Salinas: Worth One’s Salt
The salt mines of Cusco
When I got to the salt mines, I wandered out of my bus and walked onto the dry, dirt, parking lot. The sun’s rays spread warmth through my body as I realized that the temperature was much higher than I expected. The “Salinas de Maras” are located at 3,300 meters above sea level, so I didn’t think it would be as warm as it was. I took of my heated-up jacket and headed towards what seemed like a row of small, cramped souvenir shops. They sold all kinds of objects. From jewelry and pocket-sized statues made of salt, to stuffed animals made of soft, white, alpaca wool. You shouldn’t buy many things on these souvenir shops, since most of what they sell you can find anywhere in Cusco. The amount of money you will probably spend is about 20–50 soles, depending on what you want to buy. After meticulously selecting my perfect souvenir, I headed for the Salineras.
To get to the salt mines in Maras, you have multiple options. If you just want to go to Maras, you can take a cab from the Sacred Valley to the town or Salineras. However, you can also book one of the many travel agencies there are. If you are traveling in large groups or on a school trip, I recommend Harmony Travel Peru. There are also many more travel agencies with different prices and tours.
I f you are planning to go alone, try to convince some friends or family to go with you. You will enjoy the experience more if you have someone to share the remarkably beautiful landscape with. The view from the top was astounding. You could admire thousands of salt ponds scattered all over the mountain. I couldn’t wait to explore the intriguing, marvelous site. At the beginning, the path was not very big. It was a little bit wider than a meter. However, as we hiked farther into the mountain, the path started to become more and more narrow. This got me really nervous and afraid of the trail we were traveling. We were barely stepping on the ponds!
This is why you should think about who you are taking on the hike, since it can be very elevated and dangerous if you’re not careful. After the water from these ponds evaporates completely, a process that takes about 30 days, the people from Maras begin to extract the salt. They use tools like shovels, wood rakes, and little sacks in which to place the salt. When it’s harvested it’s taken to the town of Maras where it’s treated with iodine and readied for human consumption.
As I trekked through the rocky and salty trail, I could appreciate the breathtaking view of these ponds. It was like an abyss of salt. I felt like an adventurer in foreign land, I had never seen this side of Peru before. I kept hiking and noticed a stream of rain water running alongside the ponds. Apparently this water was also salty (no kidding!) as some kids decided to taste it.
Not very far from the beginning of the hike, the rocks to our left started becoming salt. It was like we were entering a snowy kingdom.
If you had a hard object, you could pound it against these rocks and get smaller rocks of salt (lick them at your own risk!).
A s I kept walking downwards I got different views of the chasm, all fascinating and unbelievable. Take advantage of the view of this impressive site, since later you won’t believe you had the opportunity to be there!
As you get closer to the end, you start losing sight of the frosted mountain. Be sure to take your last pictures, since you won’t be seeing it from farther away. At this point, you start descending and you will find yourself on a dirt footpath. Be careful of stepping on the rocks, since you are still on a cliff. The trail will go in a zigzag all the way down the mountain. I recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes, because this path is very uneven and kind of steep. It took me about 30 minutes to finish this hike, but it depends on how fast you walk. When you reach the end, you will see some houses and shops, and if you keep walking you’ll find a small shanty town. Another way of completing this hike is to begin at the bottom of the mountain. You can arrange a drive to the town on a cab or “mototaxi” as they call it in Peru. From there you can hike to the salineras and end at the top. This way you will see the souvenir shop at the end of the trip. The one I did was from the top to the bottom, but you can do it the way you find most convenient.
If you decide to travel to Cusco, don’t hesitate on visiting the salt mines. This astonishing historical site is definitely worth one’s salt.
