Green rings
Terraces sinking down.
Philipp Weigell — CC BY 3.0 · Draceane — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Draceane — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PsamatheM — CC BY-SA 4.0
A strange Inca site on a high plateau about 3,500 metres up: wide circular hollows cut into the ground as rings of terraces stepping down to the bottom, like an upside-down amphitheatre, the largest about 30 metres deep, with its own irrigation system. Their purpose is not known for certain, but their depth, design and orientation to sun and wind create a temperature difference of up to fifteen degrees between the rim and the bottom, so many researchers think the Incas used them to test crops at different temperatures, as an agricultural laboratory. The view from the rim is the highlight: neat green rings sinking into the earth, with snow-capped mountains on the horizon. Walking down onto the terraces themselves is not allowed, to protect them, so visitors follow a path around the edges. Entry is with the Cusco tourist ticket, and Moray is usually combined with the nearby Maras salt pans in half a day. The plateau is exposed to sun and wind, so bring a hat and a jacket.
Terraces sinking down.
Crops at many climates.
On the horizon.
A plateau west of the village of Maras, about 50 km north-west of Cusco
No one knows for sure, but the large temperature difference between rim and bottom leads many researchers to think they were an agricultural laboratory for testing crops in different climates.