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See the Stunning Salt Ponds of Peru Cascading Down a Mountain in Cusco

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Tony Maples Photography

 

A breathtaking sight in Peru lies in the small town of Maras. Since the 1400s, the gridded landscape has provided salt for the local people, and now, visitors love to stop by to photograph the unusual multi-hue, stair stepping sight. “This site is huge in scope and is stunning. These salt terraces are so old and cover such a huge area, dropping down to a cliff in a dramatic fashion. This was truly a highlight of our day in the Sacred Valley and the salted chocolate you can buy here is delicious,” LavenderHue writes on Trip Advisor.

The salt ponds, or Salinas de Maras, are located along the Qaqawiñay mountain in Cusco. Salt of the Earth says that the families who harvest the ponds do so in the dry season from May through November. The salt can be purchased in local markets and online here.

According to Atlas Obscura, spring waters bubble up and run into the pools which locals can dam up and release as needed. Once the water evaporates from a pool, they are able to scrape the salt from the earth. Salt of the Earth says the minerals are a beautiful shade of pink due to the combination of “spring water, including calcium, magnesium, silicon, and potassium.”

Salinas de Maras #perumistico #bañodesal #vallesagrado #salinasdemaras #estefuemieclipse foto: @carocastrolive

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Trabajo en las salinas #salinasdemaras #maras #salineras #salinerasdemaras #cuscoperú #peru #discoverperu

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Trabalhadores extraindo sal nas Salinas de Maras 🌄

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