This village from the beginning of the XVII century was an old post house of “El camino del Inca” (the path of the Inca) and it was declared historic place in 1975. Purmamarca (meaning "Town of the Virgin Land" in Aimara language) is situated 3 kilometers east from National Route Nº 9 (65 km away from Capital City of Jujuy). The village is from the prehispanic time, it was built around its Main Church with a splendid Quebradeño classic stile, its nave unique and narrow, cuzco images and paintings from the XVIII century.

The name Purmamarca appeared in initial Spanish documents, as the name given for the original population. It may be translated as “town of the virgin land”; for others it means the entrance to the Puna desert and it is also associated with the pumpkin shape of the hill around the town.

The singular figure of the Quebrada (narrow path) of Purmamarca gives especial value to this small town. This narrow path, affluent from the west of the Quebrada of Humahuaca, is an amazing and colorful natural scenery even than this characteristic is seen through all Humahuaca.