The Sacred Valley + Las Salineras De Maras

We spent three days driving through and exploring The Sacred Valley and we think it might be one of our new favorite parts of Perú. The dry season weather was ideal: cloudless blue skies, lots of sun and chilly nights.

The combination of perfect weather and beautiful landscapes instantly made us feel at home. We bought our boleto touristico at the entrance to Old Pisac ruins for 70 Soles since we weren’t doing the full Sacred Valley Tour.  

We started our drive with a quick stop for lunch in the peaceful town of Pisac before checking out the Old Pisac ruins for some afternoon hiking. Seeing the patterns of the terraces as they sprawled out into the valley was magical. 

The next day, we continued on to Ollantaytambo where post-inti Raymi celebrations were still happening.

The whole town was full of music, color and the plaza was packed with people dining in the lunch stalls that lined it. Peruvian women yelled out the day’s specials and dished out all sorts of home cooked meals from giant pots wrapped in colorful blankets. Peter decided that this would be his first time trying the regional specialty: cuy al horno (oven baked guinea pig).

On the way to the terraces of Moray, we stopped off for a couple of beers in Cervezeria del Valle Sagrado’s beautiful courtyard.

Pretty soon we realized that if we didn’t hurry, we’d get there after the ruins closed. We chugged what was left of our beers (responsibly) and sped off. We got there just in time to do a short stroll around the perimeter of the ruins and catch the sunset, tucked into a beautiful camping spot nearby. 

In the morning, we made it to our last stop: Las Salineras De Moras. We expected to be underwhelmed but the sheer size and colors of the salt ponds was mesmerizing. It was like a giant piece of art tucked away between two hills.