºF – 50 ºF), in these months the weather changes a lot, some days you will have snow and some days it rains with thunder and lightning. Click here for more average weather details.