Tour Maras – Moray (6hrs.)
DESCRIPTION:
On this tour at 8:30 a.m. Our local guide will pick you up from your hotel and head to Maras Moray;along the way you will make a stop and visit to the Quechua village of Chinchero, this town is surrounded by patchwork style fields with natural colours.
Continuing with the journey, you will enjoy the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, through lush yellow fields of wheat to arrive to the salt mines of Maras, which is about 2 miles away. This village is known as a former salt-producing center that is thought to date back all the way to pre-Inca times.
Finally, you will visit the fascinating display of terraces in Moray. Moray boasts amphitheater-like terraces made by the Incas. These terraces, which are carved deep into the earth in a bowl shape, were thought to be used to determine the optimal conditions for growing crops. After a guided tour, you will go back to Cusco and ends at (Plaza San Francisco or Main Square) at around 2:30 pm.
ITINERARY:
| TIMETABLE | ACTIVITIES |
|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. | Pick up from your hotel to board the bus. |
| 9:00 a.m. | Depart of the bus with destination to Maras y Moray. |
| 10:00 a.m. | Guided tour of the town of Chinchero. |
| 11:30 a.m. | Guided tour of the salt mines of Maras. |
| 12:30 a.m. | Guided tour of the agricultural interpretation center in Moray. |
| 1:30 p.m. | Return to Cusco by bus. |
| 2:30 p.m. | Arrival to the city of Cusco, (Plaza San Francisco o Plaza de Armas). |
THIS TOUR INCLUDES:
- Advice one day before the tour.
- Box lunch.
- Professional English/Spanish speaking guide.
- Pick up from your hotel in Cusco.
- Tourist transportation.
THIS TOUR DON’T INCLUDES:
- Others not mentioned in the program.
- Lunch.
- Maras entrance additional (S/ 10.00 PEN).
- Moray entrance additional (BTC).
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Consider that you can take:
- Camera, Toilet paper and extra batteries.
- A bottle of water (a liter).
- Snacks, chocolate or energy candies.
- Glasses, hat and sunscreen.
- Lightweight and warm clothing.
* Autumn and winter: cold and wind (wear light coat). Spring and Summer: rain (raincoat and umbrella)
Keep in mind:
- Carry your documents carefully.
RESERVATIONS:
USD 20.00 / per person
Ask for our offer prices for 5 or more people.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT:
MARAS:
52 km from Cusco. It is located at an altitude of 3,380 meters above sea level. This is a small village famous for its salt mines, which consist of about 3000 small wells with an average area of about 5m² from which salt is extracted after a drying process.
The Salt mines, better known as “Salineras de Maras”, where a salt water spring gushes forth from these high altitude mountains and tumbles down the mountainside into individual evaporation chambers which have been fully operational in bringing the people of the highlands salt, have been exploited since Inca times as a means of economic exchange.
MORAY:
Is famous for its embedded amphitheater, formed by four circular terraces which seem to disappear into the interior of the puna, like an artificial crater. Evidence seems to suggest that Moray was an important center of Inca agricultural research on crops, which was carried out on different sized plots located at various altitudes (some of which were at more than 100 m underground).
The Andean terraces, built on retaining walls filled with fertile soil and watered via a complex irrigation system, offer up more than 250 different types of vegetables and cereals, such as corn, quinoa and kiwicha.
CHINCHEROS:
Is a charming town, with colonial style buildings and was a major agricultural center during the Tawantinsuyo. Here you can appreciate the stone walls with trapezoidal niches and a traditional market where locals still practice bartering. The women of Chinchero are easily recognized for their very distinguishing clothing and braided hair.
