Maras & Moray

The Archeological Site of Moray, unique in its kind, is a fascinating display of concentric circles spiraling down into the Earth, comprised of numerous terraces. These terraces, which are carved deep into the earth in a bowl shape, were thought to be used to determine the optimal conditions for growing crops. It was an important center of agricultural experimentation during the Inca period. The inhabitants managed to recreate the diverse climates within the Inca Empire through the use of concentric terraces, which each terrace has a unique microclimate which subsequently experiences its own temperature. In many ways, it was an Incan experimental biology station and greenhouse. Nestled in the Sacred Valley of the Incas is the remote town of Maras, well known for its nearby salt evaporation ponds, that’s been in use since Inca times. These pre-Inca salt pools were constructed between AD 200 and AD 900. Highly salty water emerging from the Qoripujio spring, close to the head of the valley, is directed into an intricate network of tiny channels constructed so that the water runs gradually down onto the several hundred ancient terraced ponds and evaporates in the Andean sunshine.