[Peru] Spectacular white rice terraces! World Heritage Site "Salt Flats of Maras"
The salt fields in the sky, commonly known as the "Salt Pans of Maras", are built in a valley in the Maras region near Moray, on the outskirts of Cusco.
This is a new World Heritage site in Peru that was just registered in 2019.
This land was once the bottom of the sea, but in ancient times, the seafloor rose up, causing salt water with a higher concentration than seawater to well up from underground, and it has developed into a major industry since the Inca era.
There are more than 4,000 salt pools along the mountainside at an altitude of 3,200m, and each one is distributed to about 600 households in the village of Maras, and each It is said that the salt fields are managed and produced.
The rainy season is basically left unattended, and salt production begins in the dry season from April onwards.
When we visited in March, it was the agricultural off-season, so we were only able to view the rice terraces.
(Tourists are not allowed inside the salt fields)
Near the exit, there are stalls selling Maras salt, salt sculptures, and other Peruvian souvenirs.
Maras salt is a high-quality salt that is known only to those in the know among chefs, and is apparently expensive in other countries.
So it's a good deal to buy it here or at a market in Cusco.
As an aside, Japan is cooperating with the development of the salt fields.
photo on March 13th 2023
Maras is a town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas with 3200m above sea level, located 40 kilometers north of Cusco, besides near from Moray ruins. This is registered as the UNESCO world heritage of Peru in 2019, and over 4,000 salt pools have been harvested and produced by approximatey 600 families of Maras since Inca times for generations, especially during dry season from Apr to Nov.
When I visited on March, it was agricultural off-season, so we just could see such a breathtaking white terrace like a patchwork created by salt. Anyway so amazing!
#tripOverseasTravel #Peru #World Heritage Site #Scenic View