Salt Mine of Maras — Local services in Maras

The Maras Salt Mines in Peru are a captivating and unique attraction that offers a fascinating glimpse into ancient salt production techniques.

Nestled in the stunning Sacred Valley, the Maras Salt Mines are a network of thousands of salt pans that cascade down the mountainside. These salt evaporation ponds have been in use for centuries, dating back to pre-Inca times. Visiting the site, you'll be struck by the mesmerizing mosaic of salt pans, each reflecting the Andean sunlight in shades of white and beige.

Exploring the salt mines is a relatively short but incredibly informative experience. You can witness the traditional methods of salt harvesting, which involve allowing naturally salty spring water to flow into the pans and evaporate under the sun. The harvested salt is then collected, and you may have the opportunity to taste some of this locally produced salt, which is highly prized for its flavor.

Aside from the salt production, the Maras Salt Mines offer spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the Sacred Valley below. The contrast of the salt pans against the rugged landscape is a sight to behold and provides ample opportunities for photography.

While the site itself doesn't require a long visit, it's often included in tours of the Sacred Valley, making it a convenient stop along the way to other attractions like Ollantaytambo and Pisac.

In summary, the Maras Salt Mines are a unique and visually stunning attraction in the Sacred Valley of Peru. They offer an educational and picturesque experience that is well worth a visit for travelers interested in history, culture, and the natural beauty...

Absolutely loved seeing the salt mines. We had read that the ledges had been blocked off recently and were bummed, but it really wasn't a big deal. The viewing deck goes down a few levels so there was still area to walk around. We were there during prime tourist season and didn't feel overly crowded. No problems taking a picture without others in the background. Much more interesting than I had expected. Can't believe it, but this was one of the highlights of my sightseeing. Some of the workers were down mining salt so it was interesting to watch. Stayed about 45 min, which was longer than I'd expected. Aside from walking around the various levels of the viewing deck (it gets pretty close to the salt areas), there are also salt vendors (sounds like many are wives/family members of those who are mining salt) where you can buy inexpensive souvenirs. We paid 1 sole for a small bag of local salt. Not sure we'll actually eat it since I'm not familiar with their cleaning/processing, but it will be a nice trinket to give a family member back home. We didn't have a guide - took taxidatum here. If you don't have one, might want to read up on the mining process or listen in to another guide as there are various colors/types of salt depending on how far down they mine the salt. Pretty interesting. Later in the trip we got a chance to go by the village where a lot of these families live so it brought it...

Easily one of the more impressive sites in Peru. It’s humbling to know that this site is thousands of years old and is still in operation today. It was built by the Maras people thousands of years ago and started with just 200 pools. The Inka added thousands more pools, and there were even more added on after the Inca Empire fell. This region is famous for its salt production and the secret to it is the forever flowing salt water pouring from the mountain that the salt mines sit on top of. The locals channel this water into various different streams and fill the different square shaped pools. They fill them up to a certain depth so that the sun will melt the water and leave the salt behind.

They produce three different types of salt here and ship all over the world. We were lucky enough to see a few workers down below working and harvesting the salt. The women are responsible for filling the pools with water and scraping the salt into bags and the men are responsible for caring said bags up to the top of the hill where they load onto trucks. There are also beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and it really feels like you are in a totally different time. I am impressed by the ingenuity and the willingness to do hard work by the Peruvian people. Definitely a site that every traveler and Peruvian should visit...