The Maras salt mines are a highlight of the Sacred Valley. I didn’t expect to say that given how many amazing places there are to visit in the valley, but it turns out that thousands of salt pans high on a mountain make for quite the spectacular sight - and provide a nice change if you’ve mainly been looking at ruins.
The views are phenomenal and though you can no longer walk through the salt pans (as you once could), if you tip one of the guides then they’ll let you go for a little wander.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Maras salt pans (Salineras de Maras).
Visiting the Maras Salt Mines (Salineras de Maras)
The viewpoints
From the parking area there are a series of viewpoints you can visit, all offer a slightly different perspective on the salt pans.
You’ll actually have your first view on the drive in and there’s a large pull out area where you can get a good overview of the salt mines and the scale of the site. However, the views that you walk to after the parking area are even more impressive as they are so much closer.
The walk to the main lookouts is very short - it’s just a few minutes down to the best views - but it does involve walking down several staircases, which are very well maintained.
The final viewpoint offers an amazing view over the salt mines from very close up.
You’ll see hundreds upon hundreds of salt pans and there will very likely be several workers harvesting the salt too, as it’s very much still a working salt mine.
You can then follow the path round to the other side and see a different set of salt pans. Although the views are definitely the most impressive from those first few lookouts as it’s so expansive.
You don’t need a guide to visit the lookouts and the only reason to get one would be if you want to learn a little about salt mining, or if you want a quick walk beyond the fence line.
Walking inside the salt pans
Before visiting the salt pans became wildly popular, you used to be able to walk right through them. However, as this is a working mine, having lots of people walk amongst the pans became a distraction and now there is a fence in place to keep you out.
However, if you hire a guide (which during our visit was by donation/tip) then you are allowed a brief walk beside the pans that are closest to the fence.
You’ll climb over the fence and then get the chance to walk along the narrow edge of some of the salt pans, as well as part way along the main path you can see in the photo below.
You don’t get long, but it was fun to get a bit closer and see the salt pans from a different perspective. However, when I say you don’t get long I really mean it, we got about five minutes. So I wouldn’t say it’s a must do in and of itself.
What I did enjoy though was learning a bit more about the salt pans from the guide, there is no signage at all, so without this it would just have been a quick stop to see the views.
The guide doesn’t take you anywhere different; you’ll be standing at the viewpoint and they will talk to you there. They might also show you the little spring which is just by the main lookout (but you can also see this by yourself).
In terms of hiring a guide, we found ours just waiting at the lookout, and there were always a few people with the Maras salt mine shirts on that you could ask.
It’s very much an informal chat and lasted about 20 minutes (including the time walking between the salt pans). Our guide owned one of the salt pans himself and was happy to answer all our questions.
A little background on the salt mines
I definitely don’t proclaim to be especially knowledgeable, but I thought I’d add a little of what we learnt from our guide. There are thousands of salt pans at Maras and they have existed since pre-Inca times. The pans are owned by around 630 families and are generally passed down as inheritance.
The pans closest to the main buildings where the salt is processed, are the most valuable. This is because everything has to be hauled up on someone’s back as there are no pulley systems. The pans further down the mountain are very hard work to manage.
Although the salt pans are man made, the water here is from a natural underground spring. The salt crystals are harvested and then mixed with iodine in the processing stage before being packed and sold all over Cusco and no doubt beyond.
You can buy little packets of the salt from as little as 1 sol (approx USD $0.28), with other salts such as charcoal and medicinal salt being more expensive, but still very cheap by western standards. We saw the salt being sold in other places in Cusco, but it was nice to buy directly from the source.
The Salineras de Maras/Maras salt mine entry fee and opening hours
The salt mines are open everyday from 6am to 6pm. The entry fee is 10 soles (approx USD $2.75) and entry is not included in the Cusco Boleto Turístico. Guides are available on a donation/tip basis.
Getting to the Maras salt mines
The salt mines are located around a 15 minute drive from the small town of Maras in the Sacred Valley. This is around 1 hour and 20 minutes from Cusco. Most people will visit on a tour, but we personally drove there ourselves in our rental car. If you are doing the same it’s a good paved road all the way from Cusco until the last 6km, when it’s a good gravel road.
The final kilometre or so after the entry gate down to the main car park is very windy. There are signs to indicate you should beep your horn at every corner. It’s not a hard drive though and the road is in very good condition.
If you want to know more about driving a rental car around the Sacred Valley, you can read about our experience here.
You could also hire a private driver for the day, which means you can see things at your own pace.
Whichever option you choose it’s worth combining a trip to the salt mines with the nearby archaeological site of Moray, which is around a 30 minute drive away. Many people will also add in somewhere like Ollantaytambo, but we personally don’t like to rush so didn’t do this.
Facilities at the Maras salt mines
There are toilets just by the main car park before you reach the lookouts. They are western style and free to use, but don’t have toilet seats!
There are lots of little stalls selling drinks and snacks as well as trinkets and of course the salt.
Where to stay near Maras Salt Mines
Urubamba: Tierra Viva Valle
We stayed at the beautiful Tierra Viva Valle several times during our month in the Sacred Valley. It’s a hacienda style hotel that looks out to the towering red mountains of the Sacred Valley. It’s a peaceful retreat located between Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, so you escape the traffic and worst of the noise of the bigger towns.
The spacious rooms come with huge beds that are soft and comfortable. The water pressure is really good and it’s very clean. The decor is quite minimalist, but it has a few nice Peruvian touches.
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Cusco: Palacio Manco Capac
For those looking to stay in Cusco for the food and culture, then the Palacio Manco Capac is the perfect place to stay. Once we’d acclimitised, we chose to stay here and kept extending as we loved it so much.
Set on a eucalyptus tree covered hill in San Cristobel overlooking Cusco, Palacio Manco Capac is walking distance to all the main attractions, but far enough away to escape the noise of the city. Request a room on the outside of the building which were lovely and quiet, as the interior rooms suffer from a bit of internal noise.
The rooms are set in a historic colonial house that is beautifully styled with lots of wonderful Peruvian touches. Again, the beds are huge, the shower is great and the whole environment is truly relaxing.
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