THE ANCIENT SALT MINES OF THE INCAS

 

We all know that salt is an indispensable natural resource for human life, which has been extracted by hand for thousands of years by ancient civilizations all over the world. Salt has been used throughout history both for domestic consumption and for preserving food. Salt is of natural origin, coming mostly from the sea (sea salt), from the evaporation of underground deposits (rock salt) that were once seas, or from saline springs. Over time, it became a mineral of great cultural and economic importance, at one point even serving as currency and a source of power.

 

 

In Peru, there is a salt mine called Maras, from which the famous Maras Pink Salt is extracted. This 100% natural, artisanal salt is characterized by its delicate flavor, pink color, and high mineral content (calcium, iron, zinc, etc.), obtained through solar evaporation on Inca terraces. This salt is highly prized by renowned chefs and gourmet cuisine worldwide, and is also known to have some beneficial health properties.

 

  

The Maras salt mines are a spectacular complex of more than 3,000 salt ponds in the form of terraces that have been exploited since pre-Incan times and the interesting thing is that this salt mine is completely managed by the local community that keeps alive this ancient tradition and the techniques of how to harvest the salt, inheriting the ownership of the ponds that are passed from generation to generation to this day.

  

The salt water that fills these pools originates from an underground spring that flows from Mount Qaqawiñay. The water then flows through small channels into each pool, where it is stored at a depth of 10 centimeters. After 3 to 5 days, the sun evaporates the water, leaving a white layer of salt crystals. These crystals are then harvested by hand using traditional wooden tools. Today, the people of Maras sell the salt just as the Incas did hundreds of years ago.

  

 To reach the Maras Salt Mines, you must first travel to the city of Cusco (Peru) and then journey 48 kilometers to the town of Maras, located in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is currently part of an interesting tourist circuit that includes a visit to the Moray agricultural laboratory. When visiting the Maras Salt Mines, there is an entrance fee of 20 soles, which is paid directly to the community that cares for and preserves this tourist site.

  

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