Experience the ancient marvels of Maras Moray with our guided Maras Moray Tour. Explore the mysterious salt mines of Maras, used since Inca times, and marvel at the agricultural terraces of Moray, an engineering marvel. Immerse yourself in the rich history and cultural heritage of the Incas as our knowledgeable guides provide fascinating insights. This tour starts at 8:30 am and ends at approximately 3:00 pm. Book your Maras Moray Tour now and uncover the wonders of these unique and lesser-known sites in the Sacred Valley of Peru.
Itinerary Maras Moray Tour
08:30 – 09:00 Pick up in Cusco
Pick up from your hotel or hostel (In the historical center of Cusco or if you are far from the center, we will coordinate a meeting point).
Experiential tourism in Chinchero
First stop, where we will visit a family of textile artisans, who will show us the process of extraction, processing, and sale of their products made with ancient techniques, which are preserved to this day of which we will be witnesses.
Town of Maras
Maras is a small town located west of Cusco, Peru. It is 3300 meters above sea level, on a plain that in the past was a plateau where you could see different mountains of snow. It was of great importance during the Viceroyalty, declared Villa de San Francisco de Asis (it was the main supplier of salt of the southern Andes), the mansions, and some streets still retain the coats of arms of indigenous nobility on their facades.
Salt mines of Maras
Our next place will be the visit to Moray also known as the “salt mines”. They are formed by about 3000 small wells with an approximate area of about 5 m² each. In times of drought, they are filled with salt water from a natural spring located above the wells. When the water evaporates, the salt crystallizes and is then bagged by the villagers in cloth sacks to be sent to the markets of the region; today this salt is being iodized by state standards and is being exported worldwide for its medicinal properties.
Moray
Finally, we will visit Moray which was possibly an Inca agricultural research center where they conducted crop experiments at different heights, the terraces that compose it have different microclimates, from the bottom to the top, the center of the circular terraces at the bottom has a higher temperature and thus gradually decreasing towards the outside at lower temperatures, which produce 20 different types of microclimates.
With this agricultural laboratory, the Incas were able to obtain a great variety of potato species, and corn, among other products.
13:00 – 14:30 Back to Cusco – San Francisco Square
