Salt has been harvested here since before the time of the Incas — and to this day, it's still done the very same way. 🙆
So how do the salt pools actually work? ⚖️ Salty water rises from deep within the earth and flows through a network of narrow channels that fill each little pool one by one. Once a pool is full, the water flow is cut off, and the sun's heat takes over, evaporating the water until only salt remains at the bottom. This process repeats for about a month before the salt is finally harvested and sold. 💰
The salt usually forms in three layers. The top layer is the highest quality — pink or white — and is sold as kitchen salt. The middle layer is white and used as food-grade salt, though it's not quite as high in quality. The brown third layer, meanwhile, is typically sold as industrial salt.
There are more than 3000 pools here, all of different sizes. 😯 They belong to a few hundred local families, and without their cooperation, salt production simply wouldn't be possible. 🧂🧂🧂
Photos are nice, but the real view is something else entirely — you just have to come and see it for yourself. 👀👍
