Cerro de los Siete Colores Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cerro de los Siete Colores
Hill of Seven Colors
Cerro de los Siete Colores Location in Argentina
Highest point
Geography
Location	Purmamarca, Jujuy Province, Argentina
Parent range	Andes

Cerro de los Siete Colores (which means "Hill of Seven Colors") is a super colorful hill in Jujuy Province, Argentina. It's part of the Quebrada de Humahuaca valley, a famous place in the Andes mountains. This amazing hill gets its name because it shows off seven different colors! These colors were formed over millions of years by different kinds of rocks and earth moving around.

A Special Name for the Hill
What Makes the Hill So Colorful?
The Legend of the Colors
Visiting the Hill
The Town of Purmamarca
Images for kids
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A Special Name for the Hill

The people who live in the nearby town of Purmamarca have a secret nickname for this hill. They sometimes call it the "Hill of the Seven Skirts." This is because the bright colors on the hill look a lot like the long, traditional skirts worn by women in the Andes mountains. It's a special name mostly used by the locals.

What Makes the Hill So Colorful?

The Cerro de los Siete Colores is made up of seven different colors. Each color comes from a different type of rock. These rocks were formed at different times in Earth's history.

Pink comes from red clay, mud, and sand. It's about 3 to 4 million years old.
White is mostly made of limestone. This part is very old, about 400 million years old!
Brown and Purple colors are from rocks rich in lead and calcium. They are about 80 to 90 million years old.
Earthy Brown is a newer color, only 1 to 2 million years old. It comes from rocks with manganese.
Red is made of iron-rich clays. It's also around 3 to 4 million years old.
Green shades are from rocks like phyllites and slates with copper oxide. These are super ancient, about 600 million years old.
Yellow Mustard color comes from sandstones with sulfur. These rocks are about 80 to 90 million years old.

The Legend of the Colors

There's a wonderful old story about how the hill got its colors. Long ago, when the town of Purmamarca was first built, the hills around it were plain and dull. The grown-ups didn't mind, but the children thought it was boring!

The kids decided to do something amazing. For seven nights, they secretly snuck out of their beds. Each morning, the adults woke up to a surprise: a new color had appeared on the hill! On the seventh night, all the children disappeared from their beds early. The adults searched everywhere, worried. Then, they saw all the children skipping down the hillside, laughing and playing.

Since that day, the hill has been covered in its seven beautiful colors. Every year, the town of Purmamarca celebrates this special day to honor the children who "painted" the colorful hillside.

Visiting the Hill

Many tourists love to visit the Cerro de los Siete Colores. The hill looks most beautiful right after the sun rises, during the first 45 minutes of dawn.

You can take tours of the town of Purmamarca, which often include the hill as a main attraction. There are also special tours just for the hills! You can explore them by:

Riding horses
Going on hikes or walks
Taking bike tours
Joining photographic safaris to capture amazing pictures

If you want to hike, there are two main trails. One is a short ten-minute walk to a great viewpoint. The other is a longer, hour-long walk. You can easily find information about these trails at the tourism office in Purmamarca.

The Town of Purmamarca

Purmamarca is a charming little village nestled right at the base of the famous colorful hills. It's known as one of the most "picturesque villages" in the Humahuaca Ravine.

The town is very welcoming to tourists. You'll find many artisan stands selling beautiful handmade items. These include colorful tapestries, hand-knitted clothes, artwork, sculptures, and pottery.

The people of Purmamarca have a rich culture. They celebrate many traditions, like the "misa-chico" (a type of mass), worship for the dead, and the Pachamama worship (honoring Mother Earth). You can also hear traditional music played with instruments like quenas (Indian flutes), cajas, erques, and sikus.