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Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain), Peru
Prismatic peaks
High in the Peruvian wilds, Vinicunca – also known as Rainbow Mountain – unfurls its vibrant stripes like a geological tapestry. This natural marvel stands at over 5,000 metres above sea level and owes its varied hues to a rich mineral composition – rust-red iron oxide, olive-green phyllite, chalk-white limestone, mustard-yellow sulphur and more. Once hidden beneath layers of ice, this watercolour landscape was revealed in the 2010s as Vinicunca's glacier melted away entirely. A bad sign for the climate, but a boon for tourism – the painted peak became a bucket-list item virtually overnight, despite its hard-to-reach setting deep in the Andes.
Prismatic peaks
High in the Peruvian wilds, Vinicunca – also known as Rainbow Mountain – unfurls its vibrant stripes like a geological tapestry. This natural marvel stands at over 5,000 metres above sea level and owes its varied hues to a rich mineral composition – rust-red iron oxide, olive-green phyllite, chalk-white limestone, mustard-yellow sulphur and more. Once hidden beneath layers of ice, this watercolour landscape was revealed in the 2010s as Vinicunca's glacier melted away entirely. A bad sign for the climate, but a boon for tourism – the painted peak became a bucket-list item virtually overnight, despite its hard-to-reach setting deep in the Andes.
© DanielPrudek / iStock / Getty Images Plus 2026-09-11 08:45:52 :