Sacred Valley (Hikes)
Salineras de Maras & Moray
Not only is it full of magnificent Inca ruins, the sacred valley of Peru boasts a stunning nature which can be enjoyed through a number of hiking trails. The hike that I did and will be described in this post will take you, not only, through unspoiled nature away from mass tourism, but also will pass by two of the must-see ruins/sights in the sacred valley; and as always…All On Your Own…So let us begin:)
Urubamba → Salineras de Maras → Moray:
This hike is fairly easy and suitable for the average hiker; albeit, it is a bit long. So, based in Cusco, you’ll need to start your day early to take your time and enjoy all it has to offer.
To get to the start of the hike from Cusco, again the collective is your savior:) As you now became an expert with how to navigate your way in the sacred valley through collectivos, there is a designated stop in Cusco for the collectivos heading directly to Urubamba, or you can take a collective to Pisac then Urubamaba (click to request info).
Urubamaba is in the middle of the sacred valley and when you arrive there, the collective will drop you on the main sacred valley’s road adjacent to the river. Don’t enter Urubamaba itself, instead head across the street towards the river to reach the trailhead (click to request info).
Immediately when you start hiking you’ll cross a wooden bridge over the river and then you’ll find a small gate and a little boy selling tickets to Salineras. Don’t be alarmed, it is not a scam!! But because you took the road less-traveled to reach Salineras, this is not the main gate that all tourists use to reach the salt mines. Buy your ticket and be ready to reach Salineras like no other tourist:)
The hike from the gate to the salt terraces of Salineras is an uphill hike, yet it is fairly moderate and will take you around 40 minutes to reach your destination.
The trail digs itself in the pass between the hills and along the way you’ll get amazing views of the valley behind you…so enjoy.
Since you took the road less-traveled, you’ll reach Salineras from the bottom, unlike the tour groups’ tourists, so you’ll have this section of the mines to yourself:)
The way these mines are engineered from ancient times and the fact that they are still operational till today is fascinating. You can walk on the terraces themselves but be careful not to slip…so enjoy and admire this marvelous engineering feat. When you are ready, head your way up the terraces to the main gate from which tour groups arrive and say a final goodbye to those amazing mines.
Now that you finished the first leg of the hike, take a break and rest because the next leg is very long and it is the true definition of “off-the-beaten-pass”!
There is a road connecting Salineras to Moray, but few people know that there is also a hiking trail along the ridge of the mountains that takes you directly there. First, you’ll start walking on the main road and after few meters you’ll venture into a side road away from the tour buses. On this road, you’ll be totally alone…Only you, some wildlife, and stunning nature!
It is a serene and a very satisfying feeling to be so immersed in nature with no civilization around you to spoil the views! But don’t let the serenity take you along this road for too long because very shortly you’ll take a detour to the hiking trails (click to request info).
Once you find the trail, it’ll be a straightforward hike to Moray on a mostly flat terrain; however, it is a long trail which will take you around 3 hours to complete.
Congratulations!!! You’ve arrived at Moray On Your Own and via a route that few people take; and, above all, this isn’t one of the main ruins on the tourists’ trail so there will be few people around. Enjoy this ancient amphitheater; and then you’ll need to arrange your ride back to Cusco.
There are no collectivos or public transportation from Moray to Cusco, so the best way to go back is to find a local taxi (I’ve to admit, not many stop there), or hitchhike a ride and pay a small fee to a local guy. It might sound alarming that you might get stuck in Moray, but don’t worry you’ll find your way back and actually this is part of the fun of doing it On Your Own…SO ENJOY:)
