Overview
Maras, Moray & Salt mines tour – Overview
Useful Information about this half day tour
- Daily departures
- Hours: morning or afternoon
Places that are visited
- Maras village
- Moray Inca terraces
- Salt Mines Cusco
Itinerary
Tour to Moray, Salt mines tour half day – Itinerary
Day 1: Moray ruins, Maras, Salt mines & Weavers town
We leave from Cusco at 9am. Our first stop is Maras, from which. The Moray, Maras and the Salt mines starts with a visit to the Colonial town of Maras and its church. From Maras we continue to the nearby Inca site of Moray, a magnificent series of terrace set in circles into the ground that were once used by the Incas for experimentation with crops. Our final destination are the salt mines in Cusco which have been in use since Pre-Inca times. Water from a subterranean stream is channelled through pools where it evaporates and leaves behind pure salt crystals. With thousands of stark white pools stretching down the valley, the view is stunning
In the afternoon, we will return back to your hotel in Cusco.
Inclusions
Included in our Moray, Maras & Salt mines guided tour
- Professional english speaking guide
- Round trip Private transportation
- Entrance to the Salt Mines
- Water
Does not include in our moray ruins and Maras salt mines tour from Cusco
- Entrance fees – You need to purchase the Boleto de Turistico (130 soles per person (10 day pass) or 70 soles (1 day pass) ; this ticket allows you entrance into 16 various sites around Cusco and the Sacred Valley)
- Tips
What you need to take for the Maras Moray Tour & Salt Mines Cusco:
- Original Passport
- Valid STUDENT CARD(if you are a student)
- Tourist ticket
- Sun hat
- Sun protection cream
- Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
- Water & snacks
- Camera and films.
Price
Group Service Price:
- US$70 Per Person
Private Service Prices:
- 2 person : US$110 per person
- 3+ people: US$100 per person
FAQs
What is Moray?
Moray is one of the famous Inca ruins near Cusco. It is composed of three groups of circular terraces (muyus in Quechua) that descend 490 feet (150 meters) from the highest terrace to the lowest. Each muyu has 12 levels of terraces with the largest depression having a diameter of 600-feet. Surrounded by the towering Andes mountains, looking into the depths of these man-made craters will fill you with awe and wonder.
Moray History
What we see now of the Moray archeological complex was created during the reign of the Inca Empire between the 12th and mid-14th centuries. Though many residents of the surrounding areas knew of its existence for ages, it was brought to western attention in the 1930s. In fact, it was the same aerial expedition over Peru’s landscapes that enabled American-Peruvian researchers to observe the Nazca Lines and the Moray ruins for the very first time in modern history.
At the time of its “discovery” until the 1970s, Moray was used by surrounding communities, like the Misminay, for agriculture. After the 1970s the National Institute of Culture (INC) protected Moray and it is now is used as a tourist attraction.
Agricultural Research.
It is widely believed that the Moray ruins were used as an experimental farm by the Incas over 500 years ago. This theory was first proposed by anthropologist John Earls in 1975 and officially published in 1981. He supported this theory with several findings after spending weeks living at the site.
Firstly, an Inca irrigation system, a series of channels fed by water from a reservoir located higher in the mountains, was engineered into the structures of terraces. He also noticed that the temperature difference from top to bottom ranged an astonishing 27 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius). He also observed that the sun hit each terrace at different angles and intensities.
Earl’s theory was that the Inca Empire used each terrace at Moray as its own microclimate. This allowed the Incas to study the effects of altitude, temperature, and sun absorption on crop growth to determine ecological niches suitable for crops to thrive. This experimentation allowed for the Incas to teach neighboring regions agricultural techniques for best crop production despite the differing altitudes and climates throughout the Andes and Peru. Earl’s theory illustrates how the Incas used their understanding of the environment to capitalize on the natural resources at their fingertips and it gives insight as to how the mighty Inca Empire expanded itself so widely throughout South America.
