Hotels in Purmamarca

Purmamarca: Gateway to the Hill of Seven Colors

Purmamarca sits at 2,192 metres above sea level in Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO World Heritage valley in Jujuy province, northwestern Argentina. The village is anchored by the Cerro de los Siete Colores — a stratified hillside whose sedimentary layers shift from ochre and violet to deep red, visible from the central plaza. The Iglesia de Santa Rosa de Lima, dating to 1648, faces that same square and remains the oldest standing structure in the village.

Where to Stay in Purmamarca

Accommodation runs from adobe guesthouses on cobblestone lanes to small boutique hotels along Ruta Nacional 52, the road that climbs west toward the Salinas Grandes salt flats at 3,450 m. Most properties cluster within 400 metres of the main plaza. Visitors arrive to photograph the coloured hills at dawn, browse the artisan market for woven textiles and carved cactus-wood figures, and drive the hairpin ascent to Abra de Potrerillos at 4,170 m.

Practical Tips

• Altitude: At 2,192 m, altitude sickness affects some visitors — allow 24 hours to acclimatise before ascending to the salt flats.
• Access: Purmamarca is 65 km northwest of San Salvador de Jujuy via Ruta 9 and Ruta 52; the drive takes roughly one hour.
• Weather: Dry season runs May through October; afternoons stay warm but temperatures drop sharply after sunset.