Location: Maras District, Urubamba Province, and Cusco Region.

Distance from Downtown Cusco: 55 kilometers via Chinchero Town - l 1/2 hours by car.

• The Salt Flats of Maras are composed of about 3,000 man-made pools in a total area of 2 hectares. Each pool ranges from 2 to 5 square meters and all of these pools produce about 2,000 tons of salt per year. An average of 360 families own these pools, most of them having inherited them.
• The pools and water channels were engineered hundreds of years ago. The water used to fill the pools comes from an underground source and has a high level of potassium. Once the pools have enough water, they are left alone to let the sun dry up the water. When the water has evaporated, a layer of salt is ready to be collected.
• The Salt Flats of Maras are enclosed in a gorge with a great view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This is an intriguing place which has been producing salt for hundreds of years. The salt produced in Maras is highly in demand among Peruvians.
• A visit to Maras Salt Flats is included in the Chinchero, Maras, and Moray Tour offered in Cusco City, but this tour has a high demand so it is important to make arrangements in advance or hire the services of a driver to take you here.
• ATV Bike Tours offered around Cusco City usually include a ride from Maras Town to Moray, then to the Salt Flats of Maras, and then back to Maras Town.
• It is important to know that the entrance ticket to Maras isn't included in the BTC or BTP (Full or Partial Tourist Ticket).

Restrictions:

• Walking inside of the pool is not allowed
• Collecting salt from the pools is not allowed.