On our first morning in Cusco we left our hotel with the aim to find another one. The night before we had discovered that most hotels here give prices in US$ and that a two-star hostel in Cuzco costs the same as four star hotel elsewhere in the country. It was getting dark and we ended up sleeping at the cheapest two-star place we could find in our rush to get to sleep, S./50 a night, or about $17.
Looking for another one proved easy, the small family run restaurant we were in last night offered us a room for S./15 per person – and it was in San Blas, a fashionable district. It wasn’t getting any better than that in this city, so we returned and accepted the offer.

From the Plaza de Armas, to the right of the cathedral, walk up San Blas, right the way up, until you hit the “Pizzas” sign and turn right. That’s the way to Arrieros, a family-run restaurant with rooms to rent, probably the best in San Blas for the money. S./15 per person with views of the city at night, warm rooms, hot water and clean. There are also advantages to having a restaurant seconds away, as I found out when feeling a little sick after my Machu Picchu adventure that you’ll soon hear about. A large bowl of hot soup made by our ever-accommodating hosts brought to my bed soon cured that illness.

Tags: cusco, restaurant, san blas