Maras & Moray Salt Mines

Did you know that Peru has over 4000 types of potatoes? This is partly due to the agricultural experiments done during the Inca civilization, in what is known as ‘agricultural laboratories’.

Moray is the most famous of these ‘laboratories’: perfect concentric circle terraces carved into a natural depression in the earth. Each of these terrace levels simulate a different altitude in the region, with a different temperature in every level.

The different microclimate in every altitude produced different varieties of potatoes and corn and allowed the Inca to expand their crop empire. The Moray rice terrace is a true display of Inca engineering genius.

A visit to Moray is usually accompanied by a visit to the Maras Salt Mine. The Maras Salt Mine is a series of cascading salt pools strategically tucked into the hills. These salt pools form a network of ancient salt deposits, with salt water that comes from a subterranean natural spring in the Andes mountains.

Locals from the nearby town of Maras were smart enough to make a living from the salt, that supposedly has different mineral components from other sources. As tourists, what interests us the most is probably how pretty the salt mine look: postcard perfect, and extremely Instagrammable.