VISIT TO MARAS- MORAY AND SALT MINES

VISIT TO MARAS- MORAY AND SALT MINES

The best option to visit these tourist places is to hire a private transport. Maras is situated at 45 minutes from Ollantaytambo. During the journey you will cross several typical villages of the area and amazing landscapes. Duration of the visit: about 5 hours.

MARAS: Situated in the Urubamba province at 3,300 m.a.s.l.. You will enjoy the view of the Vilcanota mountain range and the snow-capped peaks: "El Chicón" (5,530 m.a.s.l.), “Putukusi” "La Verónica" (5,682 m.a.s.l.). At present this quaint village contains some attractions from the prehispanic, colonial and republican times, standing out the streets and colonial portals with noble coats and caciques of the 17th and 18th centuries.

MORAY: Situated at 3,385 m.a.s.l.. It is a group of unique archaeological sites in the region. These gigantic natural holes were used by the Incas who built terraces or agricultural platforms with their respective irrigation channels. It is a prototype of greenhouse "Agricultural Laboratory", the biggest hole has a depth of 150 m and an average height between each of the platforms of approximately 1.80 m. the difference in temperatures between each platform is noteworthy. Incredible advances were made in agriculture in this place.

SALINERAS or "SALT MINES”, Constituted by about 3,000 small salt pans that have been used for salt extraction since pre-Inca and Inca times as a means of economic exchange and are still exploited by the local people. They indicate that the mountain has salt mines in its interior, a spring of salt water that serves during the dry season to fill the wells in the form of "irrigation" every 5 days with salt water for a month, so that it gradually solidifies. After processing the product is ready for consumption in the region.

Chinchero. Situated at 3,750 m.a.s.l.. The new Cusco International Airport will be built here. The village has a beautiful colonial Church (with frescoes and an altarpiece covered with gold leaf), an Inca archaeological site with staircases, Inca walls and its beautiful terraces. There is also an artisan workshop where you will learn about the textile process carried out by local people (characterized by its fabric and its textile elaborated by hand and with a very meticulous procedure in alpaca wool and llama, in addition to its elaboration of handmade dyes). The visit of Chinchero is well worth seing. After your visit to this beautiful place you have the option to continue the trip to Cusco or to come back to the Sacred Valley - Ollantaytambo.