Maras

Maras commonly refers to the Salinas de Maras, a historic salt mine complex located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in the Cusco Region of Peru, near the town of Maras. The site consists of thousands of shallow, rectangular salt pans built into a hillside along the Urubamba Valley. Salt-rich water from an underground saline spring is channeled across the pans, where the sun and wind evaporate the water and leave crystallized salt that is harvested by local families.

The salt pans reflect long-standing Andean production practices. Archaeological and historical records indicate that the site was used long before the arrival of the Spanish and has continued into modern times, with ownership and operation traditionally managed by local communities or families.

Today, the Salinas de Maras is a popular tourist destination, offering scenic views of the terraced pans and demonstrations of salt harvesting. Visitors can observe the artisanal methods, often with opportunities to purchase salt locally. The site illustrates pre-Columbian and colonial-era mineral extraction and agrarian-influenced landscapes, while also raising considerations about sustainability and the impact of tourism on the community and environment.

Outside of Peru, the name Maras can appear as a placename or surname in different contexts, but the Salinas de Maras is the most widely recognized reference.