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| Title: NATIONAL SANCTUARY OF MEJIA LAGOONS |
| Interest: Culture |
| Trip Length: 8 hours |
Overview: The Mejia Lagoons National Sanctuary is located on the coast of Arequipa, near the mouth of the Tambo River. The lagoons are separated from the ocean by a large fringe of beaches and sandy pits. Within the protected area (690 hectares/1,704 acres), several habitats are grouped, including lagoons of different degrees of salinity, salt marsh, reed patches, salt mines and wild grass that form a complex ecosystem. It is ideal for bird watching and a 170 species have been registered: 75 are resident species (you can find them there all year long), 8 are ocean residing species, 62 are regular visitors and 25 are migratory.
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| Title: MARAS SALT MINES AND MORAY |
| Interest: Culture |
| Trip Length: 4 hours |
Overview: The colonial town of Maras is located over a plain from which it is possible to admire the snow capped mountains of La Veronica at 5,682 meters and Chikon at 5,530 meters. Towards the northwest of the town, at a walking distance, are located the famous Maras salt works to which some people call salt mines. These are constituted by 3,000 small ponds roughly 5 square meters in size, constructed in a slope of the Qaqawiñay mountain. At 7 kilometers southwest from Maras the unique archeological site of Moray is located. It is famous for its sunken amphitheater, which appear to disappear into the earth like an artificial crater. The site was apparently an Inca agricultural research station designed for experimenting with crops at various altitudes and temperatures, creating the conditions or micro climates that in modern times people create in greenhouses.
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| Title: CHINCHERO |
| Interest: Culture |
| Trip Length: 4 hours |
Overview: The town of Chinchero, strategically located 30 kilometers northwest of Cusco, had been entirely constructed on an extremely wide Incan setting. It was founded in the middle of the most beautiful cultivated lands in order to be used as a resting place by Inca Túpac Yupanqui. On its wide plateau, decorated by Piuray and Huaypo lagoons, you can find imposing snow-capped mountains. Chinchero has a rich monumental and cultural heritage and is one of the few places in Cusco that visibly maintains the Incan urban design. The remains of the Incan palace, the colonial church erected on stone foundations, its impeccable cultivation terraces and a colorful fair constitute their main attractions.
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