1-Day Maras Salt Mines and Moray near Cusco

Private tour: Early departure by private vehicle, to the Scared Valley to the Town of Chinchero, located 30 km from the city of Cusco. We continue our route to Maras. About 7 kms. (4.3 miles)southwest from Maras is Moray, a very unique archaeological site in the region, where enormous natural depressions or hollows in the ground surface were used for constructing irrigated farming terraces around them. What is surprising is that the difference of average annual temperature between the top and the bottom reaches even about 15 degrees C (59 degrees F) in the main depression that is about 30 mts (100 feet) deep. In these natural formations, nature has created environmental conditions or micro climates, that in modern times people create in greenhouses or hothouses. Towards the northwest of the Maras village are the famous " salt parks", where considerable volume of solid salt is obtained; about 10 cms. (4 inches) high from the floor. That solid salt is granulated, then packed in sacks and sent to the region's markets; today that salt began being treated with iodine, thus, its consumption is not benign. In the neighborhood of these sites, depending on time of day, we will have lunch, with beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes. In the late afternoon we will return to our hotel, either in Cuzco. or the Sacred Valley. Duration: 7 hours

Group tour: Pick up at your hotel and morning visit to Maras and Moray, returning to Cusco early afternoon. No lunch included. Tour bus.

Meals included: n/a