The Rainbow Moutain “Palcoyo”, is another fantastic and increasingly popular alternative for all those people who love nature and trekking of medium level and without complications. The Colored Mountain of Palcoyo belongs to the same range of mountains named “Ausangate or Vilcanota”, about 20 kilometers more to the south of the famous Colored Mountain Vinikunka. It is located between 4,700 meters above sea level (15,400 feet) from the beginning of the hike to 4,900 meters above sea level (16,100 feet) in the forest of stones, it corresponds to the District of Pitumarca and Province of Canchis more than 126 km (76 miles). of the Department of Cusco.

ANDINA AMAZÓNICA, invites you to walk through these geological formations with a rainbow appearance, each layer has a different color due to its strata and marine, lake and river sediments that were being transported by water along its route, forming the streams and dragging all the material that was uncovered in its path. These sediments correspond to the tertiary and quaternary periods of approximately 65 million years ago, that during the stratospheric formation of the earth, the minerals by dragging and falling by their own weight, formed layers on top of each other, then, with the upheavals and thrusts of the tectonic plates, these were settling more and more and forming strata containing oxidized minerals and fossils of each era and later acquired different shades of colors and were becoming what we can now appreciate today, a mountain of different colors on the surface of this part of our planet.

Our expert guides from ANDINA AMAZÓNICA Will show you the colors, they are visible to the naked eye and the minerals that compose it are:

• Lilac pink, a mixture of red clay, iron, osfango and reana.
• White beige, quartz sand and limestone.
• Purple, clay, iron, calcium carbonate and silicate.
• Red, clay, iron, Argelites.
• Green, magnesian iron, copper oxide.
• Mustard yellow, calcareous sandstone, sulfates combined with sulfur.

THE ROCKY FOREST

It is located about 100 to 150 meters higher, climbing a zigzag path over the mountain, it is a formation of millions of years ago, product of deglaciations and volcanic eruptions that over the years formed these whimsical shapes carved into the rock and that its charm enamors every visitor who visits it. From up there. ANDINA AMAZÓNICA shows you the privileged 360° view, being able to appreciate the view not only of the 3 small colorful mountains in Palcoyo, but also enjoy the natural scenery as part of the red valley, the snow-capped Apu Tutelar del Cusco, the “Ausangate”, the mountain ranges and of course the stone formations that form elongated streets of the same forest of stones.

THE RED RIVER

between the months of November to February, months where the rainfall is stronger, you can appreciate another beautiful scenery en route to the colorful mountain of Palcoyo, the route to follow is through the Salqa Valley and its river that bears the same name. With ANDINA AMAZÓNICA, takes you to know and shows you the river that in dry season looks very clean and its waters are transparent, it becomes red brown, because the rainfall drags all the sediment from the slopes and hills of the entire mountain, sediment containing mostly red clay product of the oxidation of minerals especially the presence of iron. The coloration and intensity of the rainfall varies according to the amount of precipitation during this rainy season. It is a unique scenery where at different points you can stop to take pictures and videos of this beautiful spectacle.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Being located above 4,000 meters above sea level, the flora of the place is not as abundant as in the inter-Andean valleys, however it presents another type of flora very different and with characteristics of its habitat and height as for example we have: The Phallcha flower, considered a sacred flower that grows attached to the ground and its colors vary from white to pink, with medicinal properties; hawthorns and cactus of different shapes that are an attraction on the mountains; the ichu, which is very important for the population, as it is an important element for the manufacture of roofs and adobe of the peasant communities, as well as food for the camelids of the area. In terms of animals, the area has Andean camelids such as the llama, alpaca and if you are lucky, you can get to see vicuñas in the wild that decorate the mountains with colors, foxes, pumas, vizcachas, Andean deer; among birds, there are very few of them due to the altitude as the Andean Cara Cara, the huallatas, the cream-winged cinclodes, among others.