Review: Salineras Salt Mines, Maras

After visiting the Moray Inca Ruins, our next stop was to the  Salineras Salt Mines.  

Salineras is located near the Sacred Valley.  A spring of warm, salty water diverted into thousands of pools, where sunlight evaporates the water, leaving behind a thin crust of salt.  Repeat the process again, and over time, that's how you end up with salt!  It's a long and laborious process to harvest the salt, and I really admire how strong the salt miners are.

Our guide took us down to the mines, where we put our balancing to the test and gained a further understanding of what it was like to navigate around these narrow pathways and planks.  All in all, it was a memorable experience.  A worthwhile day trip.  Make sure to purchase some salt to support the local community!

Summary

• Bottom Line: highly recommend.
• Score: 10/10
• 5/5 for experience
• 5/5 for value (US$3 entrance fee)

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Review: Day Trip from Cusco: Moray Inca Ruins, Urubamba

We originally have 1 free day at Cusco, but decided to book another full day tour and go to see the salt mines instead.  We spoke to the tour guide and G Adventures was able to organize a tour for us.  

We were picked up in a hotel in a mid sized van, and after what felt like a long (and definitely bumpy - graval is your friend here) ride, arrived at the sinkholes.

The Moray depressions consist of 4 large sinkholes, created by rain eroding the calcium rich soil.  The Incas used these depressions to create levels, or terraces.  Each terrace has its own microclimates, which the Incas used as experiments to grow different craps.  Gradations of sun, shade, and elevation create dramatic differences in temperatures.  

We headed down to the one of the sinkholes and took some pretty cool group pics.  A very unique sight, and if you have a free day, I would recommend coming to see Moray and the Salt Mines!

Summary

• Bottom Line: Unique landscape, it's worth a half day trip to see this.  Bring motion sickness pills if you get car sick easy - the road there is bumpy.
• Score: 8.5/10
• 5/5 for experience
• 3.5/5 for value 130 soles including Chincherro and Salt Mines

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