Maras Moray and Salt mine Half Day

The Maras Moray Tour is a great opportunity to see an ancient greenhouse or agricultural laboratory of the Incas.  We start the day picking you up from respective hotels around 9:00 am.  You are always accompanied by our professional guide, heading off towards Maras Crossing where we enter the route to visit the following places:

Maras : located to the west of Cusco, this small village is typical of its Hispanic roots, with small streets and the majority of the homes constructed in a straight line where you may also notice the historic coat of arms on the lintels of each door.  From this place you can see a part of the Urubamba cordillera and the snowy peaks of the Chicon and Veronica mountains. It is also a place in which many fragments of ceramics from the ancient Chanapata culture have been unearthed, including scrapers and knives of obsidian.  The village was founded as a Spanish colony during the time when Cusco nobles were driven out of their palaces and left to settle in other places, such as Maras. When Manco Inca started the resistance to recover the Quechua people, Maras was used as a bastion for the invaders in the raids against the town of Ollantaytambo where some of the last Incas could be found.  In that time, it was also a place of much importance to Urubamba town.  For one, the salts were known as a totemic element, almost religious in nature, and two: the salt mine was developed to provide work and contribute to the economy, with the salts fundamental in food-preservation.

Moray: Belonging to the classic Incan period, these giant circular terraces that make up the site of Moray resemble a soccer stadium, only without the seats.

According to one traditional theory, Moray may have been a series of amphitheaters with a capacity for 70,000 people, which could have served to train young Incas and for hosting social or religious festivities.  From the base of the lowest level to the highest level at the top voices can be heard very clearly throughout this circular site.  A more modern theory believes that Moray was built of an agricultural nature because of the shape and position of the terraces, the existence of water channels and the resulting microclimates that exist on each level.  Each level could host a different micro-macro climate system for what might have been experimental crop areas.  The terraces of Moray have large protruding stones nestled into the walls that served as stairs and are shaped by four sectors which are known in the Quechua language as: Ñustaq Hisp’anan, Uray Muyu Muyu, Juchuy Muyuq, and Muyuq.  It was likely a very important place in Incan time for conserving plants that were in risk of extinction.  In spite of times of prolonged rain, it’s likely that a drainage system exists otherwise it would become flooded like a lake.

Salt Mines: The Salt Mines (Salineras) are formed by more than 3000 small wells in a perimeter of 5m², which are individually owned by inhabitants of Maras. The water is warm and salty emanating naturally from the top of the wells and as the water evaporates it gradually solidifies into salt of color similar to white snow.

After visiting these interesting places, we return around 2pm in our touristic transport to respective hotels in Cusco city.

MARAS MORAY TOUR GROUP SERVICE PROGRAM INCLUDES:

• Professional English / Spanish speaking guide
• Tourist transport
• Entrance tickets to Moray and the Salt Mines

MARAS MORAY TOUR PRIVATE SERVICE PROGRAM INCLUDES:

• Professional English / Spanish speaking Private guide
• Private Tourist transport
• Entrance tickets to Moray and the Salt Mines
• Water bottle