The two stops that change the day
The traditional Sacred Valley circuit follows the river, from Pisac to Ollantaytambo. Moray and Maras sit above it, on the Chinchero plateau, off that axis; that is why many tours leave them for another day. The Sacred Valley VIP fits them into the same one.
Moray: the laboratory of the Incas
Rings of terraces descending in circles, like an amphitheatre. The temperature changes between the highest and lowest level, and the Incas used that difference to test crops. It sits at about 3,500 m.
Maras: salt harvested by hand
An underground salty spring fills more than 3,000 stepped ponds on the hillside. Local families still work them; from the viewpoint you see the white and ochre mosaic, at about 3,385 m.
Then come Ollantaytambo and Pisac, and the day closes back in Cusco around 7:00 PM. See every stop in the Sacred Valley VIP itinerary.
Maras Salt Mines
