Moray and Maras

This morning, our guide Saul (who will also be our trekking guide starting tomorrow) picked us up for a visit to two sites in the Sacred Valley that stand out for their uniqueness and historical significance: Moray and Mares. Visiting these two locations offers a fascinating glimpse into the ingenuity of the Inca civilization and the natural beauty of the Andean highlands.

We took the “scenic route” to get to Moray, a winding dirt road that took us up several thousand feet and past large tracts of agricultural land. Since we visited in the dry season , there weren’t too many active crops. However, land was being prepped for the upcoming wet season, and there were many herds of sheep grazing the fields. The families that own the sheep use them for wool, and also sell the meat at local markets.

At first glance, Moray looked like a series of amphitheaters carved into the earth. But these impressive circular terraces are far more than just visually striking—they played a key role in Incan agricultural, acting as a series of natural greenhouses. The elevation is 11,400 feet.

The site consists of several concentric terraces, each descending into the earth like a bowl. The largest is over 30 meters deep. The Incas ingeniously used these terraces to create microclimates, allowing them to experiment with crops at different altitudes and temperatures. It’s said that the temperature difference between the top and bottom levels can vary by as much as 15°C (27°F)! We can attest to the changing temperatures, which fluctuated greatly as we walked around the entire perimeter of the site.

Historians believe this experimental farming technique helped the Incas adapt crops like potatoes, maize, and quinoa to various climates across their vast empire. The more we explore this area, the more obvious it is that the Inca people were deeply attuned to the rhythms of nature.

This video highlights the stone steps that were built into the terraces for ease of access to different levels.

We walked the entire route around the site, which was an easy grade and a nice packed earth path. That route offers great views of all angles of the site. Many tourists apparently don’t do this walk, but we’d highly encourage it! The sign at the front said it takes two hours, but it took no where near that, even with multiple stops to take in the views!

And speaking of views, the Andes range looms large to the north-east of these sites! The views of Mt. Pumahuancha which stands at 17,448 feet with large visible glaciers were impressive.

Just a short drive from Moray, the small town of Maras is home to one of the most photogenic and surreal landscapes in Peru: the Maras Salt Mines, or Salineras de Maras.

These salt ponds, cascading down a hillside in a patchwork of white and gold, have been used since pre-Inca times. Fed by a naturally salty spring, the water is channeled into shallow pools. As the sun evaporates the water, pure salt crystals form and are collected by hand — a process that has changed little over the centuries.

Walking along the edge of the ponds, you’ll witness local families still harvesting salt just as their ancestors did. The salt here is known for its distinct hues of white, pink and brown, and its high mineral content. 50% of this prized product stays local and another 50% is exported.

According to Saul, there are over 4,000 ponds at the site, which is managed by a community created company. Approximately 350 families from the community maintain the salt ponds, with each having 10-15 ponds to maintain. If a family stops tending to their ponds, the community chooses a new family to take over those ponds.

The salt harvesting is done during the dry season (roughly May-October) and about 2000 tons of salt is harvested each year. Since machinery is not used in the process, the most labor intensive step is carrying the 50-60 kilogram bags of salt up the terraces to the mixing building (where the salt is mixed with iodine).

As we had hoped, there were shops at the site selling the harvested salt. They even provided tastings of different varieties (some specifically crafted for BBQing meat, some mixed with herbs, some for salads, etc.). We can’t wait to share this tasty condiment with our friends and family!

Both of the stops today were excellent examples of sustainability. In fact, sustainability is ingrained in the fabric of society here in the Sacred Valley, and much of that started with the practices of the Incans many centuries ago.

For our previous post about this trip, including how we spent our day in the charming town of Ollantaytambo, go here.

For the next post about the trekking phase of our trip, go here.