The Salt Pans of Maras, Cusco, Peru 08 Jan 2017
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Located close to the city of Cusco, at the Salt Pans of Maras (known locally as the Salinas de Maras) you’ll find thousands of individual salt pools. Dating back to the Incan Empire, generations of people have used the process of evaporation to collect the salt available here.
The pools, which stagger down the hillside in a geometric mass, are fed by a natural spring and salt-rich stream. These are opened and dammed when required. Once filled, workers let the water evaporate and then scrape off the salt crystals left behind on the ground and walls. The process is very similar to that used centuries ago.
Today, there are around 3,000 pools still in use that are harvested by a community of local families. Want to see it for yourself? Explore Maras on Day 4 of Insight Guides’ Peru Express holiday.
