From Cuzco, we took off into the countryside in search of Las Salinas de Maras, the picturesque salt terraces carved into the mountain side just a short distance from the city.  

The day started with me warning Andrew that I only had a vague idea of exactly how we were going to get around, so much of it may be a guessing game.  With somewhat limited information online about getting to and from Las Salinas (unless going with a tour), we knew it would be a bit of an adventure.

Armed with my little bit of Spanish, we took off to find the minibuses, and hopped on a $2 collective to Maras.

Based on my online research, we somewhat reluctantly jumped off the minibus at the turn-off for Maras, hoping to grab a taxi for the rest of the trip.  It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere but luckily, as I had hoped, there was a nice man there that offered us a ride for about a quarter each.  We squeezed into the back of a little car with two other Peruvian men for the ride through Maras and on to Las Salinas.

Las Salinas shouldn’t be missed on a trip to the Sacred Valley.  It’s a beautiful place, and incredibly interesting to see the salt terraces that have been continuously used since Incan times.  Water from an underground stream is funneled through a series of shallow ponds to allow the water to evaporate, leaving piles of salt to be harvested.  Any family in the community can request to mine a pond by locating one that is unused and getting approval from the cooperative.  After the salt is harvested, it’s loaded into large bags and carried down the mountain either on foot or by donkey.

The plan was to hike through Las Salinas to a path down the mountain, which leads to a small valley town  called Urubamba. From there we would catch a minibus back to Cuzco.  We found the path pretty easily, and thoroughly enjoyed the scenic hike down the mountain with lots of local workers.

Once we reached the bottom of the hill, we crossed the bridge that I had read about in blogs… and from there it went downhill.  I was a bit unsure of which way to go next so, feeling a little overconfident in my Spanish, I asked a local guy how to get to the bus stop in Urubamba.  I thought we were pretty close and it would be a simple answer.  After listening to him ramble out about 20 sentences of super-fast Spanish, and not wanting to admit that I only caught about a third of what he told me, I told Andrew: “It’s just up here to the left.”

So, up and to the left (which was the only part I really understood) we find a road.  Which way looks like town????  We pick left, and walk… and walk… for about an hour, until I finally see a woman in her garden and ask if we are going the right way to Urubamba.  NOPE!

So, we turn around and walk the hour back to where we started.  We met a boy waiting at the side of the road where we had come off of the trail.  He told us that the buses stop there, although there is no sign or marking of any kind.  Oh well, you live and learn!

Here’s a map showing the trail to follow to town so you won’t end up lost like us!  If you Google Salineras de Maras, you can see the trail on the map listed as Carretera a Maras.

Despite our little hike to nowhere, it was a really fabulous day out enjoying the countryside with nearly no one else around.  Las Salinas is no secret, but somehow we managed to nearly have it to ourselves.

Next Up:  What It’s Like to Hike the Inca Trail