The salt pans of Maras

The (sustainable) insider tip for a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas

Maras

What do you think about first when you hear “Peru”? Macchu Picchu? The Nazca lines? Lime? All right, but today we want to present a real insider’s tip that has so far managed to stay under the radar of the tourist crowds: the salt mines of Maras in the Sacred Valley of the Inca on the Urubamba River.

Hidden among winding streets, it suddenly opens up to hundreds of salt flats, which stretch down into the terrace-shaped valley, and the salt fields that originate in the pre-Inca times are still housed as they were almost 2,000 years ago. .

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Salt in the mountains?

Salt in the middle of the Andes may sound strange at first, but it becomes much clearer, considering that this mountain range was once at the bottom of the sea and only “exploded” by tectonic changes. A small source that would never believe in life to irrigate all these salinas ensures that salt has been extracted here for centuries. Although many researchers claim that it was the Incas who created the salt flats, there is evidence that members of the Chanapata culture for salt-water pools lived between 200 and 900 BC. Chr.

The salt flats vary between sizes of 4 to 10 m² and have a maximum depth of 30 cm. According to ancient tradition, everyone here can work in their own saltworks, provided they are part of the community. And it is precisely this community that is at the forefront of Maras, because such an intricate system of hundreds of salt works can only work if all those involved work closely together. Only a few years ago, two tractors could be bought with the additional income slowly accumulated by visiting tourists, which were held together for days.

And this is how it works

The underground source of the snakes comes out of the rock and can be easily overlooked, after all, it measures only 20 cm wide, and still fills the 5,000 pools of Maras. The salinas are irrigated with a sophisticated system and a “mini dam” on the side wall of the salina prevents the pools from overflowing. If the pool is full, leave the field to the strong sun over the Andes, in the true sense of the word. The sun evaporates the water and leaves the finest salt, which varies from pink to white. In particular, the pink variant has found its way into the best restaurants in the world in recent years, and in addition to the salty taste, the salt obtained here should be even good for your health!

When all the liquid has evaporated, the hard work begins to harvest the salt. Then it is placed in a basket to dry. Later, the bottom of the pool must be hit with a heavy wooden pallet so that the water does not leak, and that enters powerfully into the muscles! But the harder the sandy soil is, the better the quality of the salt gained, and that can be clearly reflected in the sale price.

Maras salt for home – a useful and delicious souvenir

Only for almost ten years, the tourists that Maras discovered for themselves. And how is this: with the visitors, a new and welcome source of income was presented to the people of Maras: souvenir shops! Today, you can finely pack Rosa Maras salt just above the salt mine in small cabins to take home as salty snacks, such as corn chips or fried banana slices. In addition, the owners of the salinas take some plants to take photos with them. And, of course, the entrance fee of ten Soles that you must pay if you want to walk a bit through the salt fields. Honestly, although it is worthwhile to convert not only the “routes of the route”, but also to deepen and maybe even talk to the workers in the salinas themselves.

But all this is not about any tour operator in Lima at best, but it flows directly to the bottom of the cooperative, so use your purchases to keep this tradition alive and impressive salt mine.

So come on

Getting there

Maras is about 40 km from Cuzco and approximately halfway between Urubamba and the small community of Maras. If you spend the night in Maras, you can easily walk to the mines on a quiet walk, but make sure you drink enough water and rest when the air takes your breath away. You will be rewarded with wonderful views along the way and you will even see a looted grave.

Of course, you can also take a bus or a taxi from Maras and Urumba for a few suns to the salt mines of Maras. The road passes just above the souvenir shop and even if you decide to walk part of the way, you can also simply hop on one of the minibuses or one of the taxis along the way and walk the rest of the way.

Maras district, Urubamba province

Population: 6500
Area: 132 km²
Height: 3.385 m
Nearest airport: Cusco, ca. 1 Std. 15 Min.
Entfernung Lima – Maras: 1100 km. ca. 17 Stunden
Municipalidad