The Maras-Moray Tour is one of the short but adventure-filled tours you can experience on a full-day schedule. It also includes a visit to the charming town of Chinchero.
Why do this tour?
The sleepy colonial town of Maras offers an incredible view of more than 3,000 salt pools or what locals call “Salineras.” The salt mines, said to date back to pre-Inca times, have been passed down through generations and are still maintained by a local community that continues to cultivate, harvest, and sell the salt from these mines.
About two miles away is Moray–believed to be the experimental agricultural station where the Incas grew various crop strains of potatoes and corn under varying weather conditions. There is even proof of coca leaf horticulture.
Just like the salt mines of Maras, the concentric terraces of Moray attest to the remarkable engineering of the Incas.
Some tour operators prepare picnics during this tour, while others arrange for lunch or a light meal in Chinchero–the town famous as the mythical birthplace of the rainbow. Its attractions include handmade crafts and colorful woven textiles. Depending on the tour operator you sign up with, you can experience weaving or plant dyeing when you visit Chinchero.
The whole tour involves leisurely exploration of the ruins as well as driving through scenic views of the Sacred Valley and traditional farmlands.
For a more adrenaline-pumped version of this tour, try out the ATV Maras-Moray Tour.