We love Airbnb for finding budget friendly accommodations. Rooms in people’s houses, entire houses, bed and breakfasts, locally owned hotels and international chains can all be found on airbnb. For our last night in Cusco, we stayed at a small bed and breakfast, Garden of San Blas.
Garden of San Blas, Cusco | $80 per night
Rooms: Each room in this home is decorated in unique styles with some serious effort put into the bathrooms. Our room had an intricately carved wooden bed and huge mirror, tons of closet space, and a waterfall shower that looked like an Incan temple. We arrived pretty late at night and had a very early flight out the next morning, but we left well rested and wishing we could have spent more time here!
The common areas were equally as gorgeous, and the terrace garden had a great view of the city.
Gorgeous furnishings at the Garden of San Blas.
Inca temple-like stonework in the waterfall shower at Garden of San Blas.
View from the terrace.
Location: If you’re coming by taxi, they’ll only be able to take you as far as San Blas Square. From there, it’s a short walk up an alley, but it’s very hidden. For this reason it’s best to arrange an airport transfer with Garden of San Blas when you arrive so they can take you directly to the house. Or ask for a map to be emailed to you! We arrived late at night from Machu Picchu. Our taxi driver dropped us at San Blas Square, then called Garden of San Blas. Luis met us in the square and walked us up to the room.
Staff: Luis was so nice, had tea for us when we arrived, and arranged a taxi to get us to the airport the next morning. He lives there and cooks breakfast to order in the mornings. Unfortunately due to our early flight, we weren’t able to enjoy breakfast but it sounded great!
In conclusion: Garden of San Blas is a great place for couples seeking an intimate and charming atmosphere. There are definitely plenty of budget-friendly places in Cusco, but the value added by having a memorable stay may be worth the extra cost, even for budget travelers like ourselves!