Purmamarca
Encyclopedia
Purmamarca is a town in the Tumbaya Department of the Jujuy Province
in Argentina
.
words purma (desert) and marca (city), though desert in that language can refer to uncivilised or not touched by human hand, thus the name is often interpreted as Town of the virgin land.
Route 16, 4km West of National Route 9
, 65 km from Provincial capital San Salvador de Jujuy
and 22 km from Tilcara
.
It is located at the Quebrada de Purmamarca, sometimes considered part of the Quebrada de Humahuaca
. The Cerro de Siete Colores (Hill of the Seven Colours) shows its colourful face to the nearby town.
On the one hand, the town's road connection has been greatly improved by the so called Capricorn Axis asphalted commercial route via Cuesta del Lipán
to Paso de Jama
towards Atacama, Chile, and the Pacific Ocean
. Even though this brought little direct benefit for the local industry, it did improve the influx of tourism.
On the other hand, the Quebrada de Humahuaca
was declared World Heritage Site
by UNESCO
in 2003, increasing the interest of both national and international tourism to the area. The colonial style and the Cerro de Siete Colores, as well as limited yet growing lodging options, make the town a interesting destination for tourists visiting the Argentine North.
Most other economic activities are linked to the tourism, including the manufacturing of handicrafts that are then sold at the local market in the main plaza, to lodging and tours.
Jujuy Province
Jujuy is a province of Argentina, located in the extreme northwest of the country, at the borders with Chile and Bolivia. The only neighboring Argentine province is Salta to the east and south.-History:...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Etymology
The name of the town can be interpreted as the combination of Aymara languageAymara language
Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia...
words purma (desert) and marca (city), though desert in that language can refer to uncivilised or not touched by human hand, thus the name is often interpreted as Town of the virgin land.
Geography
The locality lies on ProvincialProvinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
Route 16, 4km West of National Route 9
National Route 9 (Argentina)
National Route 9 is a major road in Argentina, which runs from the center-east to the northwest of the country, crossing the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, Salta and Jujuy...
, 65 km from Provincial capital San Salvador de Jujuy
San Salvador de Jujuy
San Salvador de Jujuy , commonly known as Jujuy and locally often referred to as San Salvador, is the capital city of Jujuy Province in northwest Argentina. It lies near the southern end of the Humahuaca Canyon where wooded hills meet the lowlands....
and 22 km from Tilcara
Tilcara
San Francisco de Tilcara is a city in the province of Jujuy, Argentina, and the head town of the Tilcara Department...
.
It is located at the Quebrada de Purmamarca, sometimes considered part of the Quebrada de Humahuaca
Quebrada de Humahuaca
The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley located in the province of Jujuy in northwest Argentina, north of Buenos Aires . It is about long, oriented north-south, bordered by the Altiplano in the west and north, by the Sub-Andean hills in the east, and by the warm valleys in the...
. The Cerro de Siete Colores (Hill of the Seven Colours) shows its colourful face to the nearby town.
Economy
Historically relegated from the commercial axis of the province, the area gained some economic thrust mainly due to two different yet related events:On the one hand, the town's road connection has been greatly improved by the so called Capricorn Axis asphalted commercial route via Cuesta del Lipán
Cuesta del Lipán
Cuesta del Lipán is a town and municipality in Jujuy Province in Argentina....
to Paso de Jama
Paso de Jama
The Paso de Jama is a mountain pass through the Andes between Chile and Argentina, at an altitude of about . It is the northernmost road border crossing between the two countries....
towards Atacama, Chile, and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Even though this brought little direct benefit for the local industry, it did improve the influx of tourism.
On the other hand, the Quebrada de Humahuaca
Quebrada de Humahuaca
The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley located in the province of Jujuy in northwest Argentina, north of Buenos Aires . It is about long, oriented north-south, bordered by the Altiplano in the west and north, by the Sub-Andean hills in the east, and by the warm valleys in the...
was declared World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 2003, increasing the interest of both national and international tourism to the area. The colonial style and the Cerro de Siete Colores, as well as limited yet growing lodging options, make the town a interesting destination for tourists visiting the Argentine North.
Most other economic activities are linked to the tourism, including the manufacturing of handicrafts that are then sold at the local market in the main plaza, to lodging and tours.
Tourism
The city's attraction include the aforementioned Cerro de Siete Colores and the town handicraft market. It also server as a starting point for treks such as the Paseo de los Colorados and Purmamarca River, and tours to Salinas Grandes, the Huachichocana archaeological site and the Laguna de Guayatayoc with its pink flamencos and wild goose.See also
- Second Malón de la PazSecond Malón de la PazThe Second Malón de la Paz was a protest march of aboriginals of northwestern Argentina, demanding the restitution of their ancient lands. It started on 7 August 2006 in the province of Jujuy....
- Army of the NorthArmy of the NorthThe Army of the North , contemporaneously called Army of Peru, was one of the armies deployed by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in the Spanish American wars of independence. Its objective was freeing the Argentine Northwest and the Upper Peru from the royalist troops of the Spanish...
- Purmamarca media at Commons