Tour Moray, Maras & Salt Mines

Half day.

This tour introduces to some of Cusco’s most interesting Inca sites. The tour 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 circles set into the ground that were once used by the Incas for experimentation with crops.

During our tour we will visit the archeological center of Moray, an agricultural investigation center from the Inca’s where they experimented the cultivation of several crops at different altitudes. Later we will visit de Salt mines of Maras. 

Useful Information:

  • Begin from: Cusco
  • End in: Cusco
  • Duration:Half Day
  • Daily departures from our office in Cusco.
  • Hours: 07:45 pm to 13:30 pm (Group Service leaves from our Office: Portal Comercio 141, Of. 04)
  • Pick up from Hotel for Private Groups (08:00)
  • This is a MUST DO tour in Cusco – NOT to be missed !

Places that are visited in Tour Moray, Maras & Salt mines

  • Maras
  •  Maras
  • Salt mines

 Program Itinerary.

DAY 1: Moray, Maras & Salt mines Tour Half Day

We will pick you up from your hotel at 7:45 am for a tour in the valley south where you can visit the following sites:

MARAS : In the town of Maras, can see the snowy mountain of the Incas Sacred Valley and the Vilcabamba. At present this district keeps attractive pre-Hispanic, colonial and republican, highlighting people in the colonial doorways with coats of the nobles and chieftains from the sixteenth and twentieth century’s.

Split the town of Maras two routes, one to the archaeological complex of Moray and the other to the salt mines of Maras, each with an approximate distance of 4 km.

SALINERAS: OR “SALT MINES”: Located northwest of the town of Maras consist of about 2000 small wells, which were already exploited since Inca times as a means of economic exchange and is still being exploited by the locals.

The small wells with an average area of about 5 m², built on the side of the slope of the mountain of “Qaqawiñay” during the dry season is fill or “water” every 3 days with salt water that comes from a natural spring located at the top of the wells to the water evaporates, the salt contained in it gradually solidifies. This process will continue for about a month until a considerable volume of solid salt, about 10 cms. height from the floor, which is then beaten and well granulated, the salt is then bagged in plastic bags and shipped to markets in the region today that iodized salt is still so its use is not harmful.

MORAY: Archaeological group unique in the region. It is famous for its sunken amphitheater, formed by four circular terraces which seem to disappear within the highlands, by way of an artificial crater. Apparently, the place was an Inca agricultural research center dedicated to the experimentation of cultures around the different altitudinal levels of the plots (some more than 100 m deep). The terraces, retaining walls built on filled with fertile soil and watered by complex irrigation systems, allowed to grow more than 250 plant species.

The gallery has a depth greater than 45 m and the average height of each platform is 1.80 m. It is considered that the site was an important center of agricultural experimentation during Inca times. Through the use of concentric terraces because the temperatures at each level are different from each other, have played all the ecological zones covered by the rule of Tahuantinsuyo.

Besides being considered for Incas as a place of concentration of female energy, which is considered as a magnetic center of the Pachamama.

At the end, return to Cusco arriving at 1:30pm approximately at the main plaza.

END OF OUR SERVICES

Includes

  • Pick up from hotel to start our trip
  • Private Transportation
  • Professional bilingual guide (English / Spanish).

Does Not Include

  • Cusco Tourist Ticket This ticket is required for the entrance to Moray
  • If you do not have a tourist ticket it can be purchased at Moray
  • Lunch is not included
  • Maras entrance additional 8 soles

What you need to take:

  • Tourist ticket (not included in price)
  • Sun hat
  • Sun protection cream (factor 35 recommended)
  • Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
  • Water
  • Camera and films
  • Some extra money for lunch, shopping, fees, etc. as there are no ATM´s.

Group Service Price:

    US$20  per person  (just included the tour guide and transportation), Pick up from Inkaland office.

Private Service Price:

    US$150 for the whole group (up to 8 people), Not per person!
    Aditional person: USD 15.00

 **   Please NOTE: Private Tours are 100% run by Inkaland while in the Group Service if there are 6 or less people in the group will be conducted by our partners of Americana de Turismo.

This is a Must DO tour in Cusco!