Purmamarca
Unforgettable...

The village of Purmamarca is only 65 km (40 miles) from Jujuy's capital city and nestles at the foot of the famous Cerro de Siete Colores or Seven Colors Mountain at 2,200 m.a.s.l. The village sits in a narrow valley and is surrounded by multicolored mountains. It preserves its original layout and pre-hispanic architectural style.

The name of the village comes from the Aymara words “purma” (untilled or desert field) and “marca” (town). Following the meaning of its name, the village is described as “the town of the virgin lands” or “the town in the desert”.

Its original native inhabitants were called purmamarcas. Purmamarca, as well as most of the villages in Quebrada de Humahuaca and the Puna area, developed out of a pre-Columbian settlement. This might explain why it kept the name of its first native inhabitants.

Purmamarca was declared "Historical Place" in 1975 and is probably the most picturesque village in Quebrada de Humahuaca, World Heritage site since the year 2003.