Maras Salt Mines Tours & Tickets

Maras' salt ponds have been harvested continuously since Inca times, with over 3,000 individual evaporation pools still operating today.

The salt produced here is a delicate mineral salt prized for its purity and pale pink hue, created by natural mineral content in the underground spring water.

Maras sits at 3,380 metres (11,090 feet) elevation in the Peruvian highlands, making it cooler and less crowded than the Sacred Valley floor.

A single underground spring feeds all the salt ponds, maintaining constant water flow even during the dry season thanks to geothermal activity.

The village's name likely derives from the Quechua word 'mama rasu,' referring to the salt water source.

Maras is home to the world's only salt ponds that function as a living museum of pre-Hispanic agricultural technology.