Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain Is A Candy-Colored Miracle In Peru
When it comes to beautiful landscapes, this world is full of miracles, including a rainbow-striped mountain in Peru. While it might look like a colorful, abstract painting, this mountain is the real deal. Meanwhile, this beautiful sight is known as Rainbow Mountain, or Montaña de Siete Colores (Mountain of Seven Colors). While most people think of the iconic Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru, this country has more amazing places, just waiting to be explored.
Rainbow Mountain (Montaña de Siete Colores)
Rainbow Mountain is also known as Vinicunca and is a natural phenomenon in the Cusco region of Peru. The attraction draws many visitors from all over the world, who want to know if the rainbow colors are real. The mountain is part of the South American Andes mountain range and its peak soars to 17,060 feet (5,200 meters) above sea level.
According to Peru Grand Travel, the colorful stripes are reportedly due to exposed sedimentary rock layers. Meanwhile, as ice covering Vinicunca gradually melted, the mountain continued to erode. This led to different mineral layers being exposed in a rainbow of colors.
The red is oxidized iron, while the pink shade is mud, clay and sand. Moreover, the white stripes are composed of various types of calcium carbonate and the yellow is due to the presence of iron sulfide. The earthy brown tone indicates that the rocks are rich in magnesium, while purple is from goethite or oxidized limonite. Finally, the turquoise or green shade is due to the presence of chlorite.
However, while the rainbow color is genuine, travelers should be aware that some photos are misleading. This is due to people using editing software and filters to brighten the colors more.
How to get to Vinicunca or Rainbow Mountain
Travelers can access the trailhead for Vinicunca at Qesoyuno by driving for three hours from Cusco by car or tourist bus. Meanwhile, the most spectacular lookout point is a challenging, six-mile round trip hike and it is best to head out before dawn.
To see Rainbow Mountain at its best, visit on a bright, clear day. Also, to see the colors at their most vibrant, visit in the golden hours of dawn or dusk. It is recommended to visit between March and November when the sky is blue and the weather is warm.
In the past, lithium miners have targeted Rainbow Mountain, but in 2018, all mining activity here was stopped. The Vinicunca site was declared a Regional Conservation Area the following year.
China has rainbow mountains too!
While Vinicunca is startlingly beautiful, it isn’t actually unique. China has its own version, located just outside of Zhangye City, in the Hexi corridor part of Gansu. Meanwhile, China’s version is dubbed Zhangye Danxia National Landform Geological Park.
Let’s face it, both locations are perfect to share on Instagram.