One
of the main attractions when visiting the Sacred Valley of the Incas (you can see here our itinerary and know why you cannot miss the Sacred Valley of the Incas) was the visit to the Salt Mines of Maras.
This
is undoubtedly a unique sight to behold, in which hundreds of small pools of
water acquires their unique color as the water evaporates and only the salt remains.
The
resulting salt has long been recognized as being of excellent quality and is
one of the favorite souvenirs of those visiting the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Despite
the fact that it was run by a private company, MaraSal, it was always possible
to visit the salt mines by buying a ticket that, although not included in the "boleto turístico del Cusco", was relatively affordable.
This
was undoubtedly a visit we loved but during our journey, but the truth is that we
felt that not all visitors were properly respecting the place where we were and
we are bound to say that we were shocked to see several people stepping over
the puddles of salt, often to take pictures.
 |
| People stepping on salt pools |
Now,
in order to protect the quality of the product they sell, we have come to the knowledge that the mining company (MaraSal) has decided to prohibited entry to this
famous tourist spot. The reason is that, unfortunately, more and more traces of
the passage of people in salt were being found, namely cigarette butts,
plastics, papers… which was endangering the quality of the product they sold.
Thus,
unfortunately, since 15 June 2019, MaraSal company decided that tourists no longer will be able to purchase a
ticket to visit the Sal de Maras mines. To understand batter the reasons for that decision,
However,
not all is bad news. Despite the sadness of knowing that it is no longer
accessible to walk in the middle of this fantastic scenery, it is still
possible to visit the viewpoint, from where you take the most fantastic
photographs of this beautiful scenery. And to take great photos like this, you
don't need to buy any tickets.
And
for those who want to buy your souvenir, and especially the famous Sal de
Maras, be aware that sellers now continue to make their product available
outside the mines, and when you visit the viewpoint you can buy all the salt you
want to take home.
One
of the major setbacks is that now the viewpoint will be increasingly crowded,
and to take pictures like the one we have taken, you will have to wait longer
and you will undoubtedly be surrounded by tourists and with less time to enjoy
this peaceful landscape. As in so many situations, what we recommend is
always try to avoid the busiest hours, especially here between 10am and 2pm,
something that can be circumvented when organizing your tours of the Sacred
Valley of the Incas (see here our post about the Sacred Valley of the Incas to
learn more about how to get organized to explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas).
Conclusions
Unfortunately,
this is a sad decision for anyone preparing their visit to the Sacred Valley of
the Incas, a must-see for anyone visiting Machu Picchu. However, we feel it
should serve as a warning to all of us who love to travel, because if we want
to know the wonders our planet has to offer, we must be careful to preserve
them and respect them to the utmost, something that often does not happen and,
if this continues, more and more cases such as the ban on entering the Maras
Salt Mines will occur.
However,
this prohibition should not at all lead you not to visit the Salt Maras Mines.
Just watching from the viewpoint is an experience in itself and we can
guarantee that it will remain one of the best memories you will bring from the
Sacred Valley of the Incas.
We really hope that our ideas help you to prepare for your visit and if you are planning your trip to Machu Picchu, we always do our reservations with booking, they are our partners and its with them that we get the best deals. You can look for the best deals by clicking here, it won't cost you any money and, it helps us to support our blog.
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We would also like to invite you to leave your opinion and questions and, in case you have already visited Machu Picchu, let us know about your experience using our comments box. Thanks for your visit to our Non Stop Family Travel Blog, come back often and, if you liked our article, don’t forget to share it with your friends.
If you are planning your visit to Peru, here is a list of some of our destination-related posts that are sure to be very helpful in organizing your itinerary:
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