Purmamarca is another small town in the Jujuy province and famous for its seven coloured hill. I know what you’re thinking another coloured hill!! It seems that the Jujuy province has a lot of the natural minerals needed to get these stunning colourful landscapes!
I went to Purmamarca from Humahuaca for half a day to see the seven coloured hill which is right in town. There’s a small mound opposite the coloured hill which serves as a viewpoint. It costs $10ARG (£0.20) to enter. Be prepared to share it with a lot of other people, there’s not that much space up there.
After the viewpoint, I walked the Paseo de los Colorados. It’s a short circular route that takes an hour or less to walk and passes through some great colourful scenery.
I met an 80yr old Argentinean lady walking with poles who had been coming to Purmamarca twice a year for the past thirty years! She was walking really well and reminded me of my very own awesome walking Nan! I also thought she’d picked the harder direction to walk – more uphills!
Tip: I’d walk the Paseo de los Colorados anti-clockwise if you want fewer uphills!
After the walk, I wandered the colourful artesanal market in the main square. I got Bolivian vibes from all the colours and items on sale, which makes sense considering how close to Bolivia Purmamarca and the Jujuy province is.
I then headed back to Humahuaca on the bus. From Purmamarca, you can also visit the Salinas Grandes, Argentina’s salt flats. I chose not to as on the bus from San Pedro de Atacama to Salta we briefly passed the Salinas Grandes. They didn’t convince me that I needed to see more salt flats when I’d already seen Bolivia’s incredible Salar de Uyuni in 2017!
How to get to Purmamarca
From Salta, Balut have several daily buses to Purmamarca which take around 4hrs and cost $440ARG (£8 approx).
As Purmamarca is not on Ruta 9, the main road that connects most of the towns in the Jujuy province, a lot of buses (especially long distance ones) will stop at the turn off to Purmamarca (which is on Ruta 52) rather than enter the town.
From the turn off, it’s 3km to Purmamarca which you can walk or hitchhike. When buying your ticket, it’s a good idea to check where the bus drops you to avoid surprises! I know Balut buses only stop at the turn off!
You can also get to Purmamarca by bus from the other towns in the Jujuy province, e.g. Tilcara and Humahuaca, and San Salvador de Jujuy, the province’s capital.
You’ll need to check the timetables for these buses at the local bus stations. For an idea of price, I paid $105ARG (£2 approx) for a ticket from Humahuaca to Purmamarca (1hr-1hr20 journey) and it costs $35ARG (£0.70ish) to go from Tilcara to Purmamarca (30min journey).
Instead of dropping you off at the turn off, several of these buses enter Purmamarca itself saving you from a walk or hitchhike. Make sure you check the timetable to see which buses enter the town.
There is also the option to rent a car. Most people choose to rent from Salta but San Salvador de Jujuy also has several rentals. Make sure you know if any popular events are upcoming because that will definitely affect your chances of getting a car.
We really struggled with Easter and pretty much all car rentals told us there were no cars left.
Final thoughts
If you’re visiting the Jujuy province, then Purmamarca is worth a short stop. For me, 3-4hrs was an ample amount of time to see the seven coloured hill, walk the Paseo de los Colorados and wander the market. You’ll want more time there if you’re going to the Salinas Grandes.
I’m now going back to Salta on a 2.30am bus and then heading straight to Cafayate for almost a week.
P.S. Back in Humahuaca, my hostel set up a projector and screen to watch Game of Thrones! It was a such a nice idea! We watched the last episode of Season 7 to refresh our memories and then the new Season 8 episode!
