1-Day Trip to Chinchero, Moray & Maras
Our 1-day tour of Chinchero, Moray and Maras gives you the finest glimpse of the Peruvian culture and history. We have put our best knowledge of these Andean lands to use in chalking out this tour itinerary. It is as follows:
- Weaving demonstration at Chinchero
- Exploring the agricultural terraces of Moray
- Salt Ponds of Maras
Our 1-day tour of Chinchero, Moray and Maras is primarily cultural and historical. We focus on giving our client an in-depth understanding of the indigenous textile and agricultural practices of the Andes. Our first destination for the day shall be the ancient town of Chinchero in the Sacred Valley. Chinchero sits at a lofty 3762 meters above the sea level which means that the altitude is higher as compared to Cusco. It is highly recommended for travelers to make sure they acclimatize themselves to the weather in Cusco before heading out on this trip.
Chinchero, shadowed by the majestic Salkantay peak, can be called the textile and weaving capital of Peru. It hosts the country’s renowned Interpretation Center of Andean Textiles, the site where you will be entertained with the weaving demonstration. The women of this town have kept the ancient Andean practices of knitting and weaving alive till date. They will show you how different indigenous patterns and designs are weaved. You will be introduced to the Andean techniques of cloth dying using natural extracts from flowers and tree roots. The making of the royal red dye using chincheal, a tiny insect caught off the cactus plant called prickly pear, is the most fascinating one. Andean textile patterns, weaving art and dying methods have lived on for centuries. Watching demonstrations in the Quechua town of Chinchero will enable you to understand why these traditions are much celebrated in Peru.
We descend about 200 meters from the town of Chincheor towards our next destination, the state-of-the-art ancient Inca terraces of Moray. This archeological site is known for its circular terraces plunging deep to form the shape of a bowl. These terraces are concentric in their construction. It is said that these impressive terraces were built by the Inca agriculturists to serve as farming laboratories. This site was used to bring the lowland crops to the Andean highlands in the Cusco region. The experiments made at the Moray terraces led to the cultivation of innumerable and unique species of many crops, namely corn, potatoes, beans, cereals etc. There are indigenous species of several crops which are only grown in the Andes, courtesy the ground-breaking knowledge of Incan agriculturists. These circular terraces connected by stairways present a spectacular view today. Moray promises to leave every traveler in awe!
Our last stop for the day before heading towards the hotel in the Sacred Valley shall be Maras. It is known for its salty springs and Salt Ponds. The natives draw water from the springs to these ponds where it is processed. After three weeks, salt is extracted from these ponds using wooden scrappers. These ponds were developed by the skilled Incan engineers during their time and continue to serve the Quechuan tribes to date. This site has been in use for processing the Andean salt for centuries. The system is still functional and these ponds are an amazing site to explore if one is interested in discovering the best of Peruvian culture and history.
Weaving in Chinchero, Salt Ponds, Moray:
$125 USD per person provided you are going in a group of 4 people.
Terms and conditions apply, and prices may vary accordingly in case you are travelling in more or less numbers, customized trips, trips including more sights, solo or with family.
Itinerary
Our 1-day tour of Chinchero, Moray and Maras gives you the finest glimpse of the Peruvian culture and history. We have put our best knowledge of these Andean lands to use in chalking out this tour itinerary. It is as follows:
- Weaving demonstration at Chinchero
- Exploring the agricultural terraces of Moray
- Salt Ponds of Maras
Details
Our 1-day tour of Chinchero, Moray and Maras is primarily cultural and historical. We focus on giving our client an in-depth understanding of the indigenous textile and agricultural practices of the Andes. Our first destination for the day shall be the ancient town of Chinchero in the Sacred Valley. Chinchero sits at a lofty 3762 meters above the sea level which means that the altitude is higher as compared to Cusco. It is highly recommended for travelers to make sure they acclimatize themselves to the weather in Cusco before heading out on this trip.
Chinchero, shadowed by the majestic Salkantay peak, can be called the textile and weaving capital of Peru. It hosts the country’s renowned Interpretation Center of Andean Textiles, the site where you will be entertained with the weaving demonstration. The women of this town have kept the ancient Andean practices of knitting and weaving alive till date. They will show you how different indigenous patterns and designs are weaved. You will be introduced to the Andean techniques of cloth dying using natural extracts from flowers and tree roots. The making of the royal red dye using chincheal, a tiny insect caught off the cactus plant called prickly pear, is the most fascinating one. Andean textile patterns, weaving art and dying methods have lived on for centuries. Watching demonstrations in the Quechua town of Chinchero will enable you to understand why these traditions are much celebrated in Peru.
We descend about 200 meters from the town of Chincheor towards our next destination, the state-of-the-art ancient Inca terraces of Moray. This archeological site is known for its circular terraces plunging deep to form the shape of a bowl. These terraces are concentric in their construction. It is said that these impressive terraces were built by the Inca agriculturists to serve as farming laboratories. This site was used to bring the lowland crops to the Andean highlands in the Cusco region. The experiments made at the Moray terraces led to the cultivation of innumerable and unique species of many crops, namely corn, potatoes, beans, cereals etc. There are indigenous species of several crops which are only grown in the Andes, courtesy the ground-breaking knowledge of Incan agriculturists. These circular terraces connected by stairways present a spectacular view today. Moray promises to leave every traveler in awe!
Our last stop for the day before heading towards the hotel in the Sacred Valley shall be Maras. It is known for its salty springs and Salt Ponds. The natives draw water from the springs to these ponds where it is processed. After three weeks, salt is extracted from these ponds using wooden scrappers. These ponds were developed by the skilled Incan engineers during their time and continue to serve the Quechuan tribes to date. This site has been in use for processing the Andean salt for centuries. The system is still functional and these ponds are an amazing site to explore if one is interested in discovering the best of Peruvian culture and history.
Prices
Weaving in Chinchero, Salt Ponds, Moray:
$125 USD per person provided you are going in a group of 4 people.
Terms and conditions apply, and prices may vary accordingly in case you are travelling in more or less numbers, customized trips, trips including more sights, solo or with family.
For further information or queries:
Call us
+1 (248) 420-4630
Messenger
@caminalosandespage
+1 (248) 420-4630
