Cusco Sacred Valley & Maras Salt Mines Tour: A Detailed Review
If you are visiting Cusco, you just can’t skip the Sacred Valley. Now, you see, there are so many options out there for experiencing this historic place, and picking the one that’s a fit for you can, arguably, feel a bit much. So, let’s get down to one that really grabbed my attention: the “From Cusco Sacred Valley and Maras Salt Mines with Lunch” tour. After giving it a go, I have some thoughts to share, what was interesting, and maybe help you figure out if it might just be what you are after, so let’s begin, okay?
What’s Included: A Quick Overview
Okay, so, the name pretty much says what is what. The tour packs quite a bit, alright? First off, you have transportation from Cusco, which is super helpful. Then, it visits some standout places in the Sacred Valley and the famous Maras Salt Mines. Of course, there’s a lunch in there somewhere (we will talk more about that later), and guided tours at each stop. Sounds good, right? But you might wonder, is it really all it is hyped up to be?
Písac: Kicking Off the Adventure
It’s almost that the tour gets going with a drive to Písac, a place that’s super known for its market and also, for its impressive Inca ruins up high, you know? If you are up for some negotiating, the market is really an overload of local crafts, textiles, and some jewelry, stuff like that. I was there for some woven blanket (my mother was constantly asking to bring her one!). Be prepared, if you want to come, they can be persistent and that you should bargain, alright? Up on the hill, you get a breathtaking lookout of the whole valley. The ruins, carved in the mountain, it really show just how much talent the Incas had for farming and structures, okay? That, arguably, that stop might be the best, so you might as well have your camera all charged for some panoramic photos.
Ollantaytambo: More Inca History
Ollantaytambo comes after Písac, so now, this place was just so important in Inca times. It’s a huge construction of terraces that goes way up a mountain. But it seems it was a fort, and then a religious site, and also a place for growing crops. So, you see, going through there with our guide really showed a bit more about the Inca plans and skills. What makes this place special is just how big the stones are, some of them weighing loads, you see? You might really ask yourself how on earth did they move this and put them where they are! Anyway, Ollantaytambo just hits different, you kind of walk away with big respect for what the Incas made.
Maras Salt Mines: A Snowy Landscape
Maras is the kind of location that you look and makes you think that is something else. Since forever, they have had shallow pools that locals fill with river water to gather that seasoning. And they look like steps coming down a mountain, and it creates that view, I have not seen anywhere else. So you learn how they still harvest salt and that old ways are being carried on, but seeing it all is really what you are there for. In fact, I picked up some rose salt, or very close to, as presents, alright?
The Lunch Experience: What to Expect
Of course, in the middle of your trip, there’s a lunch that is added to your ticket. Anyway, that meal in our tour, took place in a restaurant around the Valley. The food, usually, you could choose between different tastes of what Peruvian food is, which gave you a bite of what local plates are. It really isn’t some fancy, or too over the top. It is pretty good, and hits the spot perfectly between destinations, so that you feel you have enough energy to keep going!
What I Enjoyed About the Tour
Okay, so now, for me, that convenience and having everything already thought out, are the big wins. Being picked up at my hotel, getting around the Sacred Valley and the salt mines with a guide that is talking a bit more on the places, took a ton of pressure of me. Also, the guides are a bit insightful, you know? They have information to drop that I’m sure you cannot just find anywhere! In that way, they give you the experience on a level that, otherwise, you just could not experience.
Some things to consider
So, very, every single person might not be the one. Some could consider the tour a bit too organized. You move according to a clock and that doesn’t lets you have that much room if you like to go discover by yourself a place on your own. Anyway, that altitude might be a hard thing for some, okay? The Sacred Valley is not that up high as Cusco, you just have to take easy and make sure you are very well hydrated. So, the weather can change really fast, pack layers just in case, alright?
Is the “From Cusco Sacred Valley and Maras Salt Mines with Lunch” Tour Worth It?
Okay, when all is said and done, this specific tour, really delivers what it says in the package. It brings you through important Inca sites, gives a sight of the impressive Maras Salt Mines, and, adds a taste of local cuisine, so it has everything planned for you! If you like everything already scheduled and to get all this historic knowledge and key places without having to make plans on your own, I am of the mind that this one may be a great decision, okay? Just know that it may not be the perfect fit if you want a casual type of outing. Very well, plan around if being on time doesn’t really sit well with you, but that you may want a very solid way to discover what is sacred Valley without having to think that much.
Other things in the Sacred Valley
And, very arguably, you could spend even a week visiting that area, so if this is something that you really are fond of, take a look to:
- Moray
- Urubamba
- Chinchero