What Did the Incas farm?
Many of the ingredients found on your plate at MIL were once farmed by the Incas. Potatoes and tubers, quinoa, and corn were big players in the agricultural scene in the Andes and likely to have played a large role at Moray, if experimentation was indeed its purpose. Another theory suggests that corn was the key crop experimented on at Moray due to its significance in religious ceremonies.
How the Moray terraces were made?
Much like the Machu Picchu terraces, the Moray site has steps carved out from the slope of a mountain. These steps have been reinforced with stones and soil and allow for water drainage. Excavations of the site have shown that the Inca Empire imported soil from varying regions of Peru to Moray, furthering the theory of crop experimentation. Even guano (one of Peru’s largest exports) from coastal destinations like Paracas was brought to the Andes to fertilize the Moray terraces. For a list of other incredible archaeological sites read our list on the 21 Best Ancient Ruins to Visit in Peru.
When is the best time to visit the Salt Mines?
If you are planning a trip to Peru, you will surely wonder when is the best time to “have the experience” among these ancient pools.
Well, normally, by consensus and advice of already professional travelers, it is usually recommended to travel during the dry season of Cusco (between May and October). The dry season represents a much more pleasant climate where you will enjoy clear skies and bursts of sunshine, making that water evaporates to manifest the brilliant snowy color. The dry season is also beneficial for horseback riding. In addition, you can ride ATVs or hike around the site and appreciate the views better. Conveniently, it is the same recommendation for those who wish to visit Machu Picchu.
On the other hand, during the rainy season that occurs from December to March, the Maras Salt Mines pools turn a more brown and earthy color. To say nothing of heavy rains and thunders, which can make muddy routes and offer opaque photos of the salt pools.
How do Maras Salt ponds work?
Salt is extracted through the evaporation of the brine (water with large amounts of salt that come from an underground spring in the foothills of the surrounding hills) When it evaporates, local communities workers crack the resulting layers of salt with a wooden stick. After that, the pieces of salt are crushed by their bare feet. Next, they carefully extract the salt crystals from the land surfaces. When all the salt crystals are removed, the pools are refilled again with brine and the process is repeated. This method is practiced long before the Incas themselves. With an antiquity that dates back more than 500 years.
Of course, during the Dry season, the salt mines produce more quantity of salt than during a Rainy Season. The reason? The large period of sunshine for the evaporation of brine. The salt is solidified in 3 layers, the first layer is destined for gourmet salt and grills, the second layer is used for table salt and the third is for industrial salt for fertilizers, inter alia. Therefore, if you want to know more about this ancestral technique of salt production during your Peru trip, take note of the best tours and things to do around Cusco and add the Maras Salt mines visit to your list
The Salt Mines Today
Today, the Maras Salt Mines are one of the biggest attractions to visit on any guided tour around Cusco. Being able to visit the more than 6,000 pools is one of the best things to do in Sacred Valley. As we mentioned, today the local communities (Maras and Pichicoto) have unique mining rights for the Salinas that are located close. Hundreds of local miners work at the ponds, demonstrating ancient techniques and methods used by their ancestors. Besides, the different local families deposit their daily production in the official warehouse of Marasal S.A. (The social company of Maras and Pichicoto communities) Marasal is responsible to promote, packaging, distribute and sell the salt to national and international markets and distributing the profits to the producing local families.
Where the Salt Mines are located?
The Maras salt mines are located in the district of Maras, Urubamba province, in the Cusco department. In other words, the salt ponds are situated over the slopes of Cori Pujio mountain in Sacred Valley, over 3200 meters above sea level, from 50 kilometers northeast of the Cusco capital. These salt mines are surrounded by Chupayoq, Llully Mocco, Cruz Mocco, Qaqawiñay, and Qori Pujio mountains. Also, two local Andean communities like Maras and Pichingoto take advantage of these ponds, producing the famous pink salt.
