Moray Maras and Salt mines tour in Cusco is one of the most preferred half day tours in Peru. It takes you to the two iconic sites in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You will be witnessing the natural beauty of the Peruvian highland valley on this half day trip.
Both Salinas de Maras and Moray archaeological sites played an important role during the Inca civilization.
Maras Salt Flats have been in use since Pre Inca times. It has been passed down in the line of succession. Farmers here continue to practise the traditional salt farming method as their ancestors.
They let in the natural spring water into the geometric shaped salt puddles and wait for it to evaporate. It then leaves behind crystals of salt which they scrape out manually.
The circular farming terraces of Moray are quite distinct. It has different levels dug into the ground. Each of these levels have different temperature zones. The Incas used it to experiment the growth conditions of crops. Thanks to this, Peru now produces over 800 different varieties of potatoes among other crops.
The full day tour is ideal while you are acclimatising in the altitude of Cusco before your trip to Machu Picchu.
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Cusco Hotel Transfer
0800 AM
At 0800 AM, we will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco. Then in our private transport, we will be driving you to Maras. You will get spectacular views of the Urubamba valley.
At Maras, our local expert will be explaining the traditional Solar Evaporation Salt farming method used here.
In order to avoid contamination, local authorities now restrict the access to the salt flats. You can enjoy it from a viewpoint.
Once you have had your fill of the site, we will be driving you to Moray village. It is home to the iconic farming terraces. Here you will be introduced to the different farming methods invented by Incas.
After the tour, we will be driving you back to Cusco City.
The most easiest and practical way to get to Maras Salt Mines from Cusco is by joining an organised guided tour. As Maras is somewhat off the road, you will have to change transports to get to the site. At times, it is difficult to get a transport and if you do, often drivers tend to charge more.
Maras Salt Mines are a group of geometric shaped salt pools built on a hill side in the Sacred Valley of Inca. These Salt Terraces have been in use sine Inca civilization and is passed down in the line of succession.
Locals here continue to practice the traditional Solar evaporation method as their fore fathers. They let in the natural spring water to the puddles and wait for it to evaporate. When it does, it leaves behind the crystals of salt which is scrapped out manually.
Maras Salt is known to have a nutritious value and tastes a little different.
Moray is home to circular farming terraces with different levels. Incas built them with different levels. Each levels had different temperature which helped the Incas to determine the best weather condition needed to grow any crop.