Horse riding in the Sacred Valley, Peru
Review: Extended Salineras, Maras and Moray Ride at Salineras Ranch, Sacred Valley, Peru
This post is not sponsored and reflects my own opinion.
I went to Peru in July 2022 and oh my god, what a trip. It was simultaneously amazing but also super difficult. Schele took me on the Inca trail (the full 4 day hike) and I had such severe altitude sickness. After that was over and I had recovered a little, I went for a ride at Salineras Ranch. I had booked it prior to travelling to Peru and had no idea what to expect.
I went for the ride on July 18th 2022. I had arranged a custom private ride as there were no other rides scheduled for that day and it was the only day that worked within my trip before we were due to fly to Tambopata in the Amazon rainforest.
On the morning of the 18th July, a private car came to pick me up from my hotel in Ollantaytambo.
When I arrived, I was greeted warmly and was really impressed with the beautiful location and peaceful atmosphere. I went into the lodge before going down to the horses. It was really aesthetic and modern with a very rustic and comfortable vibe.
The lodge at Salineras Ranch.
We went down to the horses and they lent me a hat and some gloves as the weather was a bit chilly that morning. I always ride with a hat (safety helmet) and usually bring my own with me, but didn’t have enough space for it on this trip so it was really good that they had some available there.
Getting ready to ride at Salineras Ranch.
This amazing girl Honor (also from the UK) accompanied me on the ride as a translator along with the Peruvian guide and I really enjoyed her company, we had a great chat and loved cantering together.
First we rode up to the salt flats and had a stop there to look around, which was interesting. These salt mines are evaporation ponds that have been used to produce salt here since pre-Inca times. They reminded me of the natural salt formations that I saw earlier this year in Pamukkale, Turkey.
Salineras salt mines
After having a look at the salt flats we rode through the quiet and authentic colonial village of Maras. We rode past one of the first Spanish churches, and saw the coats of arms from different Spanish colonial families carved into the stone doorways on the walls.
In the old colonial village of Maras outside a Spanish church.
We had a lovely canter up through on the path towards the popular tourist spot known as Moray, and stopped here for a look around. Moray is one of the famous Inca ruins near Cusco and is composed of three groups of circular terraces which are though to be where Incan people conducted agricultural research on different levels of the terraces.
Moray Inca Ruins
After that we started back on a scenic route towards the ranch. The views on the way back were astounding and the dramatic Peruvian landscape and clouds gave it a very atmospheric feel.
Comfy saddle, calm horse, breathtaking views: what more could you want?
I though it was incredible, when we were a bit closer to the ranch, our guide let the horses free and they walked themselves back. It’s too steep to ride down so we walked down behind them. I really enjoyed watching them against the stunning backdrop.
The horses walking themselves home…
Once we had returned to the ranch we had such a nice meal which was made by the team back at the ranch. They catered to my dietary requirements and the food was really wholesome and delicious, including dessert!
Overall I would definitely recommend a ride here, if you would like a high quality and safe experience while viewing the sights of the Sacred Valley and enjoying breathtaking views from the back of a horse. It is not the cheapest day ride I have been on but like anything, you get what you pay for and the quality of the experience is definitely worth it.
