A Visual Guide to the Maras Salt Mines, Peru

Salt is an essential foodstuff and industrial material.

Without it human being cannot extract the nutrients they need from farmed food.

Without salt, there can be no cities,  and no industries of certain types, such as such as wool dying .

The Maras Salt Mines in Peru have been in operation since ancient times, and still operate in much the same way today.

• The process is simple and effective.
• First a shallow terraced pond is prepared.
• Then the salt rich water from the local springs is channeled into the ponds and left to be evaporated by the sun.
• The resulting crystalised salt is scraped off.
• The terraced pond is then rebuilt and the process repeated.

The salt mines are an amazing sight, filling the sides of a steep valley – a must see if you are in Peru!

Images by Tomasz Ciolek. All rights reserved.