These salt ponds are located
in the town of Maras, 40km form Cusco in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The
best way to get there is by renting a car or a tour.
What masked this salt pond so special
is their location, down a canyon that descends to the river Villcanota. These
salt ponds have been used since pre Inca times, and basically the salt is produced
by evaporating water that comes from a subterranean stream. Small channels, man-made,
direct and control the water that is distributed onto several hundred small
terrace pounds distributed in cascade. This terraces are owns by local people,
and we were told that now a days, most
of the salt is used for cattle.
Once in Maras there are plenty
of little shops where you can by salt with all sort of mixtures and products
with it added like chocolate.
This was one of the highlights
of the trip. We went at the end of the day and we could enjoy it with the sun setting.
