Maras Salt Pans, Moray, Chinchero and Andean Textiles
Pick-up from your hotel in Cusco at 8:00 AM. Drive across the highlands of Anta and stop a couple of times on the way to appreciate magnificent views of the snowy peaks of the Cordillera Urubamba.
Visit the salt pans of Maras, where locals have extracted their beautiful pink salt for centuries and now market it internationally in new food products, cosmetics, and medicines.
Return higher up to the highlands and first briefly visit the colonial town of Maras before continuing your journey to the Inca site of Moray.
Take the backroads to some little-known Inca storage places before enjoying a leisurely lunch at a highland lagoon with magnificent views of the surroundings. You will be served home-cooked food in porcelain crockery while you relax in a deck chair.
In the afternoon, drive on to Chinchero, where there was once a grand ceremonial site and palace built by the ruler Inca Thupaq Yupanqui. Also explore the richly decorated 17th-century church located here.
Finally, head to the longest-established textile association in town. Here, you will learn everything you have always wanted to know about producing high-quality Andean textiles. Learn about the process of spinning and dyeing the wool with natural, mostly plant-based materials, setting up back-strap looms, and the weaving process. Afterwards, you may purchase colourful garments directly from the producers.
Transfer back to Cusco.
