Moray and Maras - Sacred Valley, Peru
written by Rebecca Hollman
updated April 2, 2019
Moray + Maras - Sacred Valley, Peru
Moray and Maras are different Incan sites close to each other that many people visit while staying in Cusco or the Sacred Valley of Peru. Moray was a crop research center and an area where the Incans tested how crops grew in different temperatures and different soils. You can still walk around the stepped agricultural terraces today and marvel at the ingenuity of the Incans. Las Salineras de Maras, or sometimes just called Maras, are salt ponds that were created by pre-Incan civilizations but were utilized by the Incans. Families harvest the salt from these colorful ponds to sell for export. The ponds range in color and create an amazing patchwork like view from above.
Table of Contents
Moray Ruins - Peru
ABOUT:
The Incan ruins of Moray are a series of concentric terraces that create a bowl/ampitheatre-like shape in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It’s not known exactly what the circles were used for but its assumed that it was a crop research center. Each level of the circle is a different temperature, with a difference of 15 degrees from top to bottom - representing all the different temperatures of Peru from coastal sea level to high altitude Andes mountains. Also, each level had soil imported from different areas of Peru. It was likely that the Incans were testing which type of crops grew best in each soil to determine where to plant each crop within the empire, since their empire spread over many different climates of Peru.
GETTING THERE:
It is easy to walk around the ruins in about 30 minutes to an hour. Entrance into Moray is included in the price of your Boleto Turistico. This ticket costs $25 and includes your entrance into Moray, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac. You can purchase the ticket in Cusco or at entrances to any of the ruins included in the ticket. *Please note that it is only valid for 2 consecutive days, including the day of purchase and the day after*. I highly suggesting hiring a cab driver from Cusco to take you to Chinchero, Moray, Maras and Pisac all in one day and waiting for you at each of the ruins.
Maras Salt Mines - Peru
ABOUT:
Maras is a town in the Sacred Valley most notable for its salt ponds, las Salineras de Maras, that have been in use since pre-Incan times. The unusually salty water comes from an underground stream and feeds the pools from the top down. As the water evaporates, the salt crystallizes and can then be harvested by the workers. The salt varies in color from pink, to red, to brown depending on the skill of the worker. Each family from the community of Maras is allowed to have their own pond and harvest their own salt. The location and size of the pond depends on when they joined the salt ponds and how large their family is.
GETTING THERE:
It is easy to walk around the salt ponds in about 30 minutes. Entrance into Maras is included in the price of your Boleto Turistico. This ticket costs $25 and includes your entrance into Moray, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac. You can purchase the ticket in Cusco or at entrances to any of the ruins included in the ticket. *Please note that it is only valid for 2 consecutive days, including the day of purchase and the day after*. I highly suggesting hiring a cab driver from Cusco to take you to Chinchero, Moray, Maras and Pisac all in one day and waiting for you at each of the ruins. There is a gift store outside of the salt ponds that sells salt harvested from the ponds, as well as other goodies like chocolate and fruits.
