Rainbow Mountains – they truly exist in Peru and not just in fairytales!
Better known as Palccoyo, or the Alternative Rainbow Mountain, this is a place loved by locals and tourists alike because of the mesmerizing views it offers.
So, keep reading this guide on everything you need to know about Palccoyo. Starting from what it is, how to get there, and why you should visit it when you are in Cusco.
Palccoyo, the Alternative Rainbow Mountain is just like how it sounds…. A beautifully coloured mountain of red, pink, green etc, that is located about 3.5 hours away from Cusco if you are travelling by car.
This alternative Rainbow Mountain is located at a higher altitude – more than 4900 meters above sea level. Hence, it is always better to prepare with the necessities such as warm, comfortable clothing, hiking boots, raincoats, sunscreen, ponchos and much more.
Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain was recently discovered in 2018. Therefore there are few crowds when compared to the Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain. This alternative Rainbow Mountain only gets like 100 visitors per day, or sometimes you will be the only one up there admiring the views!
Both Palccoyo and Vinicunca Rainbow Mountains are both located at the same altitude. However, when it comes to difficulty, Palccoyo is much easier because it takes like 2-3 hours to complete the hike.
Even the distance is shorter so you can do the hike at your own pace while enjoying the beautiful sceneries and the valleys as you go up.
The bonus of visiting Palccoyo is because it has three rainbow mountain ranges. One is visible from the car park, another one located halfway through and the final one is the most rewarding with cool breezes and lovely views across Red Forest, and the mountain ranges such as Ausangate on a clear day.
You will get to see different colours- red, green, pink, yellow etc in these rainbow mountains. Although the colours can be slightly different from what you see on the internet, the hike is worthwhile.
