Why You Should Visit The Magnificent Maras Salt Mines In Peru
Located deep within Peru’s ancient Sacred Valley region, the Maras Salt Mines are a truly extraordinary site worth visiting.
With over three thousand salt pools carved out of the face of an Andean mountain, this site has both a fascinating past and present - once developed by the ancient Wari civilization, with the salt mines now owned and harvested by indigenous families of the region. It’s the perfect place for luxury tourists to visit in Cusco both for the history and spectacular views, which is also ideal for purchasing unique salt-based products and souvenirs.
In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about the Maras Salt Mines. This includes the ancient history of the site, why it’s worth visiting, and how luxury tourists can visit the salt mines in the most effortless and comfortable way possible from Cusco. Later on we’ll also answer your most frequent questions in our FAQ section.
Why The Maras Salt Mines Are Worth Visiting
Unlike other sites in the Sacred Valley such as the ancient Pisac ruins and Ollantaytambo ruins which were built by the Inca civilization between the 13th-16th centuries, the Maras Salt Mines are much older. Dating back to 500 A.D., during the reign of the Wari Empire, this remarkable site offers insight into how such pre-Inca cultures used ingenuity and meticulous creation for developing an abundance of natural resources.
This particular Andean mountain was ideal for salt extraction given the presence of an underground saltwater spring - and also as the high altitude and intense sunlight helped to crystallize salt deposits. The Wari then carved out around 3,000 collection pools for the salt from the mountain face, which vary from bright whites and pinks to dark browns given the difference in concentrations of natural minerals.
How To Visit The Maras Salt Mines As A Luxury Traveler
The Maras Salt Mines are located deep within the Sacred Valley, close to the town of Urubamba. Virtually all private tours depart from the city of Cusco, which require a half day to explore the salt mines, the nearby ruins of Moray as well as the picturesque Andean town of Maras itself. Heading with a private luxury tour is by far the most seamless way to visit for both comfort and ease, where you will enjoy private transport as well as an expert local guide to show you around the sites.
It’s important to know that the season you visit can also impact the appearance of the salt pools, and the type of experience you’ll have. The dry season (between May and September) is the very best for seeing the classic bright white and pink pools, while the wet season (October until April) produces more earthy and brown tones due to the heavier rains. Although salt extraction typically occurs once a month, this doesn’t affect the visuals that much given different sections of pools are harvested on separate days - which also ensures a steady supply of fresh salt products such as cooking salts and spices, natural soaps and artisanal bath salts.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding The Maras Salt Mines
Below we’ll now answer some of the most frequent questions we get about the Maras Salt Mines, as well as anything else important that you need to know.
How Long Should I Spend At The Maras Salt Mines?
Most travelers need around 1-2 hours to fully explore the site, which is plenty to marvel at the salt mines from atop of the lookout point, and also for browsing the unique salt products within the on-site stores. Given the proximity of this site to Moray Ruins, we suggest travelers plan on spending a half day to visit both of these sites before returning back to Cusco.
How Many Salt Pools Are In Maras?
There are roughly 3,000 small salt pools within the Maras site, which are all located on the same exposed mountain face - and are fed by the same subterranean spring system. The salt pools are all mostly similar in size, although can vary in color from bright whites and pinks to dark earthy browns. It’s important to know that during a tour we cannot walk next to the salt pools for safety and privacy reasons, however we can get a perfect bird’s-eye view of the whole site when looking out from above.
Who Owns The Maras Salt Mines?
Since 1980, the Maras Salt Mines are fully owned by indigenous communities and families from the rural towns of both Maras and Pichingoto, who divided the salt mines between all of the families. Prior to this, the site was briefly under control of the Peruvian state between 1969-1980 - until the local communities regained control by forming the Marasal S.A company which owns the site today.
Overview Of The Maras Salt Mines
And that’s all for this guide on why you should visit the fascinating Maras Salt Mines.
Located in the heart of Peru’s Sacred Valley region, the Maras Salt Mines is a truly unique cultural site that is worth visiting. While other ancient ruins are now purely used for historical exploration, these salt mines continue to be used for salt extraction just like the ancient Wari once did thousands of years ago. Thankfully visiting the Maras Salt Mines is both simple and comfortable for luxury tourists, given its proximity to the city of Cusco.
Currently planning your luxury Cusco and Peru vacation? Here at The Luxury Peru Travel Company, we craft the most unforgettable and luxurious-style trips around Peru for our guests. Get in touch with us now, and let our expert travel specialists create the most seamless and unforgettable trip possible for you.
