The Amazing Maras Salt Ponds in the Peruvian Andes

The Inca knew a thing or two about salt, not only does it enhance your food, it has healing properties. Just an hour from Cusco, in the Sacred Valley, you will find phenomenal salt ponds known locally as Salineras de Maras.

History

Nestled into the slopes of the Cori Pujio mountain in the Sacred Valley. At 3,400m (11,15486ft.) above sea level, Salineras de Maras remains a feat of human extraction which still operates today in the same sustainable manner believed to have been started by the Wari and expanded by the Incas. The details have been lost to time but this showcase of their ingenuity remains.

Salt has always been an important commodity for human cultures, it is used to preserve food and has been used as currency in the past. In fact, the human body cannot survive without salt. This is one of the reasons the pink salt of Salineras prized as it is believed to have health benefits.

The Journey

If you visit the Mara salt evaporation ponds and look down into the seemingly endless salt terraces you cannot help but have one of the Aha! moments. But this is the Andes, with many breathtaking vistas which produce such moments.

It is not for the faint of heart and forget it if you are prone to vertigo. I learnt from experience that the effects of high altitude on the non native Andean body is not to be underestimated. Don’t rely on that one paltry cacao leaf they give you at the airport. You will have to chew a lot more of it to get relief. Go slowly, breathe deeply, drink water, and if all else fails, buy oxygen.

The Road to Maras from Pisac

One of the joys of travelling solo is the freedom to quickly make and change plans. I was staying in the town of Pisac when I came across the description of the salt ponds in my trusted travel guide book. It had proven useful in Lima so I trusted its accuracy in the Andes. I have found it best to navigate between travel guidebooks and recommendations from locals.

Most visitors to Maras go direct from Cusco, but I will share my journey from Pisac. The road to the Urubamba Valley is beautiful, depending on how you travel you can soak in the vistas the expansive vistas or share a local adventure with locals. Such a green and fertile place could only be seen as sacred. It fits the description. This vast expanse of space with a life energy which is felt rather than seen.

Ways to Go

My trip was a combination of a combi (public shuttle van) and private taxi because I was in Pisac. However, if you are travelling from Cusco one can take a colectivo (shared taxi,) or a combi to Maras and then a short private taxi to the salt mines. Alternatively, if you are really ou adventurous you can walk for an hour.

Combi (Shared Taxi)

I crossed town to the local transportation depot, and was pointed in the direction across the bridge to wait for a combo (shared taxi), with the locals. Local women, wearing the vibrant hand woven clothing traditional to the area, were selling my favourite Peruvian drink, Chicha Morada and other snack foods. When the bus arrived, bags were loaded and people seated. A road trip filled with blaring music, local chatter, and spectacular scenery started.

Private Taxi

The bus diver let me off in Mara, at a place where I could get a private taxi to Salinera. I found a taxi driver and negotiated a price for the trip, which I recommend you do before getting in. I had enquired about the taxi rates from the locals in Pisac before I left so I had an idea of what would be reasonable. One of the perks of not travelling during tourist high season is the more leisurely pace you will experience.

Tours

There are many groups offering Maras tours from Cusco. They will usually pick you up at your hotel. In addition, you will get a guided tour and be dropped back at your hotel after the tour.

Best time of Year to Visit

There are really only two seasons in the Andes. Wet (November to April) and dry (May to October). The dry season is the crowded tourist season. During the wet season in the Andes the weather can be hazardous and cause cancellations of flights and tours.

The Ponds

As I moved from the entrance I noticed a sign near what seemed like a trickling stream of water. This was the source of the water which moved throughout the salt ponds.

The salt ponds appear endless over the horizon and depending on the time of year will appear chalk white with beige rims around each pond. Spring water flows along an underground channel called Qoripujio filling each pool with salt water.

Like a canal lock system, the stream is opened and ponds fill with water which combines with the salt and minerals held in the ground. Gradually the water in each pond will evaporate, leaving pools which gleam white with salt.

The salt is then extracted manually with hand tools by members of the families of the two indigenous communities who own their particular ponds. The collection process is continuously repeated, in the same way it has been done since a time that pre dates the Inca Empire.

The families of the two communities form a collective to market and sell the pink salt, which is said to have health benefits.

Preserving the Integrity the Ponds

The last time I visited Maras, it was possible to walk along the upper ponds, however, since 2023 the only way to view the ponds now is via a specially constructed viewing platform. This is a consequence of contaminants including cigarette butts being found in the ponds. Such a pity as it is possible to visit nature without leaving a trace. (Here)

I remember watching as mostly indigenous families, during a local holiday period, navigated the paths around the ponds. Young children skipped nimbly around the walkways. I thought how different from North America, where the steep drops would have been cordoned off and children prohibited for safety. Now it has come to pass that the area is restricted to protect and preserve the integrity of the landscape.

Final Thoughts

The Quechua speaking people have a strong relationship with their territory. Its thin air and rugged landscape have allowed them to preserve much of their lifestyle and language which other groups have lost to colonisation.

Salineras reminds us of the law of Correspondence: As above, so below…” Water and salt are a powerful combination even in our own bodies, to see this manifest in physical geography is absolutely amazing. The journey to the salt ponds and experiencing their majesty is a true immersion in nature.