Forty kilometers from Cuzco, is the small town of Maras where we find the Salinas Salt Ponds tucked into the valley.
For quite possibly thousands of years, a flowing subterranean spring from the mountains above, has filled the 3,000 salt-pools below. Through a series of channels, the farmers block the flow determining which pool the water flows to. Once the pool is filled, the flow of water is blocked, allowing the sun to evaporate the water which can take up to one month.
As the salt water becomes supersaturated, salt crystals begin precipitating out of the water. The farmers then scrape the salt to the side and collect it once a sizable amount has been gathered.
The salt mines are available to any person wishing to harvest salt. There are many unused salt pools that are available to be farmed. Any prospective farmer need only find an unoccupied pool to start working.
Are you interested?
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