
Driving Down to Marasal.
Aperfect companion to a morning at Moray is an afternoon at Maras Salt mines. Coupled together they make for a perfect day trip from Cusco!

From the Top of the Hill to Show Scale.
A great example of Incan times in the present day!

Evaporation Pools as Far as We Could See.
A salty stream flows down the mountain and fills each pool with water, farmers then decide when to stop the flow to their pool to allow the water to evaporate. As the water evaporates salt is left in the spot, the families use primitive tools to collect and mine the salt.

Salty Stream.

Salty Stream Flowing Into Pools.

Working Together to Gather the Salt.

Evaporated Salt Pools.
The road down to the salt flats is narrow and on the edge of the cliff, but just trust your driver during this part! We arrived at the mines just as they were closing so we were lucky to have them almost entirely to ourselves!

Alone Amongst the Salt!

Working Together on the Salt Pools.
Our plan was to walk across all the salt mines and down the hill on the other side to a small town to have lunch. Because of this we had a very unique tour and views of all the mines from every angle! It was so cool to see families working on the their pools and seeing the tools up close!

Salt Floating.

Loved the Design and Look of the Pools.
Micro Climates of Moray, You can read all about that here.

Love the Symmetry!
Surrounding the salt mines there are several family stalls selling salt of course but also very delicious chocolate! And if you try the chocolate with the salt in it, wow! Great place to stock up on salt and for really great prices, right at the source, can’t think of a better place to get it! We all stocked up on both salt and chocolate and gifted it to our family and friends to share our trip!

So Much Yummy Salt.

We Walked Across the Entire Place.

Off to Lunch!
KEY DETAILS:
- 50 KM From Cusco
- Entry Fee $2.50 USD
- Wear sunscreen and a sunhat on a sunny day. No Shade.
- Hire Crossing Andes and they can include this in your itinerary.
More Peruvian Fun Below:
Beginning Altitude Acclimation at Saqsaywaman
Exploring the Colors and Cultures of Cusco
Feeding Alpacas near Cusco at Awana Kancha
Mountain Biking Through the Peruvian Countryside
So you want to hike for 4 days straight? Inca trail Days 1 and 2 baby!
Keep Hiking On! Inca Trail Days 3 and 4!
Visiting One of the New Wonders of the World – Machu Picchu!
Don’t Stop, Keep Hiking Higher – Huayna Picchu
A Night Under the Stars at the Skylodge
The Gateway to the Inca Trail – Ollantaytambo
Rainbow Mountains, a Colorful Day Trip!
A Child’s Dream, a Trip to Monkey Island – Peruvian Amazon
Peruvian Amazon, a “Relaxing” End to a Great Trip
Land and Water, Tambopata and Lago Sandoval – Peruvian Amazon