Biking Maras Moray Machupicchu Explorers

Biking Maras, Moray, Salineras

ITINERARY CODE: BMMSA1

This beautiful bicycle tour will allow you to discover the high part of the Sacred Valley of The Incas. This tour combines magnificent views of the Sacred Valley and the mountains snow overlooking, the discovery of archaeological sites, and the freedom that comes with the practice of mountain biking on small roads, and also having a view of the traditional agricultural life.

Maras: Maras is a district of the Urubamba province, possible to be reached through a paved road from kilometer 50 on the road Cusco - Chinchero - Urubamba. It is located towards the west of Cusco at an altitude of 3300 mts. (10824 feet); over a plain that in prehistoric times was a huge plateau, from which it is possible to observe the range of mountains of Urubamba including the snow capped mountains o f Weqey Willka (today "La Veronica", 5682 mts., 18641 ft.) and " Chikon" (5530 mts., 18143 ft.).

Moray: About 7 kms. (4.3 miles) away southwest from Maras; Moray is a very unique archaeological site in the region. It is possible to reach it by car through the dusty road and the path departing from the town. Those are enormous natural depressions or hollows in the ground surface that Inkas used for constructing irrigated farming terraces around them. What is surprising is that the difference of average annual temperature between the top and the bottom reaches even about 15°C (59°F) in the main depression that is about 30 mts (100 feet) deep Towards the northwest of the Maras village is the famous "Salt Works". The Maras "salt works" to which some people call "salt mines" are constituted by about 3000 small pools with an average area of 5 m² (53.8 ft²), constructed in a slope of the "Qaqawiñay" mountain. People fill up or "irrigate" the pools during the dry season every 3 days, with salty water emanating from a natural spring located on the top of the complex, so that when water evaporates the salt contained in it will slowly solidify.

Biking Maras, Moray, Salineras:
We leave Cusco by bus at 9:00 a.m., with the direction to Chinchero (30 minutes to get here), small village that retains the layout of the streets of the Inca edge, and several buildings dating from this time. From here we go by bike in the direction of the Lake Huaypo, before discovering the agricultural site of Moray, the Maras colonial village and then the salt mines of Maras, where we will see the process of salt recollection, precious mineral during the Inca edge and then at the time of the colony. Later we will complete our circuit by a beautiful descent to the village of Urubamba, at the bottom of the Valley, by the sacred river Vilcanota. Finally we find our car that will bring us back to Cusco at 5:00 pm.

This easy excursion of about 35 km bicycle, in small paths without difficulties will leave you an unforgettable memory

Included:
English speaking guide for the archaeological sites.
Gloves, helmet, bike, box lunch, round trip transportation.