Overview
We head towards the north-east to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, for about one and half hours. We will pass though farming villages along the way and our tour guide will explain about the products and the traditions related. We arrive at the salt mines in Maras and have a guided visit. Then we explore the amazing circular terraces of Moray, which was believed to be an experimental center to grow different seeds.
Highlights
- Explore the Inca salt mines in Maras village.
- The salt mines are still working today and salt is for sale
- Moray circular farming terraces served as an agricultural laboratory for testing and controlling technology for large terrace systems.
Discover and explore the Inca’s land and feel Peru’s magic with us!
Maras salt mines:
The salt mines are made up of approximately 4,500 salt wells placed in the form of stepped terraces in the middle slope of the hill Qaqawiay, which has slopes of 20 degrees of inclination to the bottom of the gorge on the left bank of the Salineras stream, with dimensions varying between 5 linear meters and occupying a total area of approximately 1.5 to 2 hectares. The terraces are formed by irregular stone retaining walls seated with mud mortar, forming dikes that delimit the wells as small reservoirs of approximately 5m2.
Moray circular farming terraces:
It is thought that Incan priest-scientists used the Moray terraces to experiment with vegetable crops to decide which should be spread for domestic production to farmers with fields all over the Andean region. Experts believe that the different terrace levels provided a unique microclimate in which they could grow different crops. It allowed them to see which crop worked best in which terrace level.
