Cusco to Promote Tourism at Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain Starting Next May
The colorful mountains of Palccoyo and Pallay Punchu are located in Canchis and Canas, in Cusco. They are now poised to become tourists’ new favorite spots this year, especially starting in May, when the high season begins and more visitors arrive from Peru and abroad.
Rosendo Baca Palomino, head of Gercetur Cusco, told Agencia Andina that these two landscapes will be relaunched as tourist destinations. This way, more people will be able to experience them when they visit the region.
Recently, officials from Combapata, Marangani, and Layo met with community leaders, tourism entrepreneurs, and representatives from Gercetur. Together, they sought to increase visitor numbers to these sites, which are located between 4,700 and 4,900 meters above sea level.
One of the main objectives is to ensure tourists arrive safely. To that end, authorities are improving roads and access points, as well as installing restrooms, signage, basic healthcare services, and spaces to showcase local food and crafts.
Vinicunca
Palccoyo and Pallay Punchu are alternatives to Vinicunca, another famous colorful mountain in Cusco. However, there are social tensions between communities in Vinicunca, which is why authorities want to better regulate visits and prevent further conflicts.
Gercetur and local authorities are seeking a solution to ensure that Vinicunca grows in an orderly and equitable manner for everyone. In the meantime, they are also promoting other tourist destinations so that visitors can travel at a more leisurely pace and explore new routes in the highland provinces.
Baca Palomino said he has already spoken with the authorities in Combapata, where Palccoyo is located. He also noted that there is great enthusiasm in that district to welcome the next wave of tourists.
Pallay Punchu is situated between Layo and Marangani. For this reason, the authorities have also held discussions with those districts to prevent problems like those currently affecting Vinicunca.
As Baca Palomino explained, the mayors of Layo and Marangani have already understood that tourism should not divide the towns, but rather unite them under a single destination with two access routes—one via Marangani and the other via Layo. In this way, both districts can grow together.
The manager of Gercetur said that up to 70 tourists currently visit these two mountains each day. Furthermore, they expect that number to increase with more information and through the promotion of the culture, cuisine, and handicrafts unique to these provinces.
Authorities are working hard to improve visitor access. Finally, Baca Palomino stated that there is a commitment to showcase these resources starting in the second week of May, so they will be ready and open to the public.