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A pleasant area of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Cusco worth visiting is San Blas. It’s a pleasant walk uphill from Plaza de Armas.
The neighborhood was once used as a residential area for the Inca elite. After Spanish conquest, it became a colonial parish and lots of colonial buildings were constructed. It’s now a mostly quiet residential area, although there are still lots of tourists, restaurants, hostels, and hotels. It’s also home to several artisan shops selling a range of locally made crafts.
With narrow alleys and whitewashed homes, and many good restaurants it’s a great place to spend some time wandering. You won’t see as much traffic there as you would in the rest of the historic city center of Cusco. It just feels like a more relaxing area.
Plaza de San Blas
The focal point of the area is the plaza. It’s a nice open area filled with benches and a fountain, and is surrounded by many shops selling locally made crafts. There are also several restaurants nearby.
Church
The Church of San Blas (Iglesia de San Blas) was built between 1544 and 1563 over an old Incan temple dedicated to Ilapa, the Incan god of lightning and rain. It’s the oldest parish church in Cusco. Admission to the church is S/15 (as of July 2024). It’s open daily except Sundays from 8am to 6pm. There’s some beautiful artwork in the church, especially the pulpit, but photography is not allowed. Visitors are able to climb the bell tower for great views of Cusco and the plaza.
Wandering Around
My favorite thing to do in the neighborhood is to wander up and down the narrow cobblestoned alleys. You will find cafés, guesthouses, shops, and more along the way.
Mirador
If you make it up to the top of the neighborhood, you will be rewarded with some spectacular views of Cusco. This is called Mirador de San Blas, and you can spot many different landmarks in and around the city from there.
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