Pisac
The best budget option is Hostel Kinsa Ccocha (Arequipa 307, tel. 084/20-3101, US$10-14 pp), a block from the Plaza de Armas, which has several plain, clean rooms with shared or private bath. Ask for a newer room; they have higher ceilings.
Hospedaje Samana Wasi (Plaza de Armas 509, tel. 084/20-3133, US$15 s, US$20 d) offers small rooms overlooking the plaza with shared or private bathrooms, and a restaurant with a great value three-course set menu for just US$5 (7am-9pm daily).
Pisac Inn (Plaza de Armas, tel. 084/20-3062, US$45 s, US$55-65 d with breakfast) is owned by Roman Vizcarra and Fielding Wood-Vizcarra, a Peruvian-American couple who founded the hotel in 1993. The adobe building, covered in bright murals, includes the highly regarded Cuchara de Palo restaurant, whose balconies overlook the market square. Additional perks include a US$25 Cusco airport pickup, laundry, and a constant supply of water from the hotel’s own well. Roman speaks English, Spanish, Quechua, Italian, and German and leads tours throughout the area that combine culture with spirituality.
New Yorker Diane Dunn’s pride and joy, Paz y Luz (off the road to the ruins 2 km outside of town, tel. 084/20-3204, US$45 s, US$65 d with breakfast, cash only) is a collection of earth-colored lodges on the edge of the Río Urubamba outside Pisac. Paz y Luz (peace and light) has become a center for spirituality in the Sacred Valley, and its focal point is the healing center, the inspiration of Diane’s book Cusco: Gateway to Inner Wisdom. Diane is a kind-hearted host, and the location is spectacular, with wonderful views of the mountains and Pisac ruins. The 24 rooms are located in three buildings, all comfortable and tastefully decorated, with new bathrooms. A central area has a wood stove, dining table, and polished wood staircase. The growing complex includes a restaurant, conference room, meditation room, massage, and rooms for long-term residents. Two-bedroom bungalows with their own living room, fireplace, kitchen, and bathroom are under construction at the back. Prices for long-term guests and descriptions of spiritual workshops and tailor-made tours are on the website.
On the outskirts of town, Hotel Royal Inka III Pisac (on road to the ruins 1 km outside of town, tel. 084/20-3064, US$58 s, US$80 d) is located in a converted hacienda with a mid-19th-century chapel, but most of the rooms are in a cold and charmless modern addition. It offers an Olympic-size pool (available to nonguests), private whirlpool tub, sauna, tennis court, horses, bikes, game room, restaurant, bar, videos, and a spa. Without a discount, this hotel can seem overpriced, especially when compared to cheaper and more charming options nearby.
Also outside town is Melissa Wasi (on road to the ruins 1 km outside of town, tel. 084/79-7589, US$90 d, bungalow US$120), a charming hotel with eight double rooms and three separate bungalows built into the hillside. Owners Joyce and Chito have created a beautiful house with colorful gardens. Bungalows sleep up to four people, and all have WiFi and a complete kitchen.
Excerpted from the Second Edition of Moon Machu Picchu.
