• Maras - Our first stop is Maras, from which, we can get to the salt mines. The salt mines display a bizarre spectacle of beauty. Located on a wide-open hill above the Urubamba Valley, a natural salt water stream runs underground. In pre-Incan times, they have been evaporating the salty water from this stream in order to obtain the salt that gets left behind.

How it works: The highly salty water emerges at a spring, a natural outlet of the underground stream. The flow is directed into an intricate system of tiny channels constructed so that the water runs gradually down onto the several hundred ancient terraced ponds. The water, which is exposed to the sun, leaves salt on the land. Viewed from the peak, the myriad of rectangles looks like an enormous painting designed by nature.

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Professional tour guide (English and Spanish)

• Cusco tourist ticket (This ticket is required for entrance to Moray)
• Lunch (can be requested at least one day in advance - 50 to 60 soles)
• Maras entrance fee (8 soles)
• Gratuities

The route less traveled in the Inca Valley is the Maras Moray journey.

Maras exhibits its unexpected allure through its salt fields, which sparkle against the backdrop of the azure sky or provide stark contrast against the verdant valleys on the mountain’s side, bestowing a sight to behold upon these salt rocks.

The purpose behind Moray’s circular architecture remains a puzzle. Like most Inca edifices, it houses a network for water distribution and terraces, but its structure, akin to the Roman-style coliseum, raises questions. Some proclaim it served as a testing ground for diverse crops, yet the depth, plan, and orientation concerning the wind and sun yield a temperature differential of up to 15 °C (27 °F).

The Maras Moray excursion is certain to enrich your exploration of the Urubamba Valley.

• Note: If you do not have a tourist ticket, it can be purchased at Moray

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